The traditions surrounding Nsua Tre in the Bono and Ahafo region have roots that stretch back to the earliest Bono settlements.
Oral accounts state that the founders of Nsua Tre were part of a lineage that moved southward from ancient Bono territories near Begho and Banda, seeking fertile lands and a place to preserve their independence and customs.
Nsua Tre Traditional Council is bordered on the east by Sunyani, Berekum to the West, Seikwa to the northwest, Odomase to the northeast, and Dormaa to the south.
According to the elders, the people of Nsua Tre trace their descent to a matrilineal ancestor who led the migration with sacred objects believed to preserve the clan’s soul.
The early settlement was established near the banks of a stream whose cool waters became a symbol of purity and renewal, becoming intrinsically linked to the people.
Nsua Tre itself gained its name from the community’s close relationship with the environment that sustained them.
Oral traditions further indicate that the early ancestors of Nsua Tre were pottery makers who mixed clay with other materials to make tobacco pipes.
As the settlement expanded, Nsua Tre became renowned for its communal harmony and respect for ancestral traditions.
One fascinating account that illustrates the legacy of the Nsua Tre is a recount of a time when the Asantehene Otumfuor Opoku Ware I, during one of his campaigns against the Gyaman, met Nana Amoah Koromansah at Nsua Tre.
Oral traditions indicate that, when Nana Amoah got wind of the arrival of the Ashantis, he quickly organized his elders at the forecourt of his palace in readiness to welcome the Asantehene and his warriors.
Indeed, Opoku Ware was going to attack King Abo Kofi, the Gyamanhene, whom the Asantehene suspected of being in possession of a “Golden stool”.
When Asantehene saw Nana Amoah appear with his people in such an impressive fashion, he asked, “Who brought you here?” Nana Amoah replied, “My ancestors were here from ancient times.”
Opoku Ware could not hide his emotions and therefore exclaimed: Etwie a ɔte ne pɔmu paa nie,” meaning “this is a leopard in its own domain.”
Nana Amoah responded “Amanaaso firi tete” meaning the state is from the ancient days (Amanaaso–Ɔman dadaa so).
After this time, the leopard has remained the symbol of Nsua Tre since time immemorial.
