Back to the roots
ri es o t S d e r Sha
John Trammell Founder, Meyaka Travel
•• “It was like waking up on another planet and not knowing where you were or how you were going to get home and then finally you see a light, a spiritual light whose rays awaken you to a new world of mental spiritual enlightenment. African Ancestry was my catalyst for that light” Since I was about 18, I have always had a spiritual connection to African and African American history that I couldn’t put my finger on. I had been reading about African History by both African and White Historians for years and have realized that all that was taught to me was wrong. I was starting to empty my mind of all the negative images that were shown and said about people
After reading about the Tikar people, I decided to change my facebook page from being from Little Rock, Arkansas to being from Bamenda, Cameroon. I picked Bamenda because it was close (on a map) to the Northwest Region where the Tikar people were said to had migrated to. Then something else happened. After being connected with other Heritage traced descendants from Cameroon, I was invited to participate in a “Name Changing” ceremony on the 22nd of September 2012. The date is important because this is the day I was born and reborn. My information was submitted to the North West King’s (Fon’s) Council (here in the U.S). They send it back to Cameroon for the High Priests to consult with the ancestors about. Then the names are given. One must be present at the ceremony which contains blessing rituals, libation and crossing of the Atlantic back into the arms of the motherland. It’s a free ceremony itself and was formal and very well done. I had a great time and met many wonderful people. My NEW name is Meyaka meaning “Thank You” Meyaka was given to me from the TIKAR/NSONGWA Tribe of Cameroon. By the way, I later found out that the city of Bamenda consists of seven tribes, one of which is NSONGWA!
It felt as if a veil had been lifted or a page had turned in my life. It was unbelievable. who look like me. I would watch the African Channel and see a different Africa than what was generally displayed on television or read about in the newspaper. Longing to return to Africa mentally and spiritually, I decided I was going to pick an African country to visit and adopt for myself. So I browsed the different African countries highlighted by the African Channel and chose Cameroon. I mean as soon as I saw it, it felt like this was the place I needed to be. And after seeing African Ancestry on television helping people of African descent discover their ancestral roots I decided to trace my lineage. When the results arrived, I sat down and slowly opened the envelope that read “you share African lineage with the Tikar people of Cameroon”, well, it didn’t hit me until about 14 minutes later while driving down the street, it felt as if a veil had been lifted or a page had turned in my life. It was unbelievable. The fact that it was Cameroon, the place I had picked to adopt was startling.
Cameroon Traveler Magazine • August 2013
• Page 39
CTM