May 4, 2024

I wrote previously about how Ghanaian culture largely survived the impacts of British colonization.  That’s probably attributable to the fact that large tribes with thousands of members have lived in what is now Ghana since at least the 12^th century, and overland trade routes between this territory and the Mediterranean go back centuries before that.  The land that is modern day Ghana was the source of much of the gold that found its way to the Mediterranean.  So tribal cultures and traditions were well established long before the Portuguese first sailed south around west Africa in search of the source of that gold (to be followed by the Dutch, French, Swedes, Germans, Danes, and British).

The last week of November was designated by our local school district as a time to celebrate all aspects of Ghana and Ghanaian culture.  Teachers incorporated lessons on history, historical figures, and traditional festivals into their regular classes.  The celebration culminated on Thursday with traditional games, foods, drumming and dancing, and the opportunity to exchange the daily uniform for displays of traditional clothing.  I didn’t have much to add to the celebration, but I took over 800 photos that day (aren’t digital cameras great?!).  I’ll let the photos do most of the talking today.