The Konkomba people are a Gur ethnic group residing mainly in the Northern, Brong Ahafo, Volta, Eastern and Greater Accra Regions of Ghana.

The 2010 census data indicates that Bikpakpaam in Ghana number 823,000 and applying the intercensal growth rate would give a population of more than one million now.

In occupational terms, Bikpakpaam are mainly subsistence farmers and rearers of animals such as poultry, small ruminants and cattle.

It is on record that Bikpakpaam settled more widely in the eastern corridor before the arrival of many other ethnic groups in the northern regions of Ghana in the 1400s and 1500s,.

What is known, however, is that Bikpakpaam occupied the area called Kyali/Chare (now Yendi) until the Dagombas advanced further east with their expansion and pushed them further away with the support of the colonial masters.

According to narratives by elders of Kikpakpaan, the Gonjas, under Ndewura Jakpa, defeated Dagombas under Ya Na Dariziogo and compelled the latter to abandon their capital (currently believed to be Tamale/Kumbungu areas) and move it to its present site, Yendi, which was then a Bikpakpaam town called Chare.

The main towns had the character of outposts, strategically located on the east bank of the River Oti but Bikpakpaam were by no means assimilated.

The Konkomba have often insisted that they voluntarily moved away, in search for fertile lands and greener pastures for their livestock, when Dagombas arrived.

David Tait (1964) quotes an elder of Bikpakpaam as saying "When we were growing up and met our fathers, they told us they (our forefathers) stayed in Yaan/Chare (Yendi) with the Kabre and Bikwom.

[10] Bikpakpaam pre-colonial political organization was centered on districts inhabited by clans whose status and autonomy were represented through the presence of ubor (chief) and an earth-shrine tendered by a religious leader, utindaan (the earth priest).

Literary it means the “land owner.” The utindaan had and continues to have overlordship of an entire settlement, more in the exercise of spiritual duties and powers over the place.

Ubor works hand-in-hand with the political, non-governmental, and religious leaders to ensure the welfare and development of the entire community.

(wunlaan), a scribe (ugbangmeer), a chief priest, council of elders, foot soldiers, body guards and servants.

Uwumbor controls all things and delegates power to other smaller gods and spirit beings under Him to take care of prescribed creatures.

Bikpakpaam believe that there are evil spirits which torment people in the form of sickness, poverty, conflicts, drought, still births, deformities, deaths, mental disorders etc.

They are of the view that these ancestral spirits take vengeance on enemies, protects the rest of the family and care for the general well being of the surviving relations.

Most Bikpakpaam of post-colonial era have embraced Christianity and believe in the Triune God (the Father, Son and Holy Spirit).

The art work and colorful and fancy indigenous costumes of traditional dances (kinachung, njeem, ichaa, tibaln, nbanba etc.)

Inventions by the forefathers of Bikpakpaam include farm implements/tools, musical instruments, hunting tools/weapons such as liluul, butom, ilopiin, kakpola, kitaln etc., Their architectural and construction prowess and techniques led to domestic structures like libubul, lipil, kachala, kikpawung, and n-yaam (for painting), tinabin (cow dung) (for plastering houses) etc.

Cultural costumes include unaa (decorated horns), tangana (traditional cloth), tanbena (dancing cloth decorated with beads and pearls), tibaan (jingles) etc., Household utensils/detergents include libuul (clay coolers), nkin (clay pot), sagbo (jar), kiyiik (calabash), bukpakpaankiib (traditional soap) among others.

The practice of collective solidarity in the form of communal labor termed as nkpawiin depicts hardwork, unity and collaboration among Bikpakpaam communities.

[12] Here, individuals seek help from the entire community to meet labour needs (farming, construction and other forms of work) and this occurs in turns.

In their quest to achieve a balanced diet, the forefathers of Bikpakpaam discovered a wide range of healthy vegetables; some of which are indigenous but others are well known and common in other areas.

Pito is a delicious traditional beer brewed from scratch using organic guinea corn with natural ingredients and no artificial flavors and no preservatives.

The marriages of today are constructed between individual lovers who after falling into a relationship introduce the prospective spouses to their families for assessment and acceptance.

When a person, whether a child or an adult dies, messages such as verbal, horn/flute sound and explosive gunpowder (for older people) are sent to neighbors in the surrounding communities and to relatives far and near.

The corpse (coffined or not) is carried by men on the shoulder or head and one of the traditional priest invokes ancestral spirits to identify the cause of death.

For hospitality, many other animals can be slaughtered, including cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and fowls and food (bisatom) is served to all visitors and sympathizers.

Opportunity from this event is used in tracing ancestral lineages of individuals, visits to major Bikpakpaam landmarks, tourism activities and re-union of families.

One consistent ritual, however, has been an opening prayer to almighty God, a word of exhortation from the clergy, the performance of libation and sacrifice to ancestors, traditional dance, and the sharing of food and drinks with visitors and relatives.