​One of the most fascinating African cultures is that of the Ashanti tribe found mainly in the Ivory Coast, they speak the language Twi which is an Akan dialect. The tribe has settled in the central part of present-day Akanland which is about 300km from the coast. Akanland is a densely forested region and has several streams, undergoes two seasons – the rainy season from April to November and the dry season from December to March, though however the dry season is extremely desiccated but not year round.



Currently the Ashanti people are close to 7million and this makes up 63% of the Akanland population. The tribe’s political power has fluctuated over the years due to European colonization; prior to this the Ashanti developed a large and influential empire in West Africa. An interesting fact is that John Agyekum Kufuor, the former chairperson of the African Union is Ashanti, also the past U.N secretary General Kofi Annan was raised and brought up in Kumasi the capital of the Ashanti region.

The Ashanti tribe is well known for various legends, the most famous being that of the Golden Stool (sika ‘dwa) which tells of the birth of the Ashanti kingdom. Over centuries the tribe has gone to great lengths to protect the Golden Stool which is an important part of their history and heritage.

Modern Ashanti are very religious, apart from their believe of the existence of gods associated with certain regions or spirits (obosum) by whom the priest may be possessed they believe there is a universal God (Onyame), thus it is possible for a traditional priest to be say for instance a Roman Catholic.

Ashanti custom requires that much attention be given to proper conduct of funerals and burials, there is no doubt about the existence of the Kingdom of the Dead (Samande). The Ashanti tribe celebrates funerals like no other culture, you’d be surprised to hear that funerals are the most popular ceremonies and celebrations can last for several days. Some people take advantage and find ways to make money during the celebration. Extended family members regardless of where they live, far or near will travel home to attend the funeral, the entire village and all friends will also come to pay their last respects and often this is a huge financial burden to the family having to cater to large numbers for days.

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In the Ashanti tribe the family and the mother’s clan are the most important. A child is said to inherit the father’s soul/spirit (ntoro), the child then receives flesh and blood (mogya) from the mother. This is related closely to the mother’s clan, the Ashanti live in an extended family. Families live in various homes or huts set up around a courtyard. The head of the household is usually the eldest brother that lives there and is chosen by the elders. He is called the Father or Housefather and is obeyed by everyone.

The tribe has a wide variety of arts; before weaving was introduced bark cloth was used for clothing. In weaving there is silk and cotton, women may pick cotton or spin materials into thread, but only men are allowed to weave. With weaving there are different patterns with each having its own name. Patterns may sometimes represent social status, a clan, a saying or the sex of the one wearing it. Patterns are not always woven on cloth and can also be stamped on in many designs. Pottery is a skill that is taught to a daughter by the mother, there are many stages to making pots and there are many colors of clay available. The Ashanti also do woodcarving and metal casting.
The Ashanti diet is a very simple one, with vegetables and fruit grown for home consumption and cocoa as the dominant cash crop. Typical crops of Ashanti’s are plantain, cassva, maize, yam, okro, pineapples, paw-paw and oranges. Majority of the population live in villages and work on their farms using a system of shifting cultivation. For Ashanti’s to create a farm, it is required of them to clear part of the natural forest although cocoa can be grown between existing trees.

The Ashanti tribe is within Ghana, therefore their future and prosperity is linked to that of all the other tribes in Ghana. They stand for their traditional values, values of fairness, respect, honesty, integrity and of each being their brother’s keeper. Leadership in the Ashanti tribe believes that western values have caused the break-up of Africa’s extended family system; they say it is time to unearth the mythology and legends of the past and for Africa to heal itself