Forests as sites for re-enacting cultures and histories

Forests are treasured endowments with rich historical, cultural, and scientific significance. In Ghana forests have traditionally served as important sites for cultural heritage and contributed to collective memory of historical events and traditions. Many of Ghana’s forests are considered sacred groves, areas of land protected by traditional spiritual beliefs and practices, and are believed to be the dwelling places of gods, ancestral spirits, and other supernatural beings.

Traditionally, such forests are protected from exploitation and development (Barre et al., 2009). Chouin (2002, p. 39) argued that forests “may be studied for their historical, symbolic and socio-political significance.” Many tribes in Ghana use various cultural practices to conserve their forests including taboos, myths, proverbs, and songs that emphasise the importance of preserving the natural environment. The tribes believe that neglecting cultural practices in the preservation of forests could cause the gods to inflict disasters such as prolonged drought and loss of soil fertility on them (Asante et al., 2017; Barre et al., 2009). Forests therefore are key to conserving biodiversity while also preserving cultural traditions across generations and informing modern approaches to forest management. The Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary in the Bono East Region protects two species of monkeys considered sacred by local communities and safeguards associated cultural traditions and taboos (Saj et al., 2006). Further, the Kakum National Park protects a diverse rainforest ecosystem but also contains artifacts and structures from ancient settlements depicting civilisations and cultures overtime (Chouin, 2009).

Beyond spiritual and cultural significance, forests have also been sites of historical events and serve as living archives of traditional ecological knowledge. Some forests in Ghana contain remnants of old trade routes, abandoned settlements, or sacred sites that offer salient links to the histories of many Ghanaian communities. The Atewa Forest Reserve, for instance, contains evidence of historical gold mining activities which provides useful insights into pre-colonial economic practices (McCaskie, 2015). The Assin Manso Slave River site, which is embedded in a forest, is a place of commemoration for the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The river forest is a historical marker for where enslaved Africans took their last bath on Ghanaian soil before being transported to the coast and shipped away (Adam & Amuquandoh, 2019). The preservation of the surrounding forest is an effort not only to protect histories and but also to link natural and cultural heritage to inform the ongoing histories of place and time. The folktales and oral traditions that are associated with traditional forests capture historical events, cultural values, and social norms to help maintain cultural continuity and historical awareness across generations.

Recognising the cultural and historical value of forests is an ongoing aspect of conservation efforts and undertaking initiatives that combine biodiversity protection with cultural and historical preservation can be a promising way to engaging local communities and promoting sustainable forest studies and historical research and education.

References

Adam, I., & Amuquandoh, F. E. (2019). Ethnic-based motives and experiences at former slave sites. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 36(4), 497-510. https://doi.org/10.1080/10548408.2018.1527743

Asante, E. A., Ababio, S., & Boadu, K. B. (2017). The use of indigenous cultural practices by the Ashantis for the conservation of forests in Ghana. Sage Open, 7(1), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244016687611

Barre, R. Y., Grant, M., & Draper, D. (2009). The role of taboos in conservation of sacred groves in Ghana's Tallensi-Nabdam district. Social & Cultural Geography, 10(1), 25-39.

McCaskie, T. C. (2015). Asante, kingdom of gold: Essays in the history of an African culture. Carolina Academic Press.

Chouin, G. (2002). Sacred Groves in History: Pathways to the Social Shaping of Forest Landscapes in Coastal Ghana. IDS Bulletin, 33(1), 39-46.

Chouin, G. (2009). Forests of power and memory: An archaeology of sacred groves in the Eguafo polity, southern Ghana (c. 500-1900 A.D.). Unpublished Dissertation, Syracuse University.