Zondoma: Haitian writer Gaétan Mentor, in search of his African origins, traveled thousands of kilometers to end up in the province of Zondoma (North of Burkina). Adopted and enthroned as prince by His Majesty the Naaba Baongo and his notables, his baptismal name is Yab Soré Warma and he offered a chicken to his ancestors, in honor of his rebirth. The royal court of Gourcy experienced a special atmosphere on the morning of Monday, November 25, 2024.
According to Burkina Information Agency, this was neither the Napoussoum nor one of the usual ceremonies to which visitors to the court are accustomed. It was rather what one might call a ceremony of adoption of a “prince”. This prince will have traveled thousands of kilometers to come to Gourcy, which he now considers the land of his ancestors, his origin. This visitor of a different kind was welcomed by the chief of Gourcy, surrounded by notables and members of the Warma family.
“I am looking for my roots,” declared Gaétan Mentor, because that is who it is ab
out, by way of explanation of the reasons for his presence in Gourcy. “Every black person has his origins in Africa; it is therefore extremely important for any Afro-descendant to return to the source. Burkina Faso is an ancestral land from where some Haitians came,” he added.
After explaining the circumstances of his meeting with the visitor and expressing his firm desire to be adopted as the son of Gourcy and the Warma family, the chief of Gourcy let the notables decide. The latter, without hesitation, praised the initiative and the approach of their host before accepting him into the family. “Gaétan, we accept you as a member of the family. You are now at home,” declared the spokesperson for the wise men.
To mark his entry into the family, Mr. Mentor was baptized ‘Yaab Soré,’ which literally means ‘ancestor’s road,’ in reference to his choice to follow in the footsteps of his origins. Dressed in new African clothes and his princely attributes, ‘Yaab Soré,’ visibly moved, expressed his gratitude to the ch
ief and the notables for their warm welcome.
After these first words, the new Prince of Gourcy received the blessings of the notables and the palace guards. Better still, he was allowed to offer a chicken as a sacrifice to the ancestors. “Burkina is a beautiful country. I love this country and I invite all its sons to love it and protect it,” Mr. Mentor proudly declared. He also urged all Afro-descendants to seek their origins, because, according to him, “if someone does not know where he comes from, how do you expect him to know where he is going?”
After visiting the Naaba Baongo grove and the Birgui Julien Ouédraogo museum, the “new son of Gourcy”, writer and author of several books, will return to his native Haiti with the feeling of having rediscovered his origins, to which he attaches great importance.