Iroko Historical Society · Open Vocabulary
Iroko Framework
Semantic Vocabularies
Controlled vocabularies and access governance mechanisms for documenting sacred knowledge in Afro-Atlantic traditions. A postcustodial approach where communities maintain authority over their knowledge while enabling semantic interoperability.
Foundation
The single module every other module depends on. Defines the core class hierarchy, access level governance (iroko:minimumAccessLevel, six levels), assertion reification, and concept schemes shared across all tiers.
Foundation for all other modules. Access control, provenance tracking, contested knowledge modeling, assertion governance, temporal variation, fieldwork capture, thin narrative spine, and sacred media metadata. v2.0.0 adds Assertion superclass, TemporalVariation, AccessPolicy, FieldworkEvent, and narrative primitives.
Governance Layer
Five composable modules that add sovereignty infrastructure to any domain module. None are required — load only what your use case needs. Each declares its cross-dependencies. See Technical Architecture for module combination patterns and the access-level enforcement contract.
Sovereignty-aligned agency model for sacred systems. Defines sacred agents (including spirits) and ritual events without metaphysical claims. Supports authorization and refusal events, stewardship mandates, and authorization chains. Designed to degrade gracefully — minimal use requires only SacredAgent, Spirit, and RitualEvent.
Full development of the iroko:RitualAuthority stub in Core. Models authority types (lineage, house, cabildo, council, elder, divinatory office), authority basis (succession, consecration, community recognition, divinatory selection), jurisdiction, recognition networks, and temporal validity. Used to authorize assertion-level claims across all modules.
Optional module for modeling epistemic constraints and disclosure permissions — "knowledge gating" in sovereignty-aware archives. Governs when, to whom, and under what conditions knowledge may be disclosed, withheld, or restricted. Distinguishes what may be known about a resource from who may access it. Complements iroko:accessLevel with finer-grained constraint modeling.
Full narrative modeling layer built on the thin Core spine. Adds story transmission chains, contested kinship claims as Assertion subtypes, testimonies, fieldnotes, interpretive stances, and typed variant relationships. Covers odu verse traditions, patakí, konté, and equivalent narrative corpora across Afro-Atlantic traditions.
Optional module for modeling how sacred agents are asserted to manifest — through embodiment, possession, dream, divination, symbolic presence, territorial claim, or auditory sign. Plugs into ag:ManifestationEvent and supports temporal variation where manifestation modes shift by ritual calendar or cycle.
Domain Modules
Ten tradition-specific vocabularies, each covering a distinct knowledge domain. All depend on iroko-core; each declares dcterms:references to the Governance Layer modules it is designed to work with.
Ritual use governance layered over Darwin Core botanical data. Field-level access control from scientific names (public) through harvest protocols and preparation methods (initiated-only). Developed from Pierre Verger's ethnobotanical fieldwork corpus as proof-of-concept for the full framework.
Recurring ceremonies distinguished from threshold initiatory rites. Property-level access: ceremony existence is public; operational sequences and material details are community-restricted or initiated-only.
Religious houses, lineage structures, initiation genealogy, authority transmission, and schism events. Covers ilé, terreiro, hounfò, cabildo, and analogous institutions. Extends schema:Organization and FOAF.
Divination systems, sacred signs, reading records, and verse corpora across traditions. Covers Ifá (256 odù), Dilogún, Fá, Obi, and Chamalongo. Sign names public; verse texts and reading details restricted.
Initiatory societies, graded initiation systems, esoteric governance structures, and masquerade traditions. Covers Ékpè/Ngbe, Abakuá, Ogboni, Oro, Gelede, Egungun, Poro, and Sande. Models institutional structure without exposing restricted grade content or member identities.
Vèvè, firmas, pontos riscados, Anaforuana, Nsibidi, Adinkra, and Kongo cosmograms. Models sign form, function, drawing medium, surface, permanence, and lineage corpus across all Afro-Atlantic graphic sign traditions.
Rhythms, songs, consecrated instruments, drum set lineages, and musician authority transmission. Covers Lucumí bàtá (Añá), Vodou Rada/Petwo, Candomblé atabaques, and Palo nkómo. Links to SacredMedia audio records.
Revitalization movements, diaspora returns to African source communities, and reconstructed practice. Heritage relationships modeled as iroko:RelationshipAssertion — multiple perspectives documented without adjudicating authenticity.
Sacred lexicons, liturgical languages, and esoteric terminology. Qal (ቃል) — Ge'ez for "word." Covers Lucumí, Kikongo, Haitian Kreyòl sacred register, Fon/Ewe, and Ge'ez. Integrates OntoLex-Lemon for multilingual lexicographic infrastructure.
Access Philosophy
The Iroko Framework separates vocabulary publication from data publication. Any institution can adopt the vocabulary with its own access policies calibrated to its role:
May publish more openly — drawing from published ethnographies and public archival holdings.
May publish less — active sacred practice requires stricter community governance of access.
May mix levels — public exhibits alongside restricted donor collections and repatriation records.
Field data governed by community authorization; publication requires community endorsement review.
- ✓ Full vocabulary (all classes, properties, concept schemes)
- ✓ Minimal public data (scientific names, vernacular names)
- ✗ Sacred knowledge detail — kept private, API-governed at irokosociety.org
Key Features
- Field-Level Access Control — Six-tier permissions from public-unrestricted through initiated-elder, applied per property
- Contested Knowledge — Assertion reification lets multiple lineage perspectives coexist without forcing resolution
- Provenance Tracking — Oral transmission chains, fieldwork context, epistemic type transparency throughout
- Sovereign Agency — Sacred agents, refusal events, and stewardship mandates model community authority without metaphysical claims
- Postcustodial Design — Communities retain authority; the archive serves the tradition, not the institution
- Semantic Interoperability — Integrates Darwin Core, SKOS, Dublin Core, PROV-O, FOAF, schema.org, OntoLex-Lemon
- Standards-Aligned — W3C RDF/OWL/SKOS, Linked Open Data best practices
Download RDF
Infrastructure
- iroko-core.ttl
- iroko-agency.ttl
- iroko-authority.ttl
- iroko-epistemic.ttl
- iroko-narrative.ttl
- iroko-manifestation.ttl
- iroko-align-prov.ttl
Domain
Every class, property, and concept with definitions and direct links to module browse pages.
Citation
Iroko Historical Society. (2026). Iroko Framework: Semantic Vocabularies for Afro-Atlantic Sacred Knowledge Systems. Version 2.0.0. https://ontology.irokosociety.org