Basic 3 · History · Inter-Group Relations

How Ethnic Groups Related Long Ago

In this topic you will learn the different ways ethnic groups in Ghana related to each other in the past.

By the end of these notes you should be able to:

Name the kinds of exchanges between ethnic groups
Explain how trade and marriage brought groups together
Explain how groups learnt from each other

What you already know

Origins of the ethnic groups

Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.

Strand: My country Ghana
Sub-strand: Inter-Group Relations
Indicator: B3.2.2.1.1 – Discuss the nature of exchanges among the ethnic groups

Introduction

Long ago, northern traders brought shea butter south. Coastal traders sent salt and fish north. People exchanged goods, ideas and even married each other.

1. Kinds of Exchanges

How groups related

Exchange	Example
trade	buying and selling goods
marriage	people from different groups marrying
language	borrowing words from each other
festivals and culture	sharing dances, music and cloth styles
friendship and alliances	helping each other in times of need

Northern traders with shea butter meeting coastal traders with salt and fish at a market — Figure 1: Exchanges between groups Draw traders exchanging goods.Illustration: Sirbus

2. Learning from Each Other

Smock weaving spread to the south.
Kente weaving is done by both Asante and Ewe.
Many Ghanaians understand more than one language.

New words

exchange: To give one thing and receive another.
intermarriage: Marriage between people of different groups.
alliance: An agreement to help each other.
culture: The way of life of a people.

Summary

Ethnic groups exchanged goods through trade.
They married each other and shared languages and culture.
These exchanges brought groups closer together.

Class activity: Exchange Web

Write the names of five ethnic groups on a chart.
Draw lines between them showing what they exchanged.
Explain one link to the class.

You need: Ghana map, Printed photographs of Ghanaian ethnic groups, Kente, Smock fabric samples

Exercises

Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.

1. Buying and selling goods is…
- A. Trade
- B. War
- C. Sleep
- D. Migration
Show answer
Answer: TradeThat is trade.
2. Marriage between people of different groups is…
- A. Intermarriage
- B. Migration
- C. Alliance
- D. Festival
Show answer
Answer: IntermarriageThat is intermarriage.
3. Groups in Ghana shared music and dances.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueCulture was exchanged.
4. Kente is woven only by one ethnic group.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: FalseAsante and Ewe both weave kente.
5. To give one thing and receive another is to ______.
Show answer
Answer: exchangeThat is exchange.
6. Name two kinds of exchanges between ethnic groups.
Show answer
Answer: Any two: trade, marriage, language, culture, alliances.These link groups.

Homework

Ask an adult if they speak more than one Ghanaian language.