The Asante People of Ghana

The Asante people are a part of the Akan ethnic group native to Ghana, West Africa. They are also referred to as the Ashanti ethnic group of Ghana. Asantes can also be found in parts of Togo and Cote d’Ivoire.

Historically, Osei Kofi Tutu 1, military leader and head of the Oyoko clan founded the Asante kingdom. They were one of the few African empire known to have resisted the influence of Colonial rule.

Asantes are known for their gold and brass craftsmanship, wood carving, furniture and brightly colored woven cloth, called Kente. The Asantes are a matrilineal society, where their kinship can be traced through the female. This means that Asantes can inherit properties in their mother’s side.

Marriage to the Asantes is not as important as the puberty rite. They consider the puberty rite an important passage from childhood to adulthood. The gifts given by the groom to the bride’s family is considered, not a bride price, but an agreement between the two families.

Although, the Asantes have accepted Christianity and Islam, they also follow the Asante religion which is practiced on special occasions. The language of the Asantes is Asante Twi and is spoken by over 9 million people as a first or second language.

Under the law of the Asantes, sexual relations between a man and a certain woman is punishable by death. For instance a sexual relations with a son’s wife, a half-sister by one father, but by a different clan mother, a wife of any man of the same trade and so on.