Meeting the Chief

June 29, 2009
Today I met the chief of Tamale. If I had known I was going to meet the chief, I would have worn some African clothes, or at least dressed nicer than I did today. I was invited to go to town to “run some errands” and I thought it would be nice to get out of the house. Jason wanted to meet with the chief to ask him if he could buy the chief’s drums from him, and that was one of the errands on the list today. The chief lives in a compound in the center of Tamale with round huts like the ones in the villages, but all made of concrete. When we first arrived, we had to wait in a little courtyard with many benches in the shade of a tree. There were other chiefs and guards sitting out there waiting. All of the chiefs I have seen wear these hats that have a tight band around the head and then go back to a loose floppy part that hangs over the back of their head. All of the chiefs I have seen also wear glasses and use canes to walk. I’m not sure if they need them or if it is just a sign of being a chief. The chief himself was sitting in one of the round huts with a door facing us, so we could see him inside. He was on a chair on an elevated platform so he would always be seated higher than everybody else. After waiting in the courtyard, Babs (our hotel owner/store manager/friend) came back to us and told us the chief was very busy today, but if we came tomorrow at any time he would see us. I was fine with that; I wasn’t too sure about being with the chief when Jason asked for his drums, in case it was very offensive. Then, someone told us the chief had changed his mind and would see us. We went around to the back side of the main compound and gave some people some money, and then we went into a separate room to see the chief. I guess it was an honor that he took us into a private room to meet with him. We had to remove our shoes to enter. The room was carpeted, which I had never seen before, and it was one of the nicest rooms I’ve seen in Ghana. An old man who was a chief or a subchief led us into the room, and sat on the floor in front of us and clapped. Then he left. (Jason told me later that the clapping signifies shaking hands, because you cannot shake hands with the chief.) Jason started to speak to the chief, and then the chief interrupted him and told him he should speak to Babs, and then Babs would speak to the chief for him. It was a little weird, because the chief would respond directly to Jason, sometimes right after Jason had told something to Babs, and he spoke very good English. I just sat there and said nothing. The chief was very happy to give Jason his old drums if Jason would pay the price of having new ones made. The chief also said he wanted to visit the US. He told us he watches American TV and he enjoys the culture. I really wonder what he would think if he did come to the US. (For starters, it's probably not like whatever TV show he's been watching.) He definitely would not have the special treatment he gets here, and many people would want to shake his hand I am sure. I guess we’ll find out if he ever comes.
So now I have “met” the most powerful man in Tamale. I don’t really feel like I met him, because I was not introduced and he did not acknowledge my presence at all. I’m pretty sure he didn’t look at me the whole time we were there. Still, how many people can say they have sat with the chief?