The Gulmu Museum Project
The Gulmu Kingdom is one of the 60 indigenous communities within the country of Burkina Faso in West Africa. The Gulmu people, also commonly called Gourmantche, represent about 7% of the population of Burkina Faso and are located in the eastern part of the country, inhabiting 5 provinces including Gnaga, Gourma, Kommandjoari, Kompienga and Tapoa.
The traditional center of the Gulmu Kingdom is located in Fada ‘N Gourma, Burkina Faso. Though many Gulmu people are making a name for their culture within the modern territories, most of them have preferred to stay in the bush away from modern corruptions in order to maintain their traditions and deep spiritual legacy.
The Gulmu people preserve one of the most refined and spiritual cultures on the planet. One of the treasures of Gulmu culture, which sets them apart from other cultures on the planet, is “the language of the Gods” or “the oracle of the Earth”. This is a system of reading earth energies which has been preserved amongst the people for millennia. “Gourmantche people interrogate the Earth about everything, and they submit to the speech of the Earth,” say ethnologists. This tradition was transmitted to the great Gulmu Ancestors before their migration from the Nile Valley to the southwestern Sahara.
The Gulmu people preserve methods for harmoniously fitting into nature which have been uncorrupted since the time of the Pharaohs. Contrary to popular beliefs held by modern ethnologists and anthropologists, many ethnic groups in Western Meritah (West Africa) maintain a true and accurate history of their migration out of the Nile Valley culture during the time of the invaders approximately 2,000 to 3,000 years ago. These invaders such as the Persians, Hyksos, and Romans sought to redefine the world in their own image. In order to do this they took special interest in crushing and re-defining Kemetic culture in it’s own image which was brought to fruition by their invasions of the Nile Valley. It was in the climate of these invasions that many important bloodlines migrated out of the Nile Valley across the Sahara desert in order to maintain the integrity and purity of their knowledge, culture, and initiations. It is this same knowledge, genius and existential expertise which has been preserved by Gulmu culture to this day.
The current ruler of the Gulmu civilization, His Majesty Kupiendieli is dedicated to unifying and fortifying Gulmu culture during these modern times. This current modern era has seemingly suffocated so many unprepared indigenous cultures around the planet. In light of this need for indigenous cultural preservation efforts, His Majesty Kupiendieli has began a project which involves the erection of a museum dedicated to Gulmu civilization. His Majesty Kupiendeli, in his endless will and proven commitment to unify, develop and promote the cultural wealth of his people, is taking the initiative along with his ministers and chiefs to construct this museum in the image of the Gulmu civilization that will reflect and retrace the history long-preceding the European invasion.
In 1884, there was a historic meeting called the Berlin Conference, hosted by the German government. It was mostly attended by European governments, which included France, Britain and Germany. This conference led to the sub-division of Africa into European colonial territories. Before the Berlin Conference was held, the Gourmantche people were living on approximately 80,000 sq. km of land. After the partitioning of West Africa by those colonial European powers, the population of the Gulmu kingdom found itself located in the modern day countries of Ghana, Togo, Benin, Niger and Burkina Faso.
Notwithstanding the challenge of the distance of many Gulmu descendants from their traditional capital, the relations between those widespread communities and the central customary power was maintained as well as possible in the aftermath of European annexation. However, the partition of the Gulmu community by European powers combined with the influence of globalization and new technologies have brought negative influences on the Gulmu people. This has resulted in a lack of communication and exchange between Gulmu communities, a failure in maintaining traditional education through initiation systems, as well as an acculturation of the youth towards foreign influences. Another consequence of the partitioning of the continent has been nationalism. Many people once considered Gulmu now identify themselves more by the country they were born in instead of the culture of their Ancestors.
Currently, Burkina Faso has about fifteen museums and this initiative of His Majesty will come to contribute to that inventory. The overall vision of His Majesty and his dignitaries in this project is to make this museum of Gulmu civilization a cultural heritage in service of the identity and development of the Gulmu population, as well as the rest of humanity. The immediate focus for the project is on funding the construction of the museum, and the identification and gathering of historical objects. This project seeks to consolidate the cultural and historic relations between the Gulmu communities split by colonial borders. The museum will also include the objectives of ensuring a plan of transmission of knowledge from generation to generation in the Gulmu community.
The founder of The Earth Center, Prophet Neb Naba Lamoussa Morodenibig, was a proud member of the Gulmu (or Gourmantche) ethnic group. He dedicated his entire life to bringing traditional culture and enlightenment to his fellow human beings. He is referred to as a prophet amongst the priesthoods back home and after his transition to the World of the Dead in 2008 he is commonly referred to as Prophet Neb Naba, or The Maakheru (Truth-teller). The Gulmu origins in the Nile Valley civilization, along with their commitment to preserving the wisdom handed down by their Ancestors, was exemplified in the life and works of Prophet Neb Naba.
The Gulmu museum will directly benefit the Gulmu communities. It will be a true representation of the will to share values among the present generation and to preserve values for future generations. It will serve not only as a place of meditation but as a symbol of unification. On the individual level it provides a personal identity, and the pride of belonging to Gulmu civilization. For the world, this museum will preserve the cultural and spiritual traditions which have stood for millennia as the inspiration for human civilization. For all humans disillusioned with the future to which our modern leaders are leading us, this will provide a doorway to reconnect with the rich history that we have strayed so far away from. We are lucky enough that these traditions have been preserved until the present while so many others have been destroyed. Let’s make it our business to support the construction of this cultural bastion to continue to withstand the test of time.
His Majesty has asked The Earth Center to help him in establishing this museum project. He is in full support of the mission of The Earth Center and the works of Prophet Neb Naba, and we are proud to be contributing to this monumental project of conservation. The Earth Center is asking you, as a member of the diaspora which can benefit from the preservation of these powerful traditions, for your support for this project.
To support this project, click here.