The potential of indigenous religious ecologies for environmental conservation in contemporary Ghana: the Akan as a study case

ABSTRACT

With ethnographic data from the Dormaa-Akan, this article examines the conservation features of Akan indigenous religious ecology and discusses how they have oriented indigenous Akan communities towards living by the resources of the nonhuman world while conserving it. Considering the degradation of the nonhuman world in contemporary Ghana, particularly the land and its resources, the article argues that irrespective of the modern secularity of contemporary Ghana, indigenous religious ecologies hold the potential for environmental conservation efforts, when properly integrated into secular environmental policies. The article also explored some potential ways in which indigenous religious ecologies can contribute to conservation efforts in Ghana.

KEYWORDS:

• Indigenous religious ecology; environmental conservation
• Dormaa-Akan; indigenous Akan; nonhuman world; contemporary Ghana

Acknowledgement

I acknowledge the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for their grant for the ‘Re-Invigorating Humanities Research (RE-HURE) Project’ at the University of Ghana which funded the primary data collection for this article – Project No. G-1804-05739.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Andrew W. Mellon Foundation: [Grant Number Project No. G-1804-05739.].

Notes on contributors

Ben-Willie Kwaku Golo

Ben-Willie Kwaku Golo is a Senior Lecturer in World Christianity and Religion, Environment and Society at the Department for the Study of Religions, University of Ghana, Ghana. His research areas are: ecological theology and ethics; religion, environment and society; religion and society human well-being; African Pentecostalism; constructive African theologies. Email: [email protected]