Most of Gurunsi live in modern day Burkina Faso, and the degree to which recent Kassena history differs from their northerly neighbors, such as the Nuna, Bwa, and Winiama, is because they live in modern day Ghana. These differences arose during the colonial period in the early part of the 20th century, as French and British colonial systems differed in their administrative practices. Kassena are primarily sedentary farmers, growing millet, sorghum, and yams. Maize, rice, peanuts, and beans are grown in addition to these staples. In the family fields close to the villages, women grow cash crops, including sesame and tobacco, which are sold in local markets.
Men participate in hunting during the long dry season.
This is important for ritual reasons, since it is during this time that men may interact with the spirits that inhabit the bush. During the dry season, when food supplies are running low, some fishing is practiced in local swamps. Kassena societies are comprised mainly of farmers without social or political stratification. They are not divided among occupational castes or groups since most of them simply till the land and engage in occasional hunting. They had no internal system of chiefs, and all important decisions were made by a council of elders consisting of the oldest members of each of the village lineages.