Once upon a time in the Golden Kingdom of Asante lived a woman, a thoughtful, brave and strategic heroine, Nana Yaa Asantewaa.<\/p>\n
Yaa Asantewaa was the queen mother of Edweso (Ejisu) who led the Asante to fight the British.<\/p>\n
Yaa Asantewaa’s mother was Ata Po, and her father Kwaku Ampoma. Her parents were both from Ampabame near Besease in Ejisu. She had a brother called Kwasi Afrane.<\/p>\n
The siblings Kwasi Afrane and Yaa Asantewaa were Asona royals of\u00a0the Besease lineage of the Edweso stool.\u00a0They\u00a0were the only children of the marriage and were born in the 1830s.<\/p>\n
Yaa Asantewaa grew up to marry Owusu Kwabena of Kantinkyiren\u00a0near Trede. He was a paternal grandson of Asantehene Osei Yaw\u00a0(1824\u201333).<\/p>\n
His union with Yaa\u00a0Asantewaa produced only one child, a daughter called Ama Sewaa\u00a0Brakatu (or Ama Sewaa Boankra, after the Edweso village where her\u00a0mother farmed and gave birth to her).<\/p>\n
According to availabele records, Yaa Asantewaa’s brother died\u00a0in 1894.<\/p>\n
Yaa Asantewaa rose to prominence towards the turn of the 20th century. She inspired Asante to fight the British after the British abducted the then Asantehene, King Prempeh I and the Edwesohene, Nana Afrane II.<\/p>\n
Why should she excite extra comments?\u00a0Did she\u00a0plan, inspire, lead and direct the uprising, or did she merely symbolize\u00a0resistance? Did she fight in person, or oversee operations from Edweso?<\/p>\n
Dr Wilhelmina Donkor, President of the Garden City University College and former head of the History Department – KNUST, shares the story of Yaa Asantewaa and her role in Asanteman.<\/p>\n
Listen and download the\u00a0audio below:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n