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THE UPPER WEST REGION |
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| Places of Interest |
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Sankana
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19km from Wa is Sankana. This village is surrounded by scenic rock formations covering a four sq.km area. Under this rock formation is a network of caves, which served as bunkers for protection against slave raiders. Oral tradition is that women, children and the aged took refuge in the caves while the warriors posted sentries and laid ambush on top of the rocks and hills. From their strategic hilltop locations, the warriors of Sankana, with their bow and arrow weaponry always unleashed a hail of deadly long distance arrows that slave-raiding bands could never withstand.
In a pitched battle with the army of Samori the slave raider, despite their superior weaponry, the people of Sankana were victorious. The Chiefs and people of Sankana celebrate this victory with a mock war called the Fiok festival. As part of this event, arms captured from Samori's army, which are held in private possessions, are put on display.
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