The Kissi people are a West African ethnolinguistic group. They are the fourth largest ethnic group in Guinea, constituting 6.2% of the population. Kissi people are also located in Liberia and Sierra Leone. They speak the Kissi language, which is part of the Mel branch of the Niger-Congo language family. The Kissi are known for their skills in basket making and weaving on vertical looms. Historically, they were also known for ironworking, producing "Kissi pennies" from the region's iron deposits.
Kissi tradition states that they lived in the Upper Niger region before the 17th century, south of Futa Jallon, until the Yalunka people expelled them. After 1600, they migrated westward, displacing the Limbas, but faced constant threats from the Kurankos. Many Kissi have converted to Christianity, but most still practice their traditional ethnic religion, which includes ancestor worship. Before European contact, the Kissi produced carved soapstone figures and heads, possibly for ancestor worship or to improve agricultural yields.
