kla: a tutelary deity at the jamaica marketplace in madina, accra

Abstract

This essay deals with the La (Ga) indigenous religious ritual of planting a traditional deity in a newly established marketplace in Madina, a peri-urban and a multireligious area in Accra, Ghana. The relation of this deity to the market is to ensure peaceful coexistence between traders as well as protection of the marketplace. The La people are inhabitants of one of the six indepen-dent towns that constitute the Ga ethnic group. The principal town of the La people is Labadi (La), and Madina is built on La traditional land. Madina is a multireligious and multiethnic neighbourhood, with Muslims, Christians and Traditionalists. While African traditional religious practices are pushed to the margins, they still play a central, albeit often overlooked, role regarding land issues.