FRAMING THE SACRED: SAFEGUARDING THE CULTURAL MATERIALITY IN THE VISUAL ETHNOGRAPHY OF THE ABAM NAMING RITE AMONG THE FANTE OF GHANA

Abstract

As globalisation and radical religious changes threaten to wipe out the living traditions of Indigenous communities, the protection and preservation of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) has become a very important goal in the twenty-first century. In Ghana’s coastal region, the Fante People of the Edina Ampenyi traditional group, located in the Komenda/Edina/Eguafo/Abirem Municipality in the Central Region of Ghana, West Africa, have a complex ritual system called Abam that helps twins and children born in certain birth orders make spiritual transitions. This ritual is not just a social event or a mere ceremony; it is a deep practice tied to spirits that keep the lineage in harmony. However, the rise of exposure to western cultures, charismatic Christianity, and neo-prophetic movements has led to the demonisation of some traditional cultural practices like the Abam ritual, which has often led to the physical destruction of sacred objects like the Abam beads. This report offers a comprehensive examination of the Abam ritual from the perspective of visual sovereignty while utilising technology to facilitate the transmission of knowledge across generations. This study records the rhythmic cadence of the nsagu (libation) and the tactile delicacy of the “?t?” mashed yam and the ritual bath through photography, thereby documenting the Abam naming order and the importance of beads strung on raffia as pivotal symbols of cultural identity. The results highlight the camera’s capacity to serve as a permanent elder, connecting ancestral wisdom with a younger generation increasingly influenced by visual culture.