Heritage. We gather.
Heritage is the Itsekiri word for gathering — a council, a feast, a circle around a fire. This is where the Congress holds the culture in place: 0 upcoming events across 8 Regions, 6 performing troupes, and a weekly rhythm of Iwere language circles for every level.
The gathering has form.
Structure without culture deadens.
Cultural events
Regional brunches, new-year gatherings, king's birthday observances, and the Saturday monthly Heritage — a dinner where elders tell stories in Itsekiri for the children.
See the calendar →§ PILLAR · 02♪Dance troupes
Ofigbo, Igbe, and Ozidi performance troupes in four Regions. Weekly rehearsals. Performances at weddings, festivals, and the annual Convention.
Meet the troupes →§ PILLAR · 03◈Language circles
Weekly Iwere language circles — beginner, intermediate, fluent — over Zoom and in person. Taught by native speakers from Warri, with elder correction.
Join a circle →§ PILLAR · 04✦Heritage anchor
Heritage is the anchor program that holds the others in place. Every Region hosts at least one Heritage per quarter; every member belongs to one circle.
Article 6 · Cultural Covenant →From Heritage USA to INC-USA.
The program was made a pillar.
Before we were a Congress, we were an Heritage. The first Itsekiri diaspora collective in the United States assembled under that name — gathering at homes, at churches, at birthdays, at burials.
As the community grew in ambition and organizational capacity, Heritage USA evolved into the Itsekiri National Congress USA (INC-USA), a registered 501(c)(3) headquartered in Washington, D.C. The new name reflects an expanded mission — healthcare, education, governance, mutual aid. The old name became the cultural anchor program: the thing that keeps the other programs honest.
Every Region is required by the Proposed Constitution to host at least one Heritage per quarter. Most host one per month. No program is more democratic; no program is harder to skip. If you come to nothing else in the Congress, you come to Heritage.
§ Proposed Constitution · Article 6 · Cultural CovenantA gathering you can actually attend.
Every Region, every month. Pick one. Show up. Bring a dish. The rest takes care of itself.
Open the calendar →