56.

NOTES

DAGOMBA  RESEARCH

A  promising start has been made on the collection  of historical,

sociological,  linguistic  and literary  data  from the  Dagomba area.  Material
collected so far shows that a very  rich  field of data exists particularly  in
the  case of oral  literature  and tradition.  The  following outlines work
completed up-to-date  in the  Institute.

Linguistics

W . A . A.  Wilson  left  a published pamphlet,  which deals with the

phonology of  the nominal  in Dagbani and a number of typed notes and
story texts  in the  Institute  Library  -  useful sources of  information for the
student of the structure of the Dagbani  language.

History and oral  literature

A  few Arabic  manuscripts referring  to events and people  in Dagbon

have been collected,  some still  await  translation.

Extracts from the Salaga papers Vol.1 collected by Mrs.  M.  Johnson
show that a  considerable  amount of historical  material  remains to be tapped
in  German sources.

* » ••

The number of  recorded drum history texts,  songs and stories is
growing and  includes an original  collection of historical  texts collected
from Dagomba drummers by Tait and Fage  in the early  fifties.  Freshly
collected  tapes,  some recorded during the sessions of evening drumming
held at  chiefs'  palaces  in the  fasting month of January,  1966 are at the
moment  in process of transcription. 

'

Social  organization

Preliminary  investigation has been undertaken  in the following areas

residence  patterns,  the  traditional  political  and kinship systems, organiza-
tion of an recruitment to traditional  specialist groups,  the rearing arid
fostering of  children and state school attendance.

NOTES

57.

.  Below  is some of the  material,  mostly  in typescript  form,  referring
to  Dagbon,  which  has  recently  been  deposited  in the Library.  Many  story,
song  and  historical  texts  remain  to be edited  and  catalogued:-

Some  Sociological  Aspects of Education  in Dagbon
1965.

C.  Oppong

The  Dagomba  Response to the Introduction of
State  Schools,  in Ghana  Journal  of Sociology
V o l .2  N o. 1.  February, 1966.

A  Dagomba  History  Book  (Compiled  from
published  and oral  sources).

Social  Change  in the Northern  Territories
of  the  Gold  Coast  (A talk  written  for the
B.B.C.).

A note on Muslims  in Dagbon
(Draft  Paper Inst.  of African  Studies)  1964

The  Phonology of the  Nominal  in Dagbani
1965B.I.A.S.  Vol.  I

- 

- 

- 

- 

C.  Oppong

A . M.  Osumanu

D.  Tait

I.Wilks

W . A . A.  Wilson &
Bendor-Samuel.

!»--*-

Christine Oppong.

EAST AFRICAN  STUDIES

During the  Long Vacation  three students /whose M.A.  studies are
especially  concerned with eastern African history,  visited different  parts
of East Africa and carried out field work.  Mr.  G.  Akinola  carried out a
ground survey of a number of places  in southern Tanzania which were of
importance .as trading centres  in  the eighteenth  century with a view  to