My name did not always have meaning in my world until I became older. It was just my name, the name I was called while I was growing up in Kumasi. I assumed it was just my name, and a part of me, like my physical traits or verbal dotations. However, with age and time, I began to recognize its meaning, because it has history, memory, and significance. Ashanti identity is not only geographical, it is identity and values which also define who you are, and define what you stand for.
My name is Kwadwo and means born on a Monday. In Ashanti culture, the significance of the name is that the day of birth means something. In my youth I thought this was a cute tradition, but there is much more meaning, lore, and value attached to it about truth about me, and the characteristics of calm, quiet, and kind. At first, I did not think about it much, but with age and experience I started to notice behaviours I identified with this name. Perhaps the name has slowly and incrementally helped define me.
In addition, the significance of my surname name is much more than the day that I was born, it links me to family history, genealogy to many people that came before me. In Ashanti culture, a name is not just a name; a name matters and is supposed to remind you about who you are, where you come from, and who you belong to. A name indicates your family, your clan and your cares about, and in it shows how you fit into the large story of your people.
The destination of Ashanti identity is deep. You start learning from a young age that you are never really alone, you are part of a family, a clan, and a people with core values. Our actions affect not just you, but everyone connected to you. One might hear, "you have your grandfather's spirit," or, "you walk like your uncle." Reminding us that we carry people inside of us. When I was a teenager, I felt sometimes like venturing out on my own.
Some of my friends didn't care about tradition and neither should I, I thought. But then I learned a lot of lessons from my grandmother, and then we went to the festival and saw the chiefs dressed in kente. And then I would feel proud and a part of something much larger. In our culture, your role is clear because as a son, grandson, or nephew you are taught to lead, care and show respect. It can feel like a burden but you also have strength for that. You are not lost, because you know where you come from.
I am from the Asona clan. That alone makes me aware that I hold a history, when I feel unsure, I remember: I am Kwadwo Appiah, son of the land of Ashanti, on of Yaw Oppong and grandson of Yaw Oppong Adjei. I have come from somewhere stron, form the Ashantis. But lately I worry, as the world modernizes, many forget where they come from. Akan names are being lost, traditions are left behind, our stories are simply not being told. We want to move forward but we should not forget where we come from. Our identity is not a shopping experience, or just online to find. Our identity grows with something we live. And if everything we learn is based in culture and if we lose that, we lose the best parts of who we are.
