Chiefs, Elders and Parents have been urged to make conscious efforts to pre­serve the culture and values of their communities.

“Learning the history of our ancestors helps us to gain a great­er understanding of the challeng­es they faced, their successes and failures.”

This call was made in a book titled: “History of Pungu and the Butu Family” and co-authored by a former Member of Parliament for Navrongo Central and Chief Executive Officer of Community and Sanitation Agency, Mr Clem­ent Tumfuga Bugase, and Mr Francis Babongte Avura, a retired Policy Analyst.

The new book, which advo­cates for positive change in the community’s social life, explores the rich history and culture of the inhabitants of Pungu and Butu of Navrongo in the Upper East Region, highlighting their clan lineage, socio-cultural life, and religious beliefs.

The book cited the importance of preserving traditional farming practices, architectural designs, and clothing.

It also said that the commu­nity’s organic farming methods, which had been passed down through generations, were being replaced by modern practices which sought to prioritise conve­nience over health and sustain­ability.

The book reiterated that, cul­ture, customs, and traditions were dynamic and as such, life changes with time.

Mr Bugase

Mr Avura

However, it said the rate and manner in which these values were changing were of great con­cern to humanity as the younger generation was losing touch with traditional practices, such as playing cultural dance instruments and singing with passion and pride during ceremonies.

“In the 1960s, 1970s and even 1980s the young ones learned to play our cultural dance in­struments while sheepherding animals, and by the time they were adults, they could play and sing with passion and pride in funerals and marriage ceremonies,” the book outlined.

“Majority of today’s generation cannot do same due to varied reasons as they resort to using machines to play foreign music and dance,” the book added.

This, the book, indicated behoved chiefs and elders to step up efforts to ensure that their community’s culture and its values were jealously preserved.

The book further underscored the significance of language stat­ing that the language of people within a society was important, significant and unique as it iden­tified them from other commu­nities.

“A person who cannot under­stand and speak his/her language is a lost person, it is therefore necessary that we make conscious effort to teach our children the languages of Pungu, Kasem and Nankani, especially those who are living outside Pungu,” the book narrated.