The story of Northern Ghana is, in many ways, the story of resilience. A land carved by extremes --- six months of torrential rain and six months of parching drought, has shaped a people known for their toughness, discipline, and endurance. Survival in such an unforgiving environment demands not only strength of body but also strength of spirit. Historians, anthropologists, and oral traditions all point to a common truth. Northerners are hardy because their land required them to be.
Climate and Character
Anthropologists argue that climate often molds character. The alternating cycle of floods and drought in the Northern savannahs left little room for complacency. Families learned to store grain carefully during the rainy season because the long dry season could bring scarcity and hunger. As historian Emmanuel Akyeampong once noted, "It is not accident but necessity that makes resilience a cultural trait in the savannah belt". To live in such a place meant cultivating resourcefulness, patience, and discipline.
Slave Raids and Resistance
If nature's harshness was one test, human predation was another. From the 18th to the 19th centuries, the Northern lands became fertile ground for slave raiders. Figures like Samori Touré and Babatu terrorized communities, capturing men, women, and children for sale. Yet these famous raiders did not act alone. Local dynamics played a role. Stronger tribes, including the Dagombas, sometimes preyed on weaker ethnic groups, capturing them in the service of the trade.
This dark period left deep scars but also forged habits of vigilance. Tribes fortified their defenses, both physical and spiritual. Villages were often built with escape routes and lookout points. Oral accounts describe how young men were trained not only as farmers but also as warriors. An old Gonja proverb says, "A man without a spear is meat for the raider". Such sayings reflected a way of life where survival required readiness.
The Power of Juju
Beyond weapons, many turned to spiritual power for protection. Accounts from both oral historians and colonial records suggest that Northerners developed strong traditions of "juju" --- charms, rituals, and invocations meant to render them invincible in battle. Whether these powers "worked" is beside the point. Belief itself gave courage. Some oral traditions recount warriors who smeared their bodies with concoctions believed to repel bullets.
As one elder in Yendi recalled in an interview a few months ago that, "Our grandfathers did not fight with guns alone. They carried 'medicine' in their belts. They believed no blade could cut them. That belief gave them the heart to stand when others fled". My late dad, Alhaji Abdulai Braimah, the last World War II veteran in the Northern Region narrated how fierce and brave the Mossis were in Burma. According to Gunner Braimah (GC60280), "we saw the Mossis perform miracles for the Royal West African Frontier Force. We saw what was unexplainable in the jungles". Personally I have, as a young man starting life in Yendi witnessed several "unexplainable events" in the scuffles which erupted periodically. We will discuss them in another article.
Strength in Oral Memory
Oral history remains a vital source for understanding this resilience. In a Dagomba folktale, "a hunter seeks protection from spirits before venturing into the forest. He returns not only with game but with a new identity --- a man feared for his invulnerability". Such tales reinforced the cultural idea that strength was both physical and spiritual.
An aged Mamprusi chief once put it bluntly: "The land is hard. The rains come and go. The raiders came and went. But the people stayed". His words capture the essence of Northern endurance --- the ability to remain rooted even when storms, natural or human swept through.
Historians and Anthropologists Weigh In
Scholars of African history often highlight how adversity shapes culture. Anthropologist Jack Goody, writing about West Africa, noted that communities in marginal environments developed elaborate systems of solidarity and mutual aid. Historian Ivor Wilks argued that the threat of raids forced the rise of stronger states and military traditions in the Northern Territories. Spiritual strength, too, became part of the cultural repertoire, woven into the fabric of survival strategies.
A Living Legacy
Today, when people say Northerners are resilient, they invoke not only the demands of their environment but also the legacies of history. From the terror of raids to the discipline of enduring hunger seasons, from the fortification of villages to the faith in spiritual power, Northern Ghana's people learned to stand firm in the face of adversity.
This resilience continues to echo in modern life. It is seen in the migrant laborer who travels south with little more than determination. It is reflected in the soldier, the trader, the farmer, and the student who face hardship with quiet strength.
What Needs to be Done
* Promote cultural exchange and education. Domestic tourism nust be encouraged throughout Ghana. Many who write or speak the half-truths and lies about the North don't know the North. A professor coming to Tamale had to postpone his trip because there was fighting in Bawku. How absurd!
* Address economic disparities. This is gradually being done, but the rate is too slow. A big project like the building of the Pwalgu Dam will do the North and indeed Ghana, a lot of good.
* Challenge stereotypes and misconceptions. Whenever the bloggers and social media commentators and content creators go wrong, we should in unison correct them.
* Foster national unity. Gen. Acheampong, who but his failed UniGov policy rolled out many good programmes had it right when he shuffled his Regional Commissioners and ensured that no region had its own native. Col. Minyilla of Upper East Region was sent to Eastern Region, and we all saw the transformations that took place in Koforidua. Col. Zumah, also of Upper East Region is the brainchild of Real Tamale United.
By addressing these factors, Ghana can work towards a more inclusive and nuanced appreciation of its diverse cultural identity. Northern Ghana is more than a geographic space. It is a crucible that forged resilience through climate, conflict, and culture. The people who have endured its trials are living testaments to the idea that hardship breeds strength.
Indeed, , only the tougher get going!