I found the following article of the
internet. If focuses on Ghana but
could pobably apply to most
African countries:
REVIVAL OF ANCIENT
TRADITIONS
Impact of Christianity on Ancient
Traditions and African Indigenous
Religion.
The one aspect, which is common
in all the indigenous religions in
Sub-Sahara Africa, is that
Africans have a religion and
believe in Supreme God- the
Creator, the all Knowing, the Ever
present and all Powerful. They
acknowledge the Divine
Presence in their daily lives.
However each country may have
different names and appellations
for God.
The Akan name for God is
Onayme Onyankopon-Oboade-
the Creator Father-Mother God-
Onyame Obatanpa. An Akan
proverb, Obi nkyere abofra
nyame, meaning no body teaches
a child about God. It is the
child�s biological knowledge.
Africa has her own culture and
beliefs that is deeply depicted in
its very strong extended family
traditions. Culture is part of the
African indigenous Religion. The
African life is wrapped in religion.
The whole community faithfully
carries out all rites and rituals
connected with rites of passage
such as birth, puberty, marriage,
death and life after death. The
ceremonies bind and form
religious values which govern the
family and society.
In my paper I will discuss the
impact of colonization and
Christianity on the ancient
traditions and the African
Indigenous religion, language,
libation, and message of horns,
drumming and music. The paper
is also based on Akan in Ghana
who make up about 65% of the
people in Ghana. According to
the early missionaries and
anthropologists Africans were
without religion and did not know
God so their mission was to
convert what they considered
were �heathens� and turn the
mind to Christians. The Africans
had to be rescued and be put on
to the western culture. As a result
of this the beautiful art forms were
regarded as idols, some sacred
shrines were demolished and the
beautiful art and crafts were burnt
to ashes.
Conversion
The Ghanaian converted
Christians were forbidden to
attend any functions involving any
rituals because they considered
idols. Also Ghanian names were
considered pagan so to be
enrolled in school a child had to
adopt a more religious name
which had to be from the Bible.
African languages were
considered inferior and forbidden
in social events. The colonial
languages became the status
official languages. Educated
Christians also had to wear
Western clothing. In other words,
the African was stripped of his/her
identity, culture, and traditions.
The degradation of the African
resulted in some main factors
which affected our ancient
tradition.�
Many years after Africans gained
their independence Africans have
magnitude inferiority complex
about our language. A few east
African countries have developed
Swahili as the �lingua Franco�
however, the rest of the African
countries believe that the
language of their former colonial
masters the English, Portuguese,
and French are the only civilized
Secretary Gennative language is
hardly spoken one would think
that they have no language. In
Ghana there are about forty-six
different languages and few of
them are officially learned in
school. No matter how well
children do in school if there
English is not good they are
considered uneducated.
Inferiority Complex
There are many reasons why
people refuse to teach their
children their native language.
They think that the native tongue
might confuse them, however
children learn languages easily.
The real motive behind that
excuse is the inferiority complex,
the colonial mentality. Everything
African is inferior and everything
western is good. The question to
them is �what can our native
language do to get us
international jobs?� They fail to
realize that many people speak
the native tongue and English
such as the Secretary General of
the UN, he speaks perfect Akan
and English. I have been with the
UN now for more than three
decades. My family and I have
lived all over African and the US
and speak both languages
fluently.
Youth and Positive Image
As elders we have to help the
African youth to be proud of
whom they are and should
portray their culture and traditions
everywhere they go especially to
the outside world. People still look
down on Africa and the
perception should be changed.
There are many countries in
African and yet at the UN there is
not one African (sub-Saharan)
official language. At this time the
official language in Ghana is
English.
The Apeadu Peace Center
The Apeadu Peace Center in
Aburi, Ghana may be an answer
to the urgent cry for the revival of
the ancient traditions. The center
is a home for youth around the
world, which come from diverse
traditions to share their visions of
peace. As the world�s youth
learn to respect and honor
differences, we will become
bonded in a common culture
peace, which commits us all to
love humanity. Let us invest in the
Youth our future, the next
generation.
Some of the goals for the Apeadu
Peace Center are:
1.Promote cultural appreciation
and knowledge of our cultures
and facilitate cultural exchange so
there may be widespread respect
and understanding.
2.Create a culture of peace that
weaves into all traditions.
3.The elders both local and
international would be invited to
share the wisdom of the ages
Suggested Subjects
1.The message of drums, horns,
dance, drumming, music,
symbols, and arts.
2.Proverbs- the Philosophy of the
Akan
3.The Rites of Passage, Nobility
Rites- Puberty rites, the ushering
of girls into womanhood.
4.Story Telling
5.The Chiefs and Queen Mothers-
the custodian of culture would be
invited to find ways and means of
preserving the valuable legacy of
our fore-father- a great service
not only to our youth but to
humanity.
In conclusion I end with a
quotation from Opoku�s West
African Traditional Religion:
�The persistence traditional
religious ideas, though in a
modified form, shows that it offers
abiding and satisfying spiritual
values. Especially in the crucial
moments of life- birth, puberty,
marriage and death, as well as
human welfare and destiny, it
provides satisfying answers which
science may not be able to
provide. African traditional
religion also provides our
societies with moral values, which
undrgird the relationships
between people in the community
and between then and the
environment, spiritual and
physical. African traditional
religion has also been the source
of inspiration ofre which Africa is
known, and included in theses
are art, music, social institutions,
politically systems and the
ancient civilization. We must
study West African traditional
religion in order to discover its
abiding values in a world whose
moral and intellectual
inadequacies are self-evident,
and to apprehend the truth which
it represents.
internet. If focuses on Ghana but
could pobably apply to most
African countries:
REVIVAL OF ANCIENT
TRADITIONS
Impact of Christianity on Ancient
Traditions and African Indigenous
Religion.
The one aspect, which is common
in all the indigenous religions in
Sub-Sahara Africa, is that
Africans have a religion and
believe in Supreme God- the
Creator, the all Knowing, the Ever
present and all Powerful. They
acknowledge the Divine
Presence in their daily lives.
However each country may have
different names and appellations
for God.
The Akan name for God is
Onayme Onyankopon-Oboade-
the Creator Father-Mother God-
Onyame Obatanpa. An Akan
proverb, Obi nkyere abofra
nyame, meaning no body teaches
a child about God. It is the
child�s biological knowledge.
Africa has her own culture and
beliefs that is deeply depicted in
its very strong extended family
traditions. Culture is part of the
African indigenous Religion. The
African life is wrapped in religion.
The whole community faithfully
carries out all rites and rituals
connected with rites of passage
such as birth, puberty, marriage,
death and life after death. The
ceremonies bind and form
religious values which govern the
family and society.
In my paper I will discuss the
impact of colonization and
Christianity on the ancient
traditions and the African
Indigenous religion, language,
libation, and message of horns,
drumming and music. The paper
is also based on Akan in Ghana
who make up about 65% of the
people in Ghana. According to
the early missionaries and
anthropologists Africans were
without religion and did not know
God so their mission was to
convert what they considered
were �heathens� and turn the
mind to Christians. The Africans
had to be rescued and be put on
to the western culture. As a result
of this the beautiful art forms were
regarded as idols, some sacred
shrines were demolished and the
beautiful art and crafts were burnt
to ashes.
Conversion
The Ghanaian converted
Christians were forbidden to
attend any functions involving any
rituals because they considered
idols. Also Ghanian names were
considered pagan so to be
enrolled in school a child had to
adopt a more religious name
which had to be from the Bible.
African languages were
considered inferior and forbidden
in social events. The colonial
languages became the status
official languages. Educated
Christians also had to wear
Western clothing. In other words,
the African was stripped of his/her
identity, culture, and traditions.
The degradation of the African
resulted in some main factors
which affected our ancient
tradition.�
Many years after Africans gained
their independence Africans have
magnitude inferiority complex
about our language. A few east
African countries have developed
Swahili as the �lingua Franco�
however, the rest of the African
countries believe that the
language of their former colonial
masters the English, Portuguese,
and French are the only civilized
Secretary Gennative language is
hardly spoken one would think
that they have no language. In
Ghana there are about forty-six
different languages and few of
them are officially learned in
school. No matter how well
children do in school if there
English is not good they are
considered uneducated.
Inferiority Complex
There are many reasons why
people refuse to teach their
children their native language.
They think that the native tongue
might confuse them, however
children learn languages easily.
The real motive behind that
excuse is the inferiority complex,
the colonial mentality. Everything
African is inferior and everything
western is good. The question to
them is �what can our native
language do to get us
international jobs?� They fail to
realize that many people speak
the native tongue and English
such as the Secretary General of
the UN, he speaks perfect Akan
and English. I have been with the
UN now for more than three
decades. My family and I have
lived all over African and the US
and speak both languages
fluently.
Youth and Positive Image
As elders we have to help the
African youth to be proud of
whom they are and should
portray their culture and traditions
everywhere they go especially to
the outside world. People still look
down on Africa and the
perception should be changed.
There are many countries in
African and yet at the UN there is
not one African (sub-Saharan)
official language. At this time the
official language in Ghana is
English.
The Apeadu Peace Center
The Apeadu Peace Center in
Aburi, Ghana may be an answer
to the urgent cry for the revival of
the ancient traditions. The center
is a home for youth around the
world, which come from diverse
traditions to share their visions of
peace. As the world�s youth
learn to respect and honor
differences, we will become
bonded in a common culture
peace, which commits us all to
love humanity. Let us invest in the
Youth our future, the next
generation.
Some of the goals for the Apeadu
Peace Center are:
1.Promote cultural appreciation
and knowledge of our cultures
and facilitate cultural exchange so
there may be widespread respect
and understanding.
2.Create a culture of peace that
weaves into all traditions.
3.The elders both local and
international would be invited to
share the wisdom of the ages
Suggested Subjects
1.The message of drums, horns,
dance, drumming, music,
symbols, and arts.
2.Proverbs- the Philosophy of the
Akan
3.The Rites of Passage, Nobility
Rites- Puberty rites, the ushering
of girls into womanhood.
4.Story Telling
5.The Chiefs and Queen Mothers-
the custodian of culture would be
invited to find ways and means of
preserving the valuable legacy of
our fore-father- a great service
not only to our youth but to
humanity.
In conclusion I end with a
quotation from Opoku�s West
African Traditional Religion:
�The persistence traditional
religious ideas, though in a
modified form, shows that it offers
abiding and satisfying spiritual
values. Especially in the crucial
moments of life- birth, puberty,
marriage and death, as well as
human welfare and destiny, it
provides satisfying answers which
science may not be able to
provide. African traditional
religion also provides our
societies with moral values, which
undrgird the relationships
between people in the community
and between then and the
environment, spiritual and
physical. African traditional
religion has also been the source
of inspiration ofre which Africa is
known, and included in theses
are art, music, social institutions,
politically systems and the
ancient civilization. We must
study West African traditional
religion in order to discover its
abiding values in a world whose
moral and intellectual
inadequacies are self-evident,
and to apprehend the truth which
it represents.