‘They must be Dagaba first and any other thing second …’

The article analyses the creation of new ethnic identities in a pre‐colonial acephalous, 'non‐tribal' setting. Presenting the case of the Dagara of north‐western Ghana, I shall discuss how ethnic categories and institutions are constructed in a complex interplay by multiple actors with different interests, namely colonial administrators, newly appointed chiefs, labour migrants and the emergent educated elite. The central argument is that ethnic ideologies construe images of a natural, immutable, primordial identity, thus conveying a sense of stability, security and self‐esteem, but behind this essentialist 'facade' there is always room for multiple meanings and negotiation. I will show that the attributes of a Dagara identity are continuously re‐interpreted and constitute a battleground for many issues, for instance the political competition among different sub‐groups or the relations between educated elite and their rural kin.