about our future

and the past

of remembering

the big war.

CHAPTER TWO

THE STORY OF THE BIG WAR

There was even a time… nearly two hundred seasons ago… when the villages of Upper and Lower Kwanta lived as one family… The land was vast… its crops, plenty… The water was wide enough for each of our people to wash, to drink, to swim… together… We shared the river… and the endless pieces of gold resting in the basin… until, one day, a week’s worth of mining went missing… Now, this is where the story gets complicated… It was suspected that two men from Lower Kwanta had stolen the gold and traded it with foreigners on the Coast… So, the King of Upper, Nana Manu Bambara II, went to see Nana Nii Boateng, the King of Lower, who was drinking and entertaining foreign guests… King Boateng, embarrassed in front of the foreigners, his “wonderfuls,” did not take kindly to being accused of harboring the criminals… An argument ensued… insults were thrown… and battle lines were drawn… It was a horrible war… many men were killed… homes were ruined… life was interrupted… until our King got very clever and blocked access to our land (as if land could be owned), to its rich soil, to the harvest, and, thus, to their food supply… which led to their hunger… a truce… and a treaty.

THE BAMBARA TREATY

In order to avert the horrors of war

this treaty is made

and entered into

between Upper Kwanta,

its dependencies, and heirs,

and Lower Kwanta,

its dependencies, and heirs.

1st     There shall be perpetual peace

between both parties,

and neither party shall

have any claim

upon the other.

2nd     Upper Kwanta shall have authority

over the river and its gold deposits,

to be stored in an undisclosed location,

but the King of Upper shall guarantee

a fair, annual distribution

of twenty-five Benda of gold

to Lower.

3rd     The King of Upper agrees not to block

the harvest, and shall permit

Lower farmers to cultivate,

for the purpose of instituting

normal production of crops.

4th     The Kings agree

that the villages shall convene,

befriend, compete, and feast

together at a Festival

to occur annually

in honor

of this peace treaty.

5th     And finally, in the event any subject

of Upper or Lower does violate

this treaty by an act of disrespect

or any crime of magnitude,

a joint Council of Elders

reserves the right of punishment,

to be dealt with

according to the laws

of our people.

DISPUTE

They are the wretched of the earth.

They do not stand a chance

in the festival contests.

We will once again destroy

the lowest scum, my cousin hollers,

tossing a ball around

during our lunch break

in the courtyard.

They are us. They dream like we do. They wake like we do. They eat like we do. They are us. No more, no less, Ama interjects. You should really pay attention in class.