Accra: Professor Kodzo Gavua, a pan-Africanist, has implored Africans to abandon their fear of spirituality and cultural heritage, emphasizing that colonialism deliberately targeted these critical aspects of African identity. Speaking with Ghana News Agency at a stakeholder engagement of the Legba-Dzoka Research Project, Prof Gavua, also an Associate Professor of Archaeology and Heritage Studies at the University of Ghana, stressed that Africans have been conditioned to fear their spiritual traditions, rendering them vulnerable.
According to Ghana News Agency, the Legba-Dzoka Project, initiated in 2022 with funding from the German Lost Art Foundation, unites academics from Ghana, Togo, and Germany to study collections made by German missionary Carl Spiess between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Spiess, who spent two decades in the region, collected spiritual items from communities such as Peki and parts of present-day Togo at the behest of the ‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬¦¡¬¦€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬¦¡¬¦€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬¦€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬¦€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦€š¬…€œbersee-Museum in Bremen.
Prof Gavua explained that the project extends beyond provenance research to counteract psychological warfare that has distanced Africans from their past, fostering the belief that all good things originate from Europe and beyond. The project derives its name from Legba and Dzoka, local terms for spiritual objects, as opposed to colonial descriptions like 'idols' and 'fetish.' Legba refers to material expressions crafted from wood or clay that house spirits, while Dzoka are personal deities foundational to traditional spiritual practices.
Dr. Jan Hsgen, Head of Colonial Research at the German Lost Art Foundation, noted that the foundation expanded its mandate in 2019 to include cultural goods from colonial contexts, as part of Germany's initiative to address its colonial history. He highlighted the distinct nature of post-colonial provenance research, which involves integrating diverse knowledge systems and perspectives that colonial documentation often overlooked or misrepresented.
Dr. Hsgen emphasized that since 2019, nearly 100 projects valued at 9 million Euros have been funded to address various forms of unlawful acquisition and plundering of objects during the colonial period. He acknowledged the complexity of these issues, requiring collaboration among international partners with different knowledge and perspectives.
Madam Ablah Dzifa Gomashie, Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts, reaffirmed her Ministry's dedication to preserving cultural heritage and called for an end to the disruption of traditional African spirituality. She underscored the Ministry's efforts in cultural restitution and reparation, emphasizing the significance of research projects like Legba-Dzoka in restoring cultural understanding.
The Minister highlighted ongoing research documenting traditional religions and spirituality across the country, discovering similarities with other forms of worship. She stressed the importance of respecting traditional religion alongside other faiths, asserting that the disruption of African spiritual heritage was part of broader cultural displacement during colonialism.
Madam Gomashie urged Ghanaians to embrace their traditional heritage without fear, stating her refusal to be intimidated into abandoning ancestral ways of life. She expressed support for the ongoing reset facilitated by such research projects, noting that revisiting the past might be essential for future progress.