A container of fish covered by leaves sits near a smoking over, awaiting processing. A plastic hanger and a Guiness carton site nearby in the resettled Ewe village of Akanyakrom. Akanyakrom, 16 July, 2022.
An aluminum headpan holds fish known as Asentewe (Alestes baremoze) that are ready for smoking. The fish have been scaled and gutted, and a bamboo skewer placed through their tail and head to hold them as they smoke. The pan sits on the edge of a smoking oven, next to two wooden and mesh smoking trays in the resettled Ewe village of Akanyakrom. Akanyakrom, 16 July, 2022.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom (resettled)
Subjects:
Women's work; Headpans
Subjects Facet:
Fishing villages; Food processing; Smoking of food
An Ewe woman removes fish from an aluminum headpan and places them on a wooden and mesh tray placed over a rectangular earthen smoking oven. Other trays sit behind the oven. These will be added to the stack as lower trays are filled with fish known as Asentewe (Alestes baremoze). In the background are houses built by Bui Power Authority when this Ewe fishing community was displaced by construction of Bui Dam. Akanyakrom, 16 July, 2022.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom
Subjects:
Women's work
Subjects Facet:
Fishing villages; Food processing; Smoking of food
Fish known as Asentewe (Alestes baremoze) have been laid on their backs in a wood and mesh smoking tray. The fish are oriented on their backs to retain the fat in their belly. Multiple trays will be stacked and covered while smoking for up to four days. Trays are periodically rotated in the stack to ensure even smoking of all the fish. Two aluminum headpans used to carry the fish sit nearby. Akanyakrom, 16 July, 2022.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom (resettled)
Subjects:
Women's work; Headpans
Subjects Facet:
Fishing villages; Food processing; Smoking of food
Owusu Alexander weaves a large raffia palm mat. He has tied the in-progress mat to a raffia palm stick to anchor the mat as he weaves. The mat is wound around the stick as weaving proceeds. To the left, wrapped on a stick that is leaning against a stack of sun-dried bricks, is a narrow mat that he wove to demonstrate mat weaving techniques. Four large pottery jars rest upside down near a house wall in the background. Sabiye, 22 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander weaves a raffia palm mat. He has secured four split fronds around his left index finger as he weaves with his right hand. Sabiye, 22 July, 2022.
Five wooden racks containing fish sit on top of a rectangular earthen smoking oven in the resettled Ewe village of Akanyakrom. A metal roofing sheet covers the stack. The metal-sided shed behind the oven is where women scale and gut the fish in preparation for smoking. A deep wooden mortar and five pestals of varying size and shape rest against a nearby house. Akanyakrom, 16 July, 2022.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom (Resettled)
Subjects:
Women's work
Subjects Facet:
Fishing villages; Food processing; Smoking of food; Mortars & pestles
Ewe fishermen Maxwell Gbadago (left) and Dzobo Sebastian (right) use knives to remove knots and shape bamboo sticks that they will use in weaving a basketry fish trap. A number of unsplit bamboo stalks await processing. A large blue industrially made fish net is laid out behind where they sit. Akanyakrom, 18 July, 2022.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom (resettled)
Subjects:
Men's work
Subjects Facet:
Bamboo; Fish traps; Handicrafts; Ewe (African people)
A dried raffia palm frond prepared for mat weaving. The stiff end of the frond has been removed and the frond has been split into two pieces almost to the base. Owusu Alexander folds and layers the two halves before weaving. Leaving the pieces attached at the base facilitates his weaving process. Sabiye, 19 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander weaves a raffia palm mat. He has tied the in-progress mat to a raffia palm stick to anchor the mat as he weaves. He weaves with his right hand as he secures the work with his left hand, wrapping two frond portions around his index finger as he weaves. Sabiye, 19 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander holds a bundle of raffia palm frond strips. He has removed these from the leaves as he prepared materials for mat weaving. Sabiye, 17 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander demonstrates the process of starting a raffia palm mat, beginning by layering fronds that he has split down the middle. He folds one set of fronds over the other with his right hand, while using his left index finger to secure his work. Sabiye, 17 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander demonstrates the process of starting a raffia palm mat, beginning by layering fronds that he has split down the middle. Sabiye, 17 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander uses a knife to split dried raffia fronds in preparation for making a raffia palm mat. He removes the stiff rib and splits the resulting two side pieces of the frond in half, leaving a few centimeters at the base of each half unsplit. Here he folds the unsplit end in half, which allows him to easily layer the two halves when he adds them to his mat. Weaving with layered frond pieces makes a thicker and more durable mat. Sabiye, 17 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander holds a cutlass, raffia palm fronds and a stick that he has cut from the base of raffia palm frond. He has harvested these raffia materials in preparation for weaving a mat. Sabyie, 15 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander lays out raffia palm fronds to dry in the sun. He has harvested the fronds in preparation for making a raffia palm mat. Sabiye, 15 July, 2022.
Dried raffia palm fronds, sorted in preparation for mat making. Owusu Alexander has separated the portion of the fronds he will use for mat making from those portions that are not useful. The stiff ribs (right) can be used to make brooms and the thin pieces (left) will be used as tinder in making fires. The fronds in the center are those that he will use in mat weaving. The knife he has used to separate the fronds lies on a tree root at his feet. Sabiye, 17 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander holds a raffia palm leaf from which he is stripping fronds that he will use to weave a mat. A group of stripped fronds lie on the ground by his feet. Sabiye, 15 July, 2022.
A raffia palm tree. Raffia palm leaves are used in mat weaving and the woody base of raffia palm fronds can be used to make household objects like chairs. Sabiye, 15 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander uses a cutlass to trim the woody base of a raffia palm frond. He will use this stick as a base for weaving a raffia palm mat, rolling the mat on to the stick as the work progresses. Sabiye, 15 July, 2022
Owusu Alexander weaves a raffia palm mat. He has wrapped three split fronds around his left index finger and uses his left thumb to secure a frond laid across these. Sabiye, 22 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander adds new fronds as he weaves a raffia palm mat. He has tied the in-progress mat to a raffia palm stick to anchor the mat as he weaves. The mat is wound around the stick as weaving proceeds. Sabiye, 22 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander adds new fronds as he weaves a raffia palm mat. He has tied the in-progress mat to a raffia palm stick to anchor the mat as he weaves. The mat is wound around the stick as weaving proceeds. Sabiye, 22 July, 2022.
A partially finished basketry fish trap made from bamboo and vine cordaage sits upright in the Ewe fishing village of Akanykrom. This resettled village was established after the community was displaced by construction of Bui Dam. Fish traps like these can no longer be used downstream of the dam because of reduced water flow, nor can they be used on the lake behind the dam. Akanyakrom, 23 July, 2022.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom (resettled)
Subjects:
Men's work
Subjects Facet:
Bamboo; Cordage; Fish traps; Handicrafts; Baskets; Ewe (African people)
Five stacked racks containing fish sit on top of a rectangular earthen smoking oven in the resettled Ewe village of Akanyakrom. The wood racks have a metal mesh base on which the fish are placed. A metal roofing sheet covers the stack. Leafy boughs used in smoking lie in front of the furnace to the right of an aluminum headpan. A blue plastic drum used to store water sits against the wall of a nearby house. Akanyakrom, 16 July, 2022.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom (Resettled)
Subjects:
Women's work; Water barrels; Plastic containers; Headpans
Subjects Facet:
Fishing villages; Food processing; Smoking of food; Mortars & pestles
An in-progress narrow raffia mat used as a teaching/learning aid. The mat is tied to a raffia palm stick that holds the mat in place as weaving proceeds. Loose raffia pieces extending from the middle and top of the mat represent places where raffia strands have been added or ended. These loose ends will be trimmed when the mat is completed. The active row of weaving is seen at the bottom of the picture. Sabiye, 28 July, 2022.
A wooden mallet used in rope making lies on the ground to the right of a coil of rope. This rope was made by beating the surface of a vine to remove its bark and soften its texture. The rope will be used to weave a large bamboo fish trap. Akanyakrom, 23 July, 2022.
A ball of fufu in light soup, accompanied by okra and meat, served in a shallow blue-and-white bowl. Fufu is a starchy staple made by pounding cooked yam, cassava and/or plantain to achieve a smooth texture. It is eaten by pulling off small pieces using fingers, which are used to scoop up the soup. Light soup is made from a mixture of onions, garden eggs (small eggplant) and tomato, which are cooked and ground to create a smooth thin soup. Ahenkro, 13 July, 2022.
A yam tuber (finjye in Nafaanra). Yams are a preferred staple food in the Banda area. After being peeled, yams are typically boiled, after which they may be pounded to make fufu. They can also be served as cooked slices (known throughout Ghana as ampesi) accompanied by a sauce. Ahenkro, 12 July, 2022
A young cassava plant (dwa in Nafaanra) growing in an intercropped field. Manihot esculenta was introduced to Africa from the western hemipshere. It can be grown on soils that have been depleted of nutrients by other crops. Its cultivation requires little labor and its tubers, which provide a starchy staple, can be left in the ground for long periods. Other than as a source of calories, the tubers have little nutritional value. Cassava leaves, however, are used as vitamin- and nutrient-rich additions to soups. Lying on the ground around the cassava plant are dried maize stalks (bleju in Nafaanra) left behind from a previous planting cycle. Sabiye, 15 July, 2022.
A cassava tuber (dwa in Nafaanra). Manihot esculenta was introduced to Africa from the western hemipshere. It can be grown on soils that have been depleted of nutrients by other crops. Its cultivation requires little labor and its tubers, which provide a starchy staple, can be left in the ground for long periods. Other than as a source of calories, the tubers have little nutritional value. Ahenkro, 12 July, 2022.
Maize plants (bleju in Nafaanra) growing in an intercropped field. Zea mays L. was introduced to Africa from the western hemisphere. It is today a staple crop valued for its relatively high yields and its short maturation time that can allow farmers to grow two crops in one year. Ahenkro, 12 July, 2022.
A partially complete basketry fish trap made with bamboo sticks and vine cordage. View looking to the interior after four bracing hoops have been inserted. The hoops are placed at intervals to expand and brace the bamboo sticks that make up the trap's outer body. Akanyakrom, 26 July, 2022.
Ewe fisherman Dzobo Sebastian forms a hoop from a flexible stick. He uses his feet to secure the stick as he makes a hoop of the right size to stretch and brace the bamboo sticks of the outer body of a basketry fish trap. Akanyakrom, 26 July, 2022.
Cordage used to secure a hoop formed from a flexible stick. The hoop will be used to stretch and brace the bamboo sticks of the outer body of a basketry fish trap. Akanyakrom, 26 July, 2022.
The completed interior trap (tongue, exa woade in Ewe) made of bamboo that will be inserted into the outer body of the basketry fish trap. Once inserted and secured, the tongue allows fish to enter but blocks their exit from the trap. A twisted vine lies on the ground in front of the inner trap. This is the first step in processing the vine into rope like that used to weave the trap. A bale of industrially made blue fishing net sits in the background. Akanyakrom, 26 July, 2022.
Ewe fisherman Dzobo Sebastian uses rope made from a vine to secure bamboo sticks as he weaves a basketry fish trap. He has woven a first row, now secured by pegs, and is moving in the opposite direction as he weaves a second row. He uses his feet to secure the bamboo sticks as he twists the cord between sticks. Behind him is a wooden mallet used to process the cordage. A large blue industrially made fish net is stretched out behind him. Akanyakrom, 21 July, 2022.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom (resettled)
Subjects:
Men's work
Subjects Facet:
Bamboo; Cordage; Fish traps; Handicrafts; Baskets; Ewe (African people)
A fleet of motor-powered fishing boats along the shore of Bui Lake, formed by flooding behind Bui Dam as waters rose from 2012. Winds and waves on the lake require use of these larger motor-powered boats compared to the smaller canoes from which people fished on the Black Volta River prior to dam construction. Large fishing nets lay bundled near the boats. Fishing with industrially made nets has largely replaced alternatives like fishing with basket traps that were an effective and sustainable practice used by local Ewe fishermen. Bui Lake, near Bongase, 16 July, 2022.
View of the old Bongase to Ahenkro road, roughly three km south of Bongase, now inundated by the waters of Bui Lake as it rose behind Bui Dam after 2012. A canoe is visible on the shallow lake waters and the Banda hills rise steeply from the surrounding low rolling landscape. Concrete plinths line a cemented walkway, constructed as part of a foot bridge intended to replace the unpaved road, visible on the other side of the lake. Waters continued to rise, ultimately flooding the walkway. View to the south. Banda-Bongase, 16 July, 2022.
Junior High School students pose for a picture with their teacher and members of the Banda Heritage Initiative after participating in a consultation on a draft heritage learning resource ("Learning From Our Past. Banda District, Ghana"). Allison Balabuch (left), a University of Victoria PhD student in Curriculum and Instruction, drafted the resource. The girls hold weaving projects that they worked on during the consultation. The girls' teacher and Banda Heritage Initiative members Patrick Mensah (black cap) and Enoch Mensah (far right) stand with the girls. Model School, Ahenkro, 25 July, 2022.
Two Junior High School students try their hand at weaving on a simple stick loom as part of a consultation on a draft heritage learning resource ("Learning From Our Past. Banda District, Ghana"), which lays on the desk in front of them. The booklet is open to pages that describe how local people in the past wove textiles on strip looms. Teacher Jerry Tsito looks on as they weave. Model School, Ahenkro, 25 July, 2022.
Two Junior High School students try their hand at weaving on a simple stick loom as part of a consultation on a draft heritage learning resource ("Learning From Our Past. Banda District, Ghana"), which lays on the desk in front of them. The booklet is open to pages that describe how local people in the past wove textiles on strip looms. Model School, Ahenkro, 25 July, 2022.
A group of students at the Calvary Methodist Junior High School in Banda-Ahenkro consult a draft heritage learning resource ("Learning From Our Past, Banda District, Ghana") as they try their hand at weaving on simple stick looms. Teacher Jerry Tsito (blue shirt) coordinated classroom visits to gauge student interest in learning from heritage resources. Ahenkro, 27 July, 2022.
University of Victoria PhD student in Curriculum and Instruction Allison Balabuch helps two Junior High School students at the Model School who are learning to weave on simple stick looms as part of a consultation on a draft heritage learning resource ("Learning From Our Past, Banda District, Ghana"). Ahenkro, 25 July, 2022.
A group of Junior High School students who participated in a consultation on a draft heritage learning resource ("Learning From Our Past, Banda District, Ghana") display weaving projects that they worked on as part of a hands-on learning project. Ahenkro, 29 July, 2022.
Mawell Gbadago (left), Dzobo Sebastian (center) & Dzobo Reuben (right) pictured with a basketry fish trap (exa in Ewe) that they made as part of a British Museum Endangered Material Knowledge Programme project to document Indigenous technologies in the Banda area. In his right hand, Sebastian carries a length of coiled stick (afɔtasi in Ewe) like that used to force open the trap body; a bundle of twisted vine used to make the rope with which the fishermen weave the bamboo trap; and a wooden mallet (ɛka fokpo in Ewe) used to pound the vine (adzɔ in Ewe) as they process it into rope. Akanyakrom, 29 July, 2022.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom (resettled)
Subjects:
Men's work
Subjects Facet:
Bamboo; Cordage; Fish traps; Handicrafts; Baskets; Ewe (African people)
Ewe fishermen Dzobo Reuben (left), Maxwell Gbadago (center) and Dzobo Sebastian (right) stand alongside a bamboo fish trap that they made from locally harvested resources. The trap is oriented in the way it would be placed in the water, braced by two long sticks that would be driven into the river bottom. The trap would also be secured by a rope anchoring the trap to a nearby tree or other secure object. Akanyakrom, 26 July, 2022.
Ewe fisherman Dzobo Reuben holds the woven triangular bamboo-and-rope cover to the basketry fish trap as Dzobo Sebastian secures it in place. This cover can be removed to access fish in the trap. Akanyakrom, 26 July, 2022.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom
Subjects:
Men's work
Subjects Facet:
Bamboo; Cordage; Fish traps; Handicrafts; Baskets; Ewe (African people)
Dzobo Reuben, an Ewe fisherman, carries a cutlass in his right hand and a long bamboo stalk over his left shoulder. He has harvested the bamboo from riparian forest along the Volta River in preparation for making a fish trap. Volta River, 16 July, 2022.
Ewe fishermen Dzobo Sebastian (center), and Dzobo Reuben (left) weave the tongue (exa woade in Ewe) of a basketry fish trap. They use vine cordage to secure the bamboo sticks. This portion of the trap is inserted into the woven cylindrical trap body, allowing fish to enter but blocking their exit from the basketry trap. Maxwell Gbadago (right) uses a wooden mallet to pound a vine that has been twisted and dried in order to remove its bark and make it pliable. The resulting rope will be used to weave remaining parts of the fish trap. Akanyakrom, 23 July, 2022.
Ewe fisherman Dzobo Reuben weaves the top section of a basketry fish trap made of bamboo and vine cordage, securing the trap with his feet as he works. He uses cordage to bundle bamboo sticks and narrow the trap toward its top. In lower rows, individual bamboo sticks are separated by two twists of rope. As the weaver nears the top, he reduces the twist between sticks to one, narrowing their spacing. In the next row he bundles two sticks separated by one twist. He then bundles four, then eight, creating a cone-shaped trap. Akanyakrom, 23 July, 2022.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom (resettled);8.246709, -2.244840
Subjects:
Men's work
Subjects Facet:
Bamboo; Cordage; Fish traps; Handicrafts; Baskets; Ewe (African people)
Dzobo Reuben, an Ewe fisherman, holds a vine that has been twisted in preparation for rope making. The vine will be set aside to dry for several days before being processed by pounding with a wooden mallet. The rope will be used in fish trap making. Bamboo sticks that will be used for the body of the basketry fish trap can be seen lying on the ground in the background. Akanyakrom, 18 July, 2022.
Dzobo Reuben, an Ewe fisherman, twists a vine that will be processed into rope for use in fish trap making. The twisted and coiled vine will be allowed to dry for several days before it is processed by pounding with a wooden mallet. The surrounding ground is covered with bamboo sticks and shavings, also part of the materials used in fish trap making. Akanyakrom, 18 July, 2022.
Ewe fisherman Dzobo Reuben weaves a basketry fish trap. He uses cordage to secure the bamboo sticks, using his feet to hold the trap in place as he weaves using cordage made from vines. These woven sticks will form the outer body of the basketry trap. Akanyakrom, 23 July, 2022.
Ewe fisherman Dzobo Reuben uses a cutlass to smooth a stick that will be used to make the interior hoops that open and brace the inside of basketry fish trap. Akanyakrom, 26 July, 2022.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom (resettled)
Subjects:
Men's work; Cutlasses
Subjects Facet:
Fish traps; Handicrafts; Baskets; Ewe (African people)
