Cultural Tourism Potentials of Daŋi Traditional Pottery Art

Nyamawero Navei

doi:10.24940/ijird/2021/v10/i9/jul21044

Abstract

Daŋi is one of the leading communities in Sissala East Municipality in the Upper West Region of northern Ghana which is engaged in the production of indigenous and culturally focused pottery receptacles. However, little is known about their tourism potentials. The study therefore took a qualitative descriptive path in examining the cultural tourism potentials of Daŋi traditional pottery art. Twenty (20) purposively sampled respondents were contacted with data collected through unstructured interviews, observation and photography. The study finds the pottery receptacles produced in Daŋi as repositories of indigenous cultural heritage, artistry, philosophy, knowledge and skills of the people of Daŋi. Besides, the indigenous decorative designs and the premises of the deployment of pottery receptacles in Daŋi are underpinned by the sociocultural, traditional religious practices and economic lifeline of Daŋi people positing enough grounds and the need for the development of Daŋi traditional pottery art into an attractive cultural tourism destination for global patronage. Therefore, it is recommended that, the stakeholders involved (Chief, Queen Mother and Elders of Daŋi; Assembly Member of Kong Electoral Area; Municipal Chief Executive of Sissala East Municipal Assembly, the Regional Management of Ghana Tourism Authority, and the Municipal Director of Centre for National Culture) should collaborate to ensure that a quick reconnaissance survey is conducted by the regional management of Ghana Tourism Authority to come up with the appropriate interventions for the development of an attractive cultural tourism destination in Daŋi and the promotion of same on Ghana Tourism Authority Single Window Destination online portal for global consumption and economic empowerment of Daŋi rural potters.

Highlights

Daŋi, corrupted as Dane or Dangi, is a Sisaala (Sissala) community located in the Sissala East Municipality in theUpper West Region of northern Ghana
Some of the aforementioned traditional arts are in the decline, pottery art is one area that has over the years received the needed attention by the rural women of Daŋi. This makes Daŋi one of the leading traditional pottery production hubs in the Sissala East Municipality. In this era of globalisation and its associated negative impacts on African indigenous arts, the rural women of Daŋi are still engrossed in the production of traditional pottery wares of various types, decorative designs, cultural semiotics and relevanceto meet their sociocultural, socioreligious, sociopolitical needs while making economic gains from the art through the sale of some of the receptacles to other communities within the Upper West Region and Ghana at large
The study found that the pottery receptacles of Daŋi are repositories of indigenous cultural heritage, artistry, philosophy, knowledge and skills of Daŋi people

Summary

Introduction

Daŋi, corrupted as Dane or Dangi, is a Sisaala (Sissala) community located in the Sissala East Municipality in theUpper West Region of northern Ghana. Some of the aforementioned traditional arts are in the decline, pottery art is one area that has over the years received the needed attention by the rural women of Daŋi This makes Daŋi one of the leading traditional pottery production hubs in the Sissala East Municipality. In this era of globalisation and its associated negative impacts on African indigenous arts, the rural women of Daŋi are still engrossed in the production of traditional pottery wares of various types, decorative designs, cultural semiotics and relevanceto meet their sociocultural, socioreligious, sociopolitical needs while making economic gains from the art through the sale of some of the receptacles to other communities within the Upper West Region and Ghana at large. Drawing motivation from the tourism exploitations of Sirigu pottery art and its significant contributions to the local economy of the people of Sirigu as referred, the study sought to examine selected traditional pottery wares produced in Daŋi to reveal their cultural tourism potentials

Methods

Results

Conclusion