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The Culture & People of the Gold Coast
Religion
The everyday life of Ghanaian people is greatly influenced by the impact of religion. The three main religions in Ghana are Christianity (60% of the population), Islam (15% of the population), and Traditional or Animistic religions (25% of the population). With most of the region being dominated by the Christianity, the influence of the British is apparent every aspect of life on the Coast. It was interesting to see how most individuals will practice not only an established religion such as Christianity or Islam, but also their traditional religion. For example, on the Cape Coast fisherman will not go out to sea on Tuesdays as a way to respect the spirits who they believe provide fish and other sea creatures that help support their way of life, which is a traditional belief.
Shops
Religion is very important to Ghanaians and is reflected in every aspect of their lives. So much that even the names of tire shops, hair salons, grocery stores, etc. have religious connotations. This was a trend that we noticed as we moved along the coastline and all over Ghana. The names of the shops would include everything from Bible verses like “God is Good Grocery” to uplifting phrases like “Wait on God Tire Shop”.
Asante
The Asante are the dominant ethnic group in Ghana today. Before European colonial rule, the Asante ruled over a large empire, Akan, of what is now Ghana and it is apparent today that they have a huge influence on Coastal life. The individuals of the Akan hierarchal society practice matrilineal descent. Matrilineal descent is a way of tracking lineage, in this case royal lineage, through the mother and maternal relatives. Matrilineal descent ensures that the children are always taken care of and that the right person is chosen to be the Asante King and Asante Queen Mother.
After spending time on the coast and interacting with the locals it was amazing to see how everything ties into together and how life just flows. Life in Ghana is made out to be much simpler than life in America. Everything has a purpose and reason for being done. One is not concerned with making excessive money but just enough for survival. Local Ghanaians also have a strong appreciation for their heritage. We met one Ghanaian named Yaw who told us that everyone; Black, White, Red, Yellow, etc., should be able to come back and learn about their past from Africa. We feel that everyone should visit Africa at least once in their life so that they can experience the love, passion, heart, and soul of the African people.