African Religious Healing Practices: A Case Study of the Dagomba Ethnic Group in Northern Ghana
Abdulai Salifu Izudeen

Abstract
Many people in Ghana have some negative perception about indigenous African Healing. They think that any spiritual activity associated with African practices is devilish. Hypocritically, the same people seek assistance from these sources in times of serious illness. The academic works on this subject are mostly anthropological, which seem to generalize the African situation. However, what is less well known is that the Dagomba healing practices are not widely documented. This paper seeks to do two things, first, who are the Dagomba in Ghana and second, what is the African traditional worldview of the Dagomba people in relation to their religious belief. The outline provided here would give a better impetus for one to precisely highlight the healing process of the people. This paper also examines the nature of Dagomba religious healing practices, as have been observed over the years. Some recent contacts with elders and the practitioners in the form of oral interview are also brought to bear. The paper asserts that the Dagomba healing practices are intertwined with their everyday life style. It further asserts the need for complementary health practices on both indigenous and modern health.

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