Seikwa Traditional Council Warriors Displays during the Burial Rites of the Late Berekum Omanhene Dasrbre Dr Amankona Diewuo II funeral in the Berekum Municipality of the Bono Region. Their act of culture and warrior display describe the relationship between them and the Berekum people which under their skills the people paved the way for them to perform all kinds of rituals leading to the burial of the late paramount chief.
Their display of culture was characterized by traditional war chants which they typically displayed on the day Otumfou Osei Tutu II arrived in Berekum to also grace the occasion traditionally.
Brief History Of Seikwa.
Seikwa is an important traditional area in the Tain District of the Bono region. The native language is Kulango/Nkoran as well as Bono Twi(secondary). Ancestors of Seikwa also known as Kolamor/Kulabo are said to have migrated from Dafupeji near Bouna in the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire. The migration is estimated to have begun in the 1580s.
The ancestors are said to have left their homes due to frequent wars in the area. The people however did not have a particular destination in mind before they set off. All they sought was a peaceful environment for settlement. They first settled at Angeavi/Angenye where their relatives from Nasana in the present day Côte d'Ivoire joined them. From Angeavi the group moved on for some time until their queen, Nana Davunsee, died at Yerekae, a temporal abode on Gyaman land in 1682. Part of the family remained to protect the tomb of the queen while others moved on to Sikasoko, present-day Sampa in the 1730s. They sojourned there for some time until in 1774, a fierce war was raging in Tonye near Banda between Banda and Asante.
Upon request for assistance from Asantes, a son of Nana Kaka(the first ruler of Seikwa) called Akrosoma was delegated to lead his army in support of the Asante. Akrosoma's mother was Jofotia, a native of Bouna. According to the traditions of Seikwa, Akrosoma was young when he was appointed the head of the Seikwa army because of his exceptional bravery and award prowess. Whilst on the battlefield, Prince Akrosoma got the news that his father had passed away. The shock and grief, which greeted the prince upon hearing the bad news, devastated him so much that he committed suicide. Asantehene Osei Kwadwo was impressed with the bravery of the Seikwa people. He invited them to Kumasi where they sojourned for a considerable period as guests to the Ampabamehene.
While the Seikwa people were in Kumasi, a section of them stayed back at Sampa to protect the tomb of their deceased king by their tradition. On their way to Kumasi, the Seikwa people led by Nana Dagboo Kalimeh, had stopovers in several towns where they forged relations that remain intact to the present day. These communities include Nsoatre, Odomase and Akropong.
During the Sagrenti War of 1874, Seikwa fought in support of Asante against the British. When the war was over, the Seikwa people went to settle at Amakom in Kumasi. The queen of Seikwa, Nana Afia Bosompenyal l realized that her people were being used frequently for wars. The queen therefore devised a means of exit to forestall the destruction of her people. She told the Asantehene that she felt uncomfortable at her new settlement due to her inability to get her favourite chewing stick (Kwasogo). When the Asantehene inquired about what could be done for her, she told him that on their way to Kumasi, there were many trees from which she got her chewing sticks, so they must be allowed to go back and settle near the area. The Asantehene permitted them and released Okyeame Banin to take them to the queen's desired place of settlement.
They first settled at Akomadan then Nkenkasu and finally to Techiman in 1875. From Techiman, they discovered river Nyimpini and followed it along the banks to Nkonakwagya near Nsawkaw. In 1876 under the leadership of Nana Ekye Kofi, they came to Domyaa. At Domyaa, there was once an indulgence in illicit sexual intercourse between a high-profile person of Seikwa and a relative which is Badu, this resulted in a serious brawl which disintegrated the people. Seikwa people came to settle at Tomeange/Tomeanya which means my town. They later relocated to Domeabra where a severe drought made life unbearable.
One day, a hunter called Bofo Dabratia in his hunting expedition discovered a river in the hills. He informed the chief that fresh water was being wasted out there in the woods while the people were dying of thirst. The wasting of the water in the woods is translated in Twi as "Nsuo sɛe kwa", an expression that has since become the name of the area, hence Seikwa.
Following the discovery of abundant fresh water that had eluded them for long, the people settled near the river banks. At the new settlement, a disaster struck, leading to the loss of many lives. They relocated to the present settlement around 1877 under the leadership of Nana Ekye Kofi.
The biennial Akwantu Kɛse festival was instituted by the traditional council in 2008, observed in remembrance of the ancestors who migrated from Bouna in the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire as well as gallant deceased heroes and heroines of the land.
As a result of intermarriages with the Bono people, the residents today are a mixture of the aforementioned. The settlements within Seikwa include Nkwanta, Kyekyere, Tanokrom, Nasana, Atomfooso, Tainso, Degedege, Asiakro
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