“The plague of pebbles/stones’: river goddess, black stool and re-writing Adawso-Akuapem history”

Abstract

In this context, events in Adawso gave credibility to the assertion that in ancient Africa, matriarchy had preceded patriarchal kinship and inheritance system in Africa; and that it was colonialism that distorted and supplanted indigenous African kinship system. Was matriarchy fundamental to the ideals of kinship system in ancient and traditional Africa? Ifi Amadiume has strongly advocated for a re-interpretation of African history whereby the historical place of womanhood is restored to its rightful place. In doing this she rejects any attempt at “imitating” Eurocentric feminism to “construct” new structures arguing that, “we already have a history and legacy of a woman’s culture” and that there is therefore the need to highlight it in a social enquiry.