Indigenous Knowledge Study
 

 

MAMA contributed significantly to the celebration of cultural diversity in Bongo, Bolga, and Tamale and the commemoration of the 50th year of Ghanaian Independence and 200 years of slavery abolition. It also launched the philanthropic partnership of MAMA Indigenous Knowledge Study and Volunteer Networks of the Ghanaian Government. The coalition actively involved Boniface Gamillam, the Upper East Regional Minister, the Ghanaian Minister of Tourism, the paramount Chief of the Bongo District, as well as Chiefs from 32 surrounding municipalities, and a three day welcome celebration (See Events Page).

The successful implementation of the MAMA core objectives involves and is critically linked to African American’s capacity to be exposed to, learn, and absorb the rich culture and traditions of Ghana. The MAMA Indigenous Knowledge Study will provide comprehensive training in traditional dance, drumming, midwifery, music, or any traditional and non-traditional profession of your choice. Come and learn from authentic community elders these trades, professions, customs, and practices, all while living in the community.

In addition, under the umbrella of the MAMA Indigenous Knowledge Study participants can also study traditional medicine, herbal formulations, religion and spiritual philosophy through the Ghana Federation
of Tradition Medical Practitioners and its network of over 1800 traditional healers. This exposure and knowledge will have
a substantial impact on the psyche of African Americans, will improve social functioning, and mental health, and help bridge the gap between African and the African American.

It is true that African Americans were captured, kidnapped, and taken by strangers to a strange land. Naturally,
this catastrophe has had great and lasting affects on the psychology of African Americans. Several people are blamed for these unfortunate events, however, very little has been done operationally by either Africans or African Americans to help lessen the pain and lasting agony caused by the slave trade. MAMA is pioneering the active engagement of real solution oriented efforts to address and resolve the horror of slavery and its lingering mental effects. The time and environment is ideal for the genesis of a realistic model designed for the African American community to develop a real appreciation and knowledge of its own culture. MAMA is positioned to fill the cultural void within our communities and replace it with a healthy confidence and strong sense of identity.
Methodology


Twenty African Americans would be trained in Ghana for three months. The participants would form a group that would be trained in traditional dancing and drumming as well as the indigenous knowledge program of MAMA

This group would then perform on the 6th of March 2007 when Ghana would be celebrating fifty years of her independence, two hundred years of abolition of slave trade. The topics that would be studied are as fellows:

• How Ghanaians live
• What is culture?
• What you should know about Ghanaians
• Language
• Dress
• Food
• Games
• Music
• Religion
• The social system
• The clan
• The extended family
• Chiefs
• Occupation


1. STAGES IN LIFE
In any traditional society in Ghana, the growth of man is marked by stages. These are the stages – birth, puberty, marriage, death and life after death. These stages are termed the Life Cycle. After birth, the baby grows through the puberty stage into a young adult and then adulthood. The adult then marries, brings forth children, grows old and dies. After death he moves into the next world. Some religious rites and ceremonies are performed for each stage. There are rites and ceremonies for birth, puberty, marriage and death.

2. PROVERBS, RIDDLES AND PUZZLES
A proverb is a short, wise saying. Proverbs play a very important role in the everyday language of the Ghanaian. Our languages have beautiful proverbs, which cover all aspects of our life. They are drawn from careful observations of social events, the lives of people and animals. Some are also drawn from experiences in occupations such as farming, fishing, hunting and weaving.
We have proverbs that talk about family
and human relations, good and evil, poverty and riches, joy and sorrow.

3. CHIEFTANCY
Chieftancy in Ghana is the system of ruling in the traditional Ghanaian society. The common term for a “ruler” is chief. It is the term used for every grade of ruler in the traditional setting. The chief is the first citizen of the town or village. As the ruler of the town or village, the chief has other office-bearers under him. Under them are other office bearers. The authority gets down until the ordinary citizen or subject is reached.

4. FESTIVALS
In Ghana, there are different types of festivals. These festivals differ from community to community. Festivals are very important occasions on the traditional calendars of the various traditional areas.
All the festivals have political, social and religious significance for the people who celebrate them. They are celebrated for many reasons.

5. TRADITIONAL RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND PRACTICES
The traditional religion teaches that there
is God and that this God is a spirit and
is supreme. To show that he exists, the traditional man uses the expression,
“One does not show the child God.”

6. VALUES AND SOME SPECIFIC VALUES
Meaning of Values. Values mean standard
or ideas, which most people have about the worth of good qualities such as kindness, freedom, mercy, respect and love.
There are moral and social values.

DANCING AND DRUMMING
Dagomba’s Frafra’s Dagaba’s
Bamaaya
Jara
Takai
Simpa
Jinjalig
Damba