A West African Aborigine: The Guan Peoples

Seriously, WE must learn to research and gain an understand of Ourstory/history. Let’s learn about the lands known today as the Democratic Republic of Ghana (side note: which has nothing to do with ancient Ghana Kingdom, a monarchy) -- just in name.

Many of us have been told stories, but the fact is who, when, where and why people were in places at certain times does matter and should not be dismissed-- it can place the timeline off a slight degree and on down the road one could be totally off the path.

Of course, such information can change the course of Ourstory/history as it’s being written and told, more so how cultures were formed and lands were acquired or stolen.

According to the founder of the Guan Congress Anyenum Kwame Ampene, author of the ‘History of the Guan-Speaking Peoples of Ghana: The Undisputed Aborigines of Ghana’, and writer of the foreword Dr. Emmanuel V. Asihene, Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA—the Guans arrived in the area known today as the Republic of Ghana in 1000 AD and the Guans are still here and played a major role in clearing and settling lands claimed by Guans.

We must study as much of the timeline as we possibly can, which goes back over millions of years, and learn lessons from the usurps, invasions —the battle for and loss of lands, and ultimately shear tolerance by certain Africans for the sake of survival, in this case such as the Guans—the aborigines of this area of West Africa (Fifth Region, see AU).

The Guans witnessed immigrants entering, warring and claiming lands, to Europeans renaming lands and dominating chattel enslavement of Africans, to the period of gaining independence from white/European colonialists and their 1844 Bond to present day neo-colonialism.

We should critically think as we research Ourstory on why with so much vast lands of Africa, why such determined violent combative efforts by certain African ethnic groups to take control of certain lands already inhabited on the Mother Continent, lands warred for and taken by those who resemble themselves?

The Guans, came out of Mossi (what is today Burkina Faso), the first to arrive, entering Ghana and spreading throughout the lands. Twenty-eight Guan ethnic groups/nations migrating as far as south as Anom-Ansa the indigenous name (Elmina is a Portuguese word), prior to the coming of immigrants 200-300 hundred years later.

Which several of the Guan cultures and languages are at the very base of many of those immigrating ethnic groups that arrived later, and to date some are determined to dismiss the history of the Guans and/or its forgotten. A major part of the timeline. Nonetheless, the immigrants arrived later, and to date Ghana suffers from ethnic group internal conflicts, tribalism, xenophobia, poverty-mindedness and education issues.

Colonialism left, but neo-colonialism came in with a vengeance, including ‘Negropeanism’-- Africans who uphold their loyalty to former colonialists and enslavers, and their British secret societies, which is nothing more than twisted ancient African fragments and European misinterpretations. Far from being African-centered, more so a large subtraction from African economics and development focusing on drilling and mining legally or illegally. Less of a focus on reservoirs to lessen flooding, water purification, agriculture and industrialization.

What should be taught and understood that there is no sovereignty and independence nor Pan Africanism in being servants to Europeans/white supremacists, and paying dues to European organizations and furthering dependency on Europeans, which is nothing more to them but a neo-colonialist extortionary means to assist in maintaining their white-dominated nations and global ‘systematic white supremacy’.

In his writing, President Kwame Nkrumah understood and explained racism and oppression especially after spending ten years residing in the United States during the Civil Rights Movement and Black Power era, and his travel throughout different parts of the world.

Also, Nkrumah knew of Africa’s ethnic groups’-- their history dynamics and underdevelopment, and by the same Europeans who are doing business with Ghana/Africa today. Nkrumah repatriated to the Gold Coast (Ghana) with Pan African concepts from persons like Honorable Marcus Garvey and his Black Star and Garveyites, students and professors of his HBCU (Historically Black College and University), and members of Pan African Movements, which Nkrumah brought over the Fifth Pan African Congress to be taught and integrated into an African society for the purpose of uniting continental Africans and African Diaspora in re-developing and not just Ghana.

To date, Africa still deals with an invading European power that is envious, racist, controlling and vicious enough to enslave for 400+ years, and colonize and neo-colonize-- a Eurocentric power which has its foot still on the necks of Black/African nations, the original people, those who built the Nile River Valley Civilizations.

Eurocentric powers that have yet completely acknowledged nor provided full reparations for the worse form of slavery in world history built on racism, oppression and under-developing Africa.

I advise, research and study Ourstory/history timeline. Are Africans reaping what they sew, and some??? Africans must learn to study Ourstory/history, and come to grips with atrocities so not to be repeated, and address global disjointedness among Africans so not to be a continuance. #AfricanCenteredEducation(ACE)

Let us not forget Kwame Nkrumah’s effort, which were not only about a status, a title and office. Nkrumah, dedicated his life to Pan Africanism, a peacemaker, a global diplomat, a humanitarian, a nation-builder; and his efforts were to deal with racist colonialist, and several local ‘Tribalistic’ ethnic groups within Ghana, including their Eurocentric indoctrination and xenophobia (self-hate) throughout the African Continent --see OAU and King Haile Selassie; including --the repatriation of the African Diaspora (a.k.a “Ascendants of African who were stolen from Africa”, “Fihankra”) to receive a tangible welcome, which is not a favor or looking for hand-outs, for instance the decision to give them an “executive order citizenship” or a ‘Right of Abode’, but instead a Pan African undertaking, a constitutional full/dual citizenship owed.

Please note: This is to be understood via research the Ourstory/history and redefine:

1. Black/African Repatriates are not “immigrants” ethnic groups present; nor tourists;

2. this is not a “year of return”, but a human right to return to where “Ascendants of Africans stolen from Africa”/African Diasporans originated—Mother Africa;

3. the repatriation can be funded by private slave ship owners of wealthy Caucasian families, slave ship captains and owners, slave ship insurance companies and banks-- those nations involved in the chattel enslavement of Africans, even the Vatican--Catholic Popes who publicly condoned chattel slavery and participated and still benefitting to date; in addition

4. apologies and lands (with top soil and water) to be received from certain African chieftaincies who played a role in the chattel slave trade, i.e., constructing slave markets, pathfinders, forcing their daughters into relationships with whites/Europeans in trade; locating and obtaining the properties of Africans who were captured and placed in slave dungeons and bowels of slave ships, and not coming to look for your people even after the abolishment of chattel slavery; lastly,

5. proper memorial services for Africans who were thrown overboard by racist inhuman European slave ship captains and mates.

Let’s reconcile and start healing processes—let us not forget nor try “to dismiss” aspects of Ourstory.

References

• History of the Guan-Speaking Peoples of Ghana, by Kwame Ampene
• The Destruction of Black Civilizations by Dr, Chancellor Williams
• Stolen Legacies by Dr. G. M. James
• Black Man of the Nile by Dr. Yosef A. A. ben-Jochannan
• The Isis Papers by Dr. Frances Cress-Welsing
• Yorugu by Dr. Marimba Ani
• The Making of the whiteman by Paul Lawrence Guthrie
• The Iceman Inheritance by Michael Bradley, Introduction by Dr. John Henrik Clarke
• African Global Ourstory: An Introduction to African & African Diaspora Studies by Dr. K. Makeda Muhammad
• How Europe Underdeveloped Africa by Walter Rodney
• The Autobiography of Kwame Nkrumah by Kwame Nkrumah
• Africa Must Unite by Kwame Nkrumah
• A History of Indigenous Slavery in Ghana by Dr. Akosua Adoma Perbi
• The Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa, The African by Himself

Dr. K. Makeda Muhammad is a ‘Repatriate’ a returnee to Africa via Ghana in 2011. Dr. Makeda’s field of study is Black Studies; she is an Educator, Author, Recipient of the MACPRI Helping Hands Award, Recipient of the EDUCOM Award, Recipient of the Abibitumi and Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey Foundation Citation, Pan Africanist, Community Activist, and Social media Freedom Fighter.