The Importance of Heritage and Stories

 

At the National Theatre in downtown Ghana, the drums are beating a welcome, the banners have been hung, a wall for pictures is ready to go, tables just as conference goers come in are set up to register, other tables next to the doors of the auditorium are staffed with people to hand out water, conference schedules in a brochure and a family booklet to fill out along with a pen are in sacks ready to hand out. 

600 dignitaries, chiefs, and guests are scheduled to attend. Some have flown in, been put up in a hotel, had special dinners and meetings and then are ready to be driven over to the National Theatre. Some will drive for hours to be here and some will come from home just a little while ago. All are coming for the Root Tech sponsored by Family Search - all of which is funded by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

Ushers, Tech, Security 

As missionaries in the Africa West Area Office we had been asked to usher and help out at the Root Tech conference. There were interns and other staff members I recognized from the Area office too. It took about 50 ushers and many, many tech personnel (I counted 25 just in the auditorium - probably more elsewhere), security officers and policemen to be ready to make this event happen and be wonderful. I would have to guess at the number of people it took to set up the whole building.

Greeters

Drummers, ladies dancing, and teenagers delivering flowers greeted the dignitaries and chiefs from Senegal, the Ivory Coast, the Gambia, Nigeria, Benin, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, Ghana and Togo. There were distinguished guest from Governments, Ministries, Schools, and Deputies. There were colorful group all in Native dress, being greeted with drummers and dancing. 

The Conference

After fulfilling my duties in greeting and registering all who came in, I was able to slip into the back row and listen to the speakers. Many talked about the connections we need and the type of unity that brings joy and peace. Knowing who your family is and how we all fit together was discussed.

Main Point

But the main idea I came away with was the great need to collect and save histories that are being lost. A distinguished man from Nigeria who had been all over the world earning titles talked about the days when he was young and would sit around the fire listening to stories from the chief and other old men. They knew all about their history and who had done what and gone where and who was related to whom. Then the cities began to be an important place to have a career and employment and the young men left the villages and went to the city in big numbers. The chiefs and story tellers had no one to hear their stories. This created tensions and a crisis when members of a group did not know who owned what land and who settled the land first. There were fights about who had what rights. It was all an oral history that the young did not know about. 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has hired some young men to go out with recorders and notes to take down the stories of the chiefs and story tellers. The stories are given  to the chiefs to give to their families who have moved away. Thus preserving and helping out the tribes.  Too bad they haven't been able to record histories of all tribes. It is an important endeavor. I think others listening could see and hear the importance of record keeping and connections made with families and others.

An important Chief from Ghana spoke last with his message

The Bonner family got up on the stage with his group and when he sang, "Love At Home" the Bonners joined in and harmonized with everyone. It was really beautiful to hear the Bonner Family, the Chief and many in the audience singing this song.