Abstract

This research intends to bring to the fore the aspect of Asante’s oral traditions and beliefs which have over the years contributed to the sustainability of the forest in the Asante community. Qualitative research approach was adopted to carry out the study. Due to the differences of individuals in the population, the stratified random sampling was employed and the population was divided into various strata. Interviews and observation were the main data collecting instruments used. 

The study revealed that the forest and other natural reserves in most Asante communities are well protected by powerful oaths, which are believed to spiritually bind all members of a paramount area or a community together. It was also disclosed that the Asantes use proverbs as a medium to pass on their rich cultural traditions and to communicate expected codes of behavior to the younger generation with the view to advise, correct and educate them on the preservation of the forest and other natural reserves. 

Moreover, the study brought to light that the forest among the Asantes of Ghana is belief to be a living realm full of potential powers and abode where ancestors, gods, dwarfs and other spirits live. They strongly belief that these spirits or deities of the forests are the custodians and protectors of their towns and villages. The study therefore recommends that these cultural modes (i.e. oral traditions and beliefs) should be encouraged and nurtured in order to religiously preserve and sustain the forest and other natural reserves in our societies.

Keywords: Asante culture, oral tradition, beliefs, sustainability, conservation

Speaker Biography

Dr. Eric Appau Asante
Lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

Dr. Eric Appau Asante is senior member and lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. Having his PhD in African Art and Culture, he specializes in the teaching of African Art and culture; Art, Nature and Religion; Cultural Anthropology; Art history; and Philosophy of Art and Education. He has had wide experience in relating nature to culture. For the past seven years, he has concentrated his efforts on studying about Symbolism in African art and culture, wood in the perspective of culture and Art and memorial culture. He is currently the National Coordinator for Wood Culture Society, Ghana. He is fluent in English, and a few African languages.

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