Introduction

The presence of the past in the present is notable in Bolgatanga. Conflicts over land and chieftaincy are characterized by an intense reference to the past as the source of unadulterated legitimacy of claims to the future. The past and lines of heritage are frequently rehearsed in Ghana. It is a pastime in which everyone who depends on pedigree for position or privilege engages with passion. However, two different forms of past are often at play at the same time (Berry, 2004). On the one hand, reference is made to tradition as a timeless past, a reservoir of “how things have always been done” in the constant flow of time. On the other hand, there is a past made up of significant historical events, of actions and transactions that are invoked with various vindications. The two pasts are rather different from one another. One justifies claims to the future as a seamless continuation of the past; the other justifies them as the result of salient fortunate events.