A West African Reflection in the Danish West Indies
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NYAME AKUMA No. 59 June 2003 =AFRICANDIASPORA STUDIES facts in the Caribbean but did not report these fmd- ings (Van Sertima 1976). However, oral history lives on and also the archaeological diggings are showing A West African reflection in the evidence that there were African people in this re- Danish West Indies gion of the world long before the Europeans arrived. Therefore, it is important to teach from an African Caryl Johnson perspective as well as a European perspective when Department of Family, Consumer teaching about historical architectural styles. Sciences and Agriculture Eastern New Mexico State University Portales, New Mexico Review of Literature USA, 881 30 e-mail: What are the connections between Africa and roncarjohnsonQ3lefties.com the Caribbean? The first connection is that the Danes brought enslaved people from West Africa to the Caribbean. Second there is a connection between the historical forts found both in Ghana and the Dan- Introduction ish West Indies. The third connection is the cultural This is an attempt to identi@ the influences impact that the West African people had on the his- that the enslaved people coming from West Africa torical architecture of the Caribbean. had on the historical architectureofthe United States Enslaved People. After the year 1600, most of Virgin Islands (formerly the Danish West Indies). the African people who were coming to the Carib- There are several connections between West Africa bean were the result of the slave trade which was and the former Danish West Indies as related to ar- being conducted in the islands. The people from the chitecture that will be discussed. As educators we following tribes were brought to the Danish West do not always include the AficadAfrican-Caribbean Indies (U.S.V.1.) as of May 166 I : Mandinga, Kanga, perspective in the teaching of historical architecture. Loango, Congo, Amina, Kassenti, Fida, Papaa, Ibo, The findings of this research should provide benefi- Bibi, Karabaie, Watje, Selungo, and Fulah cial information for educators. (Paiewonsky 1989).“The Danes worked closely with Traditionally the teaching of historical ar- Fetus and other neighboring tribes such as the chitecture has focused on European influences. But Akwamee and the Akim Tribes,” (Paiewonsky what about the Afkican influences? If one looks 1989:92). Paiewonsky continues to cite that the Accra, through a high school and/or college housing text- Dahommey, Ashanti, Sherbros, Fellatahs and book, one does not see the African influences as Bambarras were the tribes which were in great de- related to architectural styles found either in the United mand because they were more willing to work and States or in the United States Virgin Islands (former they were strong. Africans from the Mandingo tribe Danish West Indies). were noted for their quickness to adjust to a new situation and learn a skill and they made excellent craftsmen and artisans (Paiewonsky 1989). Whose Perspective? “A Moravian missionary C. G. A. Oldendrop Housing educators usually teach from a Euro- who visited the Danish islands in I767 and I769 said pean perspective. What about teaching from an Af- he observed larger numbers of people from the rican perspective? Many persons believe that the followingtribes: Fulaini, Maandingoes,Amina, Akims, first black people to come to the Caribbean were the Popos, Ibos, and Yorubas.” The tribes came from a enslaved people which the Europeans brought to large geographical area which extends from the work for the plantation industry (Johnson 1995). Ivan Senegal Rivertothe Bight of Benin (Hall 1992:70-7I). Van Sertima in his book, They Came Before Columbus, The backbone of the Caribbean is and has always provides facts that Black people were in the Carib- been the African culture. Much of the hard work and bean long before the arrival of the Spaniards. The cultural heritage which is so much a part of the West Spanish had sighted African settlements and arti- African people is reflected in the Caribbean 79 NYAME AKUMA No. 59 June ZOO3 historical architecture ofthe Danish West Indies (pres- Africa (Johnson 1995). The researcher observed ently U.S.V.I.). wattle and daub construction of houses during field- work in Ghana in July 2000 and May 2002. Forts. Another connection between Afiica and the Caribbean are the forts. “Through studying the Jahann Jakob Bossard, in A Caribbean Mis- forts, we will be able to look at historical, geographi- sion, gives this account of Afican housing. “The cal and architectural legacies of the African people house rests on four stakes which are driven into the who, in conjunction with the Danish, created the ground. The stakes are fork-shaped at the top end present-day society of the United States Virgin Is- and spaced in such a manner as to form a square. lands.” (Edge 1994:16). Edge goes on to say that, The stakes are linked together at the top by an equal “Danish forts in both Ghana and the Virgin islands number of horizontal boards, and on these rest the provides us with insight into the triangular system of rafters of the roof which come together in a crest. A trade as it was established between Europe and Af- few vertical stakes are placed between the four cor- rica, linking the Virgin Islands. The West Indian and ner posts and pliable branches are woven among Guinea Company built forts in Ghana on the Gold these. The branches are covered with quicklime and Coast. The African captives sent to the Virgin Is- plastered with cow dung” (Bossard 1987:221). The lands came from areas of Ghana near the Danish forts,” braided twigs are called wattle. (Edge 1994: 16- 17). The Danes occupied a fort Ningo at The wattle and daub construction can be traced between 1735 and 1850. Ningo is located between to the Ika district on the Niger River located in West Accra the present day capital of Ghana and the mouth Africa (Sobel 1987). An interesting comment that of the Volta River (Briggs, 2000, p. 162). Osa Castle author John Vlach makes is that, “One of the little (Christiansbourg Castle) located in present day Accra understood dimensions of the American culture has was built by the Danes in 166 1 (Briggs 2000: 15). Two been the material contribution of the Afio-American. other Danish forts were Fort Kongensted at Ada at The material achievements of the Blacks are gener- the mouth ofthe Volta and Fort Prindsensted at Keta. ally assumed to have been negligible, if not non- Keta is located on the southern coastline of Ghana existent” (Vlach 1976:47). This statement can also be between the mouth of the Volta and the country of applied to the Danish West Indies and to that of the Togo (Anquandah 1999: 1 1). The West Africans who Afio-Caribbean culture. The more the Black culture came to the Danish West Indies represented persons is studied the more one is aware of the “Black” crea- from all walks of life: architects, teachers, engineers, tivity and the existence of an Afro-American or Afro- craftsmen, doctors, farmers, etc. The next section of Caribbean material culture (Vlach 1976). Other refer- this paper will show influences that West Africans ences also describe the construction of a wattle and have made on the historical architecture of the Dan- daub house: Ulsamer-Harrison 1992; Jackson 1990; ish West Indies. These influences include construc- Righter 1991). Wattle and daub construction was tion methods and social-cultural relationships. known to both the Africans and the Europeans. How- ever, an interesting note is that the type of basket Cultural influences on the historical weaving which was done on the wattle and daub architecture: construction methods houses in the Caribbean was more characteristic of those that were constructed in Afiica than those which Wattle and Daub. What were the cultural influ- were constructed in Europe (Johnson 1995). Prussin ences on the historical architecture of the Danish cites that, “the traditional building wall is made of West Indies (U.S.V.I.) as related to the Black African wattle and daub.” This is the traditional housing for culture? The first houses that the Africans built were the Ashanti, Baule, Ibo, Urhobo and Yoruba tribes made of wattle and daub construction. Until the end (Prussin 1974: 187). of the lSmcentury the houses which the Africans lived in were designed by Afiican people. At the time Rubble Construction. Another contribution of this writing there are only two wattle and daub made by the Africans was rubble masonry construc- houses left in the U.S.V.I. and they are found on the tion. This method was known to them in their native island of St. John. They were rectangular in shape; land. The reason this method of construction was usually the length was twice as long as the width of used in some areas of Africa as well as in the Carib- the house. This same pattern was also found in bean is that some of the stone was not conducive for 80 NYAME AKUMA No. 19 June 2003 trimmii and cutting (Prussin 1974). A close look at Cistern. How and where did the idea of the rubble walls found on the historical buildings in the cistern as we known it in the Danish West Indies Danish West Indies, shows the use of red brick, Blue come from? Information on where the idea of the Bitch (a local rock found on St. Thomas), yellow brick cistern originally developed, as far as a cultural influ- and other stones. The rubble walls or “rubbed up” ence, has been hard to obtain. Denyer cites that “In were made by placing stones in a trench which marks Yorubaland, Benin, which is located in West Africa, where the foundation is for the building.