Traditional Akan Royal Chiefly Institution: Evolving Ceremonial Protocol in Chieftaincy at Duayaw-Nkwanta in Ghana

Abstract

Chieftaincy is one of the most enduring traditional institutions in Ghana that has displayed remarkable resilience from the pre-colonial period to the contemporary era. This article discusses the introduction of new protocolary forms into the institution. Central to the qualitative method deployed is an examination of the interface between “tradition” and modernity” using the 40th anniversary celebration of the paramount chief of Duayaw-Nkwanta, Nana Boakye-Tromo III. In this article, I argue that “traditional elements” are not necessarily at variance with “modern” elements because societies that are often characterized as “modern” also recognize traditions as relevant, rather than as obstacles, to their development. Keywords: Ghana, tradition, modernity, Duayaw-Nkwanta, ceremonial protocol