Asase Ba Podcast - S3E3: Non-Binary Concepts in Ghanaian Traditional Religions

Written By Michelle
              
 

Transcript

Hello and welcome to Asase Ba, a podcast that honours oral tradition and shines light on Ghanaian stories that are often untold or silenced. I'm your host, Michelle, and my pronouns are she and her. Greetings to everyone. Welcome back to Asase Ba. This is episode three. I'm so happy to be back again. 

So it's gonna be a very, very special solo episode. I had mentioned that I was going to be doing more solo episodes this season. So I'm really excited about this one. And I hope everyone is doing well you know, enjoying the summer. If you're in the summer season, enjoying the beautiful weather outside. I know summer is like winding down. But you know, I'm trying to do my thing, enjoy the rest of the nice weather that we're gonna have. 

So yeah, I hope everyone is doing well. And I just want to thank everyone who's been supporting Asase Ba whether it's via donations, or by sharing the podcast. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I see you. I appreciate you. And I thank you so much for your support. Special shout out to Amma for her support this week. Thank you. Thank you so much for supporting boo. 

Speaking of support, there are two ways to support this podcast: The first way is by sharing. Asase Ba is on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok at @AsaseBaPod. And you can support by sharing the link to the episodes you really enjoy, retweeting the episodes on Twitter, posting on your Insta stories, sharing on WhatsApp, telling your family or friends. Your colleagues, your acquaintances, whoever to listen, and just by engaging with a podcast. If you are really feeling an episode, what did you like about it like? Let me know by using the hashtag, #AsaseBaPod on social media so that I can see it and so that other people can see it as well. 

Another way to support the podcast is through monetary donations. So I am the host, as you know of Asase Ba. I'm also the producer, the editor, doer of all the things, and I love this podcast, but it's also work. So if you want to support me as an indie creator, you can donate via email transfer for all the Canada residents. If you're outside of Canada, you can donate via PayPal, and the email for the email transfer and PayPal is asasebapod@gmail.com thank you so much for your support everyone. Appreciate it.

LGBTQIA+ Rights in Ghana

So before I jump into today's topic, I wanted to do a spotlight on what's going on in Ghana in terms of LGBTQIA+ rights. So recently, a group of MPs in Ghana submitted a proposed bill to Ghana's Parliament that seeks to criminalize LGBTQIA+ folks, and advocacy or support of LGBTQIA+ people in Ghana. So this proposed bill is very violent and will lead to very devastating consequences against queer people in Ghana. And there has been a lot of queer repression and LGBTQIA+ repression in Ghana for a while. We've also seen an increase in crackdowns and violence against LGBTQ+ people. 

We saw this earlier this year during a forceful shut down of a community centre created by LGBT+ Ghana, which is a queer rights organization. And we also saw 21 people arrested in Ho, Volta Region a couple months ago. And they were at a training event for paralegals and other professionals who are supporting marginalized groups. 

So charges have now been dropped against them, thanks to the work of social media activism and frontline activism. But a lot of the people who were arrested are now living in safe houses, and some have been disowned by family or have lost jobs. And now we see this bill, and it's been drafted and introduced to Parliament. So it's not law. It's in the beginning stages. 

But this bill is very violent and makes being queer and also advocating for the rights of queer people or supporting queer people illegal with up to 10 years of jail time. Currently, there's no law in Ghana that outlaws being queer. There is a Victorian-era law from colonial times that has been used to justify violence against queer folks. But again, there's no outright law. So if this bill becomes law, it will have horrible, horrible consequences. So we've seen activists in Ghana using the hashtag #KilltheBill to amplify what's going on and the increase in violence that queer people will face if this bill becomes law.

So there are a lot of people speaking out about it, queer people speaking out about it, and also allies speaking out about it. And we've seen so many people in the diaspora as well showing solidarity and support online and via protests, via in-person protests. And there are organizations like LGBT+ Ghana, Silent Majority Ghana and Drama Queens that are always working to fight for queer, and LGBTQ+ rights. So check them out. 

I've left some resources in the show notes, so you can learn more about what's going on in Ghana, as well as the history of queer rights in Ghana. So check them out. And also please do your research just to learn more about what's going on, and just really educate yourself. So #QueerGhanaianLivesMatter, #KilltheBill. So if you look through those hashtags, you'll see a lot of dialogue and discussion and information about what's going on as well. 

This is a really, really horrible bill that will have very dire consequences. And we really, really need to amplify or just be in solidarity with our queer siblings in Ghana. So again, all the notes and research and articles and references are in the Episode Notes, so please, please check them out and learn about what's going on in Ghana.

Non-Binary Creators in Traditional African/Ghanaian Religions

Okay, so today's episode, I'm going to be talking about non-binary concepts in Ghanaian traditional religions. So I started doing research because I just wanted to learn more about queerness and in particular, the languages that we use to describe queerness within our cultures.

And then I came across a lot of information about non-binary or androgynous Creators within our various ethnic groups. And it's interesting because we often hear that “queerness is not Ghanaian. It's not part of the culture.” And that is a lie. Because it's part of our stories, our ourselves, within our different ethnic groups, and also part of our experiences. And honestly it doesn't even matter if I did research and I found out that this did not exist within our cultures. Because as long as you are who you are, and you're queer, it doesn't even matter. Like, we don't have to validate or justify our queerness because it doesn't matter because as long as you're present, you're being, you are valid in who you are. You don't need to justify or validate your queerness to anyone really. But I also recognize we always hear that message. There’s such a continuous message of “queerness is not Ghanaian, it's a foreign importation, it's a Western thing.” 

And honestly, I know that that can make a lot of people feel like an odd one out or not part of the Ghanaian communities, which can be very isolating and lonely, and a painful experience. I really understand that. 

This is not to provide justification for queerphobic people that “yes, you know, queerness does exist in our culture. So here's the proof. Here are the receipts.” Honestly, I don't really care about justifying anything to anyone who truly does not care and just wants to argue or enact violence against queer people. So this is actually for queer people, for non-binary people, and for people in that space that are feeling sort of lonely or not really part of their Ghanaian culture, or feeling some type of way, feeling separate. 

This episode is to show that you exist within your culture, you're not separate or foreign to your culture. I think it's important to make queer folks, the subjects, and not these homophobes, because the goalpost will always move and change, especially for people that really did not give a crap about actually learning or educating themselves on queer stories and experiences and stuff like that. So the subject is queer people, and this is for queer people. 

So I'll always focus on queer people as the subjects, as the main characters, as the protagonists, etc, however you want to term it. Okay, so before I jump into this, for those who don't know, non-binary, in the context of gender and expression, is basically a gender that is outside of the binary of man, woman, male, female, masculine, feminine. I know masculine, feminine is not a gender, but it's often associated with “man, woman, male, female” which is not true. But yeah, you know what I mean. So instead of being either or, you can be non-binary which means that you can be both, neither, all, or just something else. 

There are so many gender variations and modes of expression and being, and we need to account for that. There aren't just two genders. That's the definition of non-binary in this context.

In this episode, I'm going to be talking about how the concept of non-binary manifests within our different belief systems. So I'm going to be focusing on several ethnic groups, in particular, the Creators within those ethnic groups. 

And also just another concept as well. I'm going to be talking about the Creator within the Ga traditional belief system, the Creator within the Dagomba belief system, the Ewe belief system, and also the Akan belief system. And also I'm going to touch on the Dagaara gatekeepers as well. 

Okay, so before I jump in…I know I'm saying that a lot. So I'm going to be talking about the Creators within our traditional belief systems. And I'm going to refer to names that are very familiar, and that's because today they are often associated with Abrahamic religions, but I just want to make clear that I'm speaking within the context of our traditional belief systems and not the Abrahamic religions. So keep that in mind. 

I just find it interesting that the languages that discuss our indigenous belief systems are now associated with these Abrahamic religions. And my guess is the colonialist, the colonists, whatever— I always kind of mix up how to say that word, but the colonialists—they probably tried to pair up our concepts with their concepts and…whatever. Anyways, I don't even want to get into that.

There are traditional practitioners of these various belief systems, who know the definitions, who know the meanings. You know, a lot of us, even me, I'm Akan. I didn't understand before that Nyame, Onyankopong was associated with our traditional belief systems. 

I just thought it was related to God within the Christian context. So I didn't know, right? So I really want to kind of explore that and talk about this within our traditional systems so people have that understanding that these Creators originated and are part of our traditional ways of life and our traditional customs and beliefs. 

So in doing this research, I really, really made sure and I was really trying to find Ghanaian or Black written sources, especially within the various ethnic groups, because, honestly, I've said this before, but when you Google anything to do with Ghanaian culture, you'll find research and resources that are from white people, from colonialists, and it's super annoying, you know what I mean? 

I don't want to be talking about our traditional belief systems and referencing the colonialists that came and tried to erode everything, you know what I mean? So I made it a priority to find people within those ethnic groups or at least that were Ghanaian and or are Black to speak to these different concepts and research and stuff. 

And I always stress oral tradition and oral history. That's one thing I kind of wish I had more of because this was more so reading content and also watching content to get the research. But I wish I was able to speak more with different people to learn more about these different things, but you know what, it's okay because the sources might have got their research through oral tradition sources. It's okay.

So all the references, all the information will be in the episode notes so check that out to learn more about the different concepts that I'm going to be discussing. Okay, now let's actually jump into the conversation.

Ga Kpele Traditional Religion and Spirituality

Okay, so I'm gonna start with the Ga traditional religion. The Creator is called Ataa Naa Nyongmo. And Ataa Naa Nyongmo is the Supreme Being in the Ga belief system and they’re the creative life force, and are not contacted directly. Much like a lot of African traditional religions, the Creator is not contacted directly. 

So Ataa Naa Nyongmo added their spirit in nature when creating everything. So what makes them non-binary? The name translates to Ataa meaning father, Naa is mother, and Nyongmo is God. So together it means father, mother, God.

So the Ga people believe that God has both masculine and feminine attributes. Just another thing as I'm going through this, I'm going to make sure that I say masculine and feminine because male doesn't equal masculine and female doesn't equal feminine.

The name Ataa Naa Nyongmo refers to all the qualities that the Creator has and embodies within the Ga traditional system of belief. So “Ataa” means they are fatherly and are known as the provider, protector, seeker, eternal.

And “Naa” because the Creator sustains their creation and they're known as a mother that is providing and nurturing of their offspring. So combined together, we see that Ataa Naa Nyongmo embodies both the feminine and masculine qualities. So to learn more about Ga traditional belief systems and also the Gadangme culture, check out thegadangme.com. They have really good resources and information about Ga history, Gadangme history and culture, and also religion. 

Dagomba Traditional Religion and Spirituality

Okay, so now let's talk about the Dagomba traditional religion. So shout out to Aunty Priscilla for my one oral tradition resource. Shout out to Aunty Priscilla for taking the time to talk to me about the Creator within this tradition.

So the Creators is called Naawuni. I love how Aunty talked to me about them because they describe Naawuni as “the one who can let the shea butter stand in the sun without melting.” That's so poetic, I love it. And it just creates this imagery in my mind that is so vivid and that is so moving.

So anyway, Naawuni is seen as a divine spirit. So neither male or female. I will say that Aunty Priscilla said that Naawuni is usually referred to as “he or the one.” Aunty Priscilla didn't directly say that they're referred to as non-binary in any way but the way that she describes Naawuni suggests that.

For instance, she said that the way Naawuni is discussed is very context-specific. So either masculine or feminine characteristics are used depending on how you're talking about them. 

Ewe Vodu Traditional Religion and Spirituality

Okay, so next let's talk about the Creator within the Ewe traditional religion or Ewe Vodu. So within Ewe Vodu, the Creator is called Mawu. I also saw the Creator referred to as Mawu Sogbolisa. Mawu is the all-powerful and knowing Creator and Creator of the universe, and part of the Ewe trinity consists of Mawu Sogbolisa, who is the Creator, who will be our focus.

But then it also includes Mawu Kitikata, who is the sustainer of creation, and Mawu Ese, which is the Creator of humans and a god of destiny. So these names that describe the trinity is different depending on the dialect or the sub-cultural group within the Ewe ethnic group. So for example, the Trinity is also known as Mawu Sodza, Mawu Sogbla and Mawu Se. So just keep that in mind. 

So what makes Mawu non-binary? In my research, I just found that Mawu is described as the Creator that defies gender. They’re not referred to as male or female, or man or woman, instead they’re referred to by masculine or feminine properties or energies. 

So the trinity that I mentioned earlier, so that was Mawu Sodza, Mawu Sogbla and Mawu Se. The first two of that trinity actually describe those attributes that are associated with the masculine and feminine energy. 

Okay, so let's break that down: Mawu Sodza describes the feminine aspect of Mawu. And this part of the trinity is associated with the source of life, harmony, peace, creativity, kind heart, joy. And Mawu Sogbla describes the masculine aspect within the trinity, so characteristics include strength, power, labour, destruction, distributor of justice. 

I also mentioned Mawu Sogbolisa earlier as part of the trinity within another dialect, another subcultural group. That was actually the name that I kept seeing within my research. So Mawu Sogbolisa and Mawu Lisa. That's what I kept seeing when I was researching the non-binary Creator within the Ewe system. 

So Mawu Lisa is known as the Creator of everything in the world and they embody the energies of day and night, moon and sun, masculine and feminine. And this kind of dual nature of Mawu Lisa is just to balance out things that go on in both the physical and the supernatural world. 

So I thought that was so cool just learning that and researching that. And Ewe history on Twitter and Instagram is just also a really great resource to learn more about Ewe culture and history and traditions and customs as well. 

Akan Akom Traditional Religion and Spirituality

Okay, so now we're going to be speaking about the Akan belief system. So in the Akan belief system, the name of the Creator is Onyankopong. There are honestly so many different names. I'm Akan so I’m more familiar with the different names and languages around the Creators. So there's Onyankopong, Awurade, Nyame, etc. And actually, Asaase Yaa, which I'll get into.

Onyankopong is the Creator in the Akan tradition and Onyankopong does not deal directly with humans, as I mentioned earlier. I believe I spoke about this in relation to the Ga traditional belief system. In African traditional religions at large, the Creator does not directly deal with humans.

Onyankopong is also known as Odomankoma. And they created the earth, the sky, the rivers, plants, animals, spirits of the water, rocks, humans, and the Abosom which is the deities that take care of humans.

And what makes them non-binary is the Creator (Onyankopong) is viewed as androgynous, both masculine and feminine yet neither. And they possess both masculine and feminine qualities, but they also go beyond our conception of masculine and feminine or just our conception of gender, of male/female. 

So they have many names and one of the names is Asaase Yaa, which I thought was so cool. So Asaase Yaa or Asaase Afua if you’re Fante. And that speaks to Onyankopong as feminine in the physical creation, within the physical component of creating Earth and I thought that was so interesting. 

Because fun fact: my podcast is named Asase Ba and part of the inspiration behind that is learning about Asaase Yaa, learning about Mother Earth within the Akan culture and the Akan system of being. I thought that was super interesting but I didn't know that Asaase Yaa is also one of the names of the Creator within the Akan system of beliefs.

I didn't know that so learning that Asaase Yaa is part of that duality is so cool to me. So Asaase Yaa embodies that kind of physical component and physical creation side of the duality. And Onyankopong is the masculine side of the duality. So Asaase Yaa is regarded as earth, unpolluted, motherly. I knew that Asaase Yaa is known as pretty much like Mother Earth. And on Thursdays, people don't farm and stuff like that, just out of respect.

And meanwhile, Onyankopong, the other part of the duality is the masculine side and is the spiritual component of the duality. So put together, we see that the Akan Creator is and embodies the masculine and feminine energies, but also goes beyond gender. 

Dagaara Gatekeepers

Okay, so we've discussed the Creators and we've discussed how the concept of being non-binary manifests within these ethnic groups: Ga traditional system, the Ewe traditional system, the Dagomba religious system, and the Akan traditional system. 

So now I want to focus on the Dagaara belief system. And I'm not really going to be talking about Creators like I have in the other systems, but I'm going to be talking about Dagaara gatekeepers.

And this is so interesting. I learned this from reading Ancient African Teachings in the Ways of Relationships by Sobonfu Somé. Sobonfu Somé was a very popular writer and scholar of traditional African religions, in particular, the Dagaara traditional belief system. When I was doing my research, and I came across this, I was like “oh, my gosh, I actually have this book, like, this is book is sitting on my bookshelf. And I've actually already read this.” And it clicked, like “yes, I found my research.” 

Sobonfu Somé is from Burkina Faso, but there are obviously Dagaara people in Ghana, so I wanted to focus on that as well. Within the Dagaara belief system, Sobonfu Somé mentions that gay and lesbian people are seen as gatekeepers, and those are the terms that she uses but when you read the book and read the context, I just honestly could tell that she's actually referring to gender and not necessarily sexuality.

I feel like she might have conflated gender with sexuality so we'll see that through my description of this because she often mentions gender. So just keep that in mind. In the book, for example, she says, “Gatekeepers stand under the threshold of the gender line.” She's referring to gender here. 

Okay, so gatekeepers: who are they? Gatekeepers are people who have access to both the physical world and the spiritual world. They serve an important role in society because they help mediate between the genders. And elders often look to gatekeepers for spiritual guidance since they have access to the spiritual world, and without gatekeepers, there would be no access to the spiritual world. 

Alright, so there are two types of gatekeepers. So the first one is one who has access to a limited number of gates or portals, etc, in addition to access in the physical world, and they liberate the energies of these gates. The second kind of gatekeeper is someone who has access to all the gates or portals, and also the physical world. So they also have access to spiritual creatures, such as small beings that are magical and knowledgeable. 

And you are discovered as a gatekeeper before you're born, and gatekeepers must be initiated and undergo a special type of training in order to use their powers responsibly. So I thought this was so cool, like reading this book and realizing that I have it. This is so interesting. 

Conclusion

Okay, so I've gone over the different Creators within some of our ethnic groups. Now we see how the concept of being non-binary manifests within our belief systems. And also we see it via the Dagaara gatekeepers. And this is all to say that our cultures embrace gray areas that are not rigid. Our cultures, our traditional belief systems, are expansive in the idea of modes of being, of expression, of energies, and of genders. 

And it's just really cool and affirming to see that because as I mentioned earlier, people will have you believe that that's not true, or that's not a thing but it's like, “do the research, it's right there.” 

And again, it doesn't even matter because as I said earlier, you are who you are. You being queer, you being non-binary is cool, it's enough. Queerness does not need to be justified or validated. But again, I understand that knowing that queerness and concepts of being non-binary exist within our cultures is very helpful for people to feel more affirmed and more part of their culture.

People try to make you believe that you're separate but that’s not true. The concept of being non-binary has always existed within our cultures. With this, I hope that you learn more about our traditional belief systems and it can be a starting point for some of you to learn more.

All references are in the Episode Notes, check them out, read them because you know I did that research. There's a lot of cool information that we can use just to learn more. 

Also, ask your parents, your elders, grandparents, people that you trust and know. A lot of them know about these traditional belief systems, these traditions, these customs, so ask them. Anyway, if you have any thoughts, feedback, comments, if there's some knowledge you want to drop, if there's something extra that I missed hashtag #AsaseBaPod on social media—on Twitter, on Instagram, TikTok, and let me know your thoughts. 

Thank you so much for listening to this episode of Asase Ba. I hope you enjoyed this. It was very important for me to produce this episode and it's something that I've been wanting to talk about. I hope you learned something from this episode. And share this on social media, share it in your text messages, WhatsApp, share with your family, friends, etc. And again, follow Asase Ba on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok @AsaseBaPod. So episodes for Asase Ba are released every two weeks. So I will see you in two weeks time. Bye!

 

Episode Notes

Michelle is back with a solo episode all about non-binary concepts in traditional Ghanaian religions! She discusses how they manifest within the Ga, Dagomba, Ewe, Akan and Dagaara traditional belief systems. Michelle chats about the various Creators within the different ethnic groups, in particular Ataa Naa Nyongmo, Naawuni, Mawu, Onyankopong/Nyame/Asaase Yaa and Dagaara Gatekeepers.

She also talks about LGBTQIA+ rights in Ghana, the proposed bill that's been drafted to criminalize queer people and advocacy in Ghana, and #KilltheBill.

#QueerGhanaianLivesMatter

Join in on the conversation! Use the hashtag #AsaseBaPod.

SUPPORT

E-transfer or via PayPal to asasebapod@gmail.com. Thank you so much for your support.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asasebapod/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@asasebapod

RELEVANT NOTES

What’s Going on in Ghana:

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/jul/23/ghana-anti-gay-bill-proposing-10-year-prison-sentences-sparks-outrage

Queer Organizations:

LGBT+ Rights Ghana: https://www.lgbtrightsgh.org/

Drama Queens: https://www.instagram.com/dramaqueensgh/

Silent Majority Ghana: https://www.silentmajorityghana.com/

Queer Activism in Ghana: An Ongoing Struggle (3 Part Series):

https://medium.com/blmp/queer-activism-in-ghana-an-ongoing-struggle-e4663ef8f152

https://medium.com/blmp/queer-activism-in-ghana-an-ongoing-struggle-part-ii-15a6c1962e40

https://medium.com/@blacklooks/queer-activism-in-ghana-an-ongoing-struggle-part-iii-6006d1975697

Topic References and Info - Non-Binary Concepts in Ghanaian Traditional Religions:

Ga - Ataa Naa Nyongmo

thegadangme.com/kpele

https://kpakpatseweroyalfamily.wordpress.com/2011/09/07/religion-of-the-ga-people-of-ghana/

Dagomba - Naawuni

Thank you Aunty Priscilla!

Ewe/Eʋe - Mawu

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx3Pe5wHJdE&ab_channel=TheEweHeritage

https://tif.ssrc.org/2018/09/26/on-category-mistakes-and-androgynous-divinities/

https://voncujovi-s.medium.com/working-ones-destiny-se-in-ewe-vodu-practice-31cf09011c16

Akan - Onyankopong/Nyame/Asaase Yaa

Book: Cloth as a Metaphor:” (Re)Reading the Adinkra Cloth by Kojo Arthur

Book: The Quest For Spiritual Transformation. Introduction to Traditional Akan Religion, Rituals, and Practices by Nana Akua Kyerewaa Opokuwaa

Dagaara Gatekeepers:

Book: Ancient African Teachings in the Ways of Relationships by Sobonfu Some

EMAIL

asasebapod@gmail.com 

 HOST

This podcast is produced, edited and hosted by Ghanaian Canadian Michelle (pronouns: she/her). She is also the creator of the theme music.

#ghanaian #ghana #podcast #african #africa #culture #ghanaianpodcast #africanpodcast #oraltradition #oralhistory #canadian #queerghanaianlivesmatter #killthebill

Michelle
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