Page 4 - Ctmc Programme 2022

Ancestor Quao Day Celebration

Thursday, June 23, 2022 • Spanish River & Asafu Yard, Charles Town, Portland

Ancestor Quao Day June 23, 2022 is in- us to come into better understanding
deed a day of celebration and venera- and deeper connection with our kin
tion, displaying the rich cultural who have relocated from the earth
heritage of the Charles Town Maroons space to the heavens. This of course
in drumming, singing and other ways ultimately results in our own healing
of the ancestors. The day will feature and well being.
its usual array of ceremonies and activ-
ities to give respect and honour to In the cosmology of the Akan people
those who paved the way for us to con- from whom Quao came, and in fact,
tinue to be in memory and practice of in all African Spiritual systems, there
their ways of being and from that, to is belief that the souls of our dead rel-
create for ourselves rich and vibrant atives continue life as our ancestors,
communities. that they continue to participate in
our lives and that it is important to
There are many reasons to celebrate. The engage in activities and events to re-
day falls on a Thursday which is the birth member and honour them. Al-
day of the ancestor whose name is called though Sankofa is widely known as
to represent all those who fought before an Adinkra symbol among the Akan
him, with him and after him because, as people, Sankofa is also a deity, who
we say, when we call one ancestor we call teaches many life lessons. Nana
all ancestors. It is also our first face-to- Sankofa invites us to journey back
face Conference & Festival, since the start and forward to our ancestors, to get
of the COVID 19 pandemic, which will that which heals us and moves us
allow for a strong ‘live’ component while into prosperity i.e. physical, mental,
still maintaining the virtual platform. Ad- emotional, financial, spiritual, social
ditionally the Conference & Festival is etc. balance in our present space.
being hosted under a theme that incor-
porates Sankofa and Healing. With the hosting of the Ancestor
Quao Day Celebration, the Charles
An important feature of this years Town Maroons, their guests, partners
Quao Day Celebration is that the cere- and collaborators pay tribute to An-
monial aspect, which always opens the cestor Quao, the 'invisible hunter',
Day, will be hosted by the Spanish who brilliantly led his people and ef-
River. This is an important location in fectively employed military knowl-
the First Maroon War as it was here that edge in the First Maroon War, (1655 –
the British faced their most severe de- 1739). Fighting along with his sister,
feat at the hands of our victorious an- other maroon leaders and peoples,
cestors. All in all this makes for a he engaged in 84 years of war to in-
powerful occasion to call and venerate sist on our inalienable right to be rec-
our ancestors, knowing of course that ognised as human beings with a
ancestor veneration promotes the mandate for our own self determina-
healing of both them in the spirit world tion. His sister, called Nanny of the
and us in the physical world. As a heal- Maroons, who like him was also an
ing activity, through its ceremonies exceptional military strategist, is hon-
and rituals, ancestral veneration helps oured as a National Hero.

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