A PhD candidate at Johns Hopkins University, Emmanuel Agangzesum Awine, is leading efforts to establish a Museum of Healing and Reconciliation in Navrongo, Upper East Region, to document the history of the slave trade, resistance, and colonialism in Northern Ghana.
Mr. Awine, who is researching slavery and colonialism in Northern Ghana and southern Burkina Faso, says the initiative seeks to correct historical narratives that have often placed northern communities on the margins of Ghana’s slave trade discourse.
Speaking on A1 Radio, he explained that his research revealed that many communities in the Upper East, Upper West, and other parts of Northern Ghana were not only affected by slave raids but also resisted attempts to capture their people.
“Those of us in Northern Ghana and southern Burkina Faso are the same people, except that we have been divided by colonial boundaries. I’m trying to decolonise that boundary and see us as one people,” he said.
The proposed Deyaanga Museum of Healing and Reconciliation is envisioned as a space connecting descendants of those who remained in Ghana with members of the African diaspora whose ancestors were taken through the transatlantic slave trade.
Mr. Awine said many diaspora communities return to Ghana seeking connections with their ancestral roots but often remain concentrated around coastal slave castles, which were mainly points of departure.
“The points of origin were in the north, particularly the Upper East and Upper West regions, where many of our people were taken. We need to create a platform that connects these communities,” he explained.
According to the project’s vision, the museum will serve as a living institution built around three pillars: a digital archive, physical records and exhibitions, and a research library.
The museum’s concept is inspired by the Deyaanga, traditional underground shelters used by communities in Northern Ghana to protect women and children from slave raiders.
Mr. Awine says the museum will not focus only on victimhood but will highlight resilience, resistance, healing, and reconciliation.
A1 Radio | 101.1 MHz | Moses Apiah | Bolgatanga
