Shai Hill Reserve

 I have never been interested in rock climbing but today got my first lesson and it was quite exhilarating.

This was at the Shai Hill Reserve which is located on Krobo land. ( I am now a proud member of the Krobo tribe.)

It's the top of this rising formed from ingenious rocks, that the girls were taken.

And I would do it again.

Getting a helping hand up

We should have visited the reserve last week but had to cancel due to rains. 

This is an historic site, as in the olden days, this was where Krobo girls underwent their puberty ritual. 

The puberty ritual lasted six months and involved training the young girls to become responsible women who understand their bodies, learn how to mill grain for the household, prepare nutritious meals for their children and treat simple illnesses using herbal medicine.

The board describes what illnesses this tree treats.

The circle in the rocks are made when rock is rubbed against rock to mill the grain.

During the six months that the girls are undergoing their puberty ritual, they are under the care of some mothers and Queen Mothers.

At nights, they slept in this cave.

Although this area has Serval Cats, they are nocturnal so we saw none. These are really tiny cats.

A stuffed Serval Cat

Because the grass was so high after the long rains, although antelopes abound, we barely saw some horns as they were laying in the high grass.

The grass is so high, all we could see of this antelope was it's horn!

Baboons abound.

They are everywhere, they rummage through garbage, steal from people in the area and even eat the poor little blue monkeys.

These tiny monkeys run away the minute they hear any noise because of the wicked baboons.

This means 'welcome in the Krobo language.

A few zebras are on the reserve. They were imported from South Africa.

The museum at the reserve

The guide had to chase away this baboon that turned over the garbage.

I had always heard that some of  our patois words came from the Twi language in Ghana but I have yet to hear a familiar word! However today I saw some small birds that we call Grass Quit and was told they are Chi Chi in Korbo.

 Maybe that has something to do with our mento song called "Chi Chi bud oh".

Who knows how these things evolve?

A cultural awakening

I have experienced many cultural events in my long life, but the ceremony in which I participated  to replace my anglicized name with an African one, was among one of the most interesting I have ever participated in.

The Chief Nene Sackitey

This was in the village of Odumase Krobo which is around 4 hours away from Accra in Ghana. 

To prepare for the ceremony we had to dress in white, but were wrapped in the traditional robe of Ghana to get our new names.

Part of the official outfit includes a straw bracelet which one must wear until it falls off then keep in a secure place.

A closeup of the straw bracelet and bead bracelet made from recycled glass I was fitted with.

Decked out in white on the way to the ceremony.

Ike and I.

We were the ones receiving African names.

L-r my granddaughter Madelyn, her mom Michele, neighbor Cheryl, friend Ike organizer Samantha, friend Daniel and myself.

Before going to the ceremony, we had to stop to see Chief.

His name is Nene Sakitey. His is an inherited title but apart from being the chief of the Krobo, he is President of the Chief Council of Ghana.

   He was educated in the USA and lived there for 25 years. 

The reason for our visit was outlined by Ike, in their local languages. The Chief then addressed us in the Krobo language before repeating his message in English.

 He advised that all in the diaspora are welcomed to Ghana but we must come with an open mind, recognizing that the cultures are different. Examples cited were that while so-called LGBTQ is ok in America it's not ok in Ghana while the opposite is true of polygamy, quickly assuring us though that he personally had only had one wife. (We never met or saw his wife as during the visit, the officials were all male).

In front of the chief is an empty chair to prevent anyone from sitting in front of him.

On the way to the naming ceremony, we had to stop to pay homage to the chief. Samantha and some minor Chiefs also gave him gifts.

The chief's interpreter carries a solid gold staff, (which no one else can touch). The interpreter speaks English, French, German plus many local languages, Beside him is the chief's valet.

A closeup of the figures on the top of the interpreter's solid gold staff.

Newly named, we posed with the Queen mothers and minor chiefs.

We took pictures in front of the chief's Palace after meeting with him. He did not follow us downstairs.

 

My new name is: tada.....

Posing with our new names

 My name is designated by the day of the week I was born, my gender, whether I am first born, second, third etc. 

Ghanaians can tell what tribe you belong to by your name.

Different tribes have different rituals though, so for example, members of the Ashanti tribe (the largest tribe) have names all beginning in AS.

Further, whereas Krobo parents can only pass down their surname to their children, it's different in the Ashanti. 

Because African names are so difficult to pronounce and remember, many Ghanaians use their surnames as first names when introducing themselves.

Lots of dancing and fun after getting our new names.

                                                                                                         The Palace.

Standing between the Linguist and a minor Chief who was my surrogate father during the ceremony.

Link;

https://youtu.be/lQ_fk59dHbQ

 

Notes.

I found that aspects of the ritual were similar to what the Accompong Maroons practice at their annual festival in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica.

 There is the libation, where liquor is poured on the ground for the ancestors and the drumming and dancing is similar.

 At our naming ceremony, the liquor used was vodka and none was drunk during the ceremony. Our Maroons use white rum and sip a lot of it each time after pouring some on the ground😁.

I learned that it is a major no-no to cross one's legs in the presence of the chief and it is generally considered disrespectful for women to do so anywhere in the Krobo village.