ADINKRA EPISTLES:EKUONA CLAN OF THE AKAN FAMILY SYSTEMS

 

The Ekuona clan is one of the matrilineal clans of Akans. Its totem is the Buffalo (Ekuo). One of their appellations is ” S3 Osono nni h) aa,Ekuo ne piesie which literally means that, in the absence of the elephant, the buffalo is the Eldest.
It’s asserted in oral history that, the Ekuona clan were the first Akan clan to Master the act of building houses hence they got the name Adansifuor ( The builders). This puts away the erroneous impression created by colonialists that our ancestors lived on trees when they discovered us.

The Ekuona family is also known as Asokorefuo or Ahene.
It’s also believed thatthe Oyoko clan was once a member of the Ekuona clan. However, they broke the taboo of the Ekuona clan by eating the meat of a slain Buffalo. That group became known as the Owekuo meaning those who ate the meat of the Buffalo.

It’s also postulated from Oral history that, the Ekuona clan is the first to introduce linguistics to the Akan traditional system. The Ekuona chief Nana Awurade Abasa was the first Akan chief to appoint a linguist by name Okyeame Afrane. This led to the popular quotation” S3 wo p3 asem aka kyere Awurade aa, ka kyere Afrane” which was later corrupted to” S3 wo p3 asem aka kyere Awurade aa, ka kyere mframa”
Members of this clan have the symbolic quality of honesty and uprightness.
Some Asankrangwa stools which belong to the Ekuona clan include.

Gyaase stool
Adonten stool
Akwambo stool
Dwantoa stool

Their response to greetings is Yaa Ekuo.

Ekuo ne Asimpi, Ahwene3 Egu Yaawa mu

 

Story by Papa Arhin