An English translation of a work adapted from the original language into French by Ahmadou Hampate Ba and Germaine Dieterlen, central figures in African mysticism and esotericism
A discussion of my fascination with the figure of Kaidara, god of gold and knowledge in classical Fulani cosmology, highlighting the epistemological and metaphysical implications of this figure and the relationship of his image with... more
A discussion of my fascination with the figure of Kaidara, god of gold and knowledge in classical Fulani cosmology, highlighting the epistemological and metaphysical implications of this figure and the relationship of his image with artistic, historical and existential expressions of human embodiment and outlining my verbal and visual contributions to developing the Kaidara mythos and its associated cognitive world. This essay itself constitutes part of this contribution, adapting Etienne Souppart's illustrations from the children's version of the Kaidara story, The Secrets of Kaidara : An Animist Tale from Africa (Tales of Heaven and Earth), by Hyacinthe Vulliez and Gwen Marsh, narrating and commenting on the account of the search for Kaidara within the context of expounding the symbolic scope of this enigmatic and yet compelling figure.
Details of a lecture give at an International Lettering Arts Conference in 2013 about a unique alphabet invented by two young men from the Fulani Tribe of Guinea. With their tribe over 90% illiterate, they set out to create a writing... more
Details of a lecture give at an International Lettering Arts Conference in 2013 about a unique alphabet invented by two young men from the Fulani Tribe of Guinea. With their tribe over 90% illiterate, they set out to create a writing system that better represented the sounds of their speech. From its creation, this alphabetic writing system has made great strides in literacy for their tribe, and has been set up for a Unicode release in 2016.
This concise historical work of the kingdoms of the western and central Bilad's-Sudan was composed around 1825 when the author was 21 years old. It is a work which attempts to chronologically place the Sokoto Caliphate as the natural heir... more
This concise historical work of the kingdoms of the western and central Bilad's-Sudan was composed around 1825 when the author was 21 years old. It is a work which attempts to chronologically place the Sokoto Caliphate as the natural heir of all the previous kingdoms of west Africa.
; Tél: (00229) 95 84 02 04 REMERCIEMENTS Les auteurs tiennent à exprimer leur gratitude à la Coopération Technique Belge (CTB) pour avoir financé cette recherche par l'octroi de la bourse de doctorat mixte. RÉSUMÉ La population pastorale... more
; Tél: (00229) 95 84 02 04 REMERCIEMENTS Les auteurs tiennent à exprimer leur gratitude à la Coopération Technique Belge (CTB) pour avoir financé cette recherche par l'octroi de la bourse de doctorat mixte. RÉSUMÉ La population pastorale et agro-pastorale du Bénin détient presque la totalité du cheptel bovin national. Le lait constitue le produit le plus fréquent issu de l'élevage bovin. Une enquête a été menée dans la commune de Kalalé au sein de 16 ménages peuls afin de comprendre l'organisation de ces ménages dans la gestion du lait. Il ressort que l'organisation autour du capital lait est genre sensible: l'homme aussi bien que la femme, dans leurs rôles respectifs, contribuent à assurer la pérennité du capital bétail. Le lait est géré de façon à privilégier la consommation du ménage et à assurer la reproduction du troupeau. La rémunération du travail fournit ainsi que l'équité dans la distribution des richesses au sein du ménage peul octroi aux femmes qui sont dans le troupeau plus de bénéfices issues du lait provenant du troupeau familial. La disponibilité des produits laitiers dépend de la saison et du milieu. Le lait prévu pour la consommation humaine est gérée de sorte à avoir, une utilisation optimale du lait et de la viande, afin de combler les besoins actuels des membres du ménage, d'assurer la reproduction des biens du ménage, avant d'alimenter le marché de produits laitiers. ABSTRACT Pastoral and agro pastoral population of Benin holds almost all the national cattle herd. Milk is the most commonly product derived from cattle and its sale provides cash income to Fulani woman. A survey was conducted in Kalalé district within sixteen Fulani households to understand their milk management's organization. The organization around milk capital is gender sensitive. Man as well as woman, in their respective roles, help to ensure sustainability of livestock capital. Milk is managed to favor household consumption and ensure the herd's reproduction. Labor compensation and equity in wealth distribution within Fulani household granted to women who are in the herd more profits from milk of the family herd. Dairy products availability depends on the season and the area. The expected milk for human consumption is
The Woδaa6e and Katsinen-ko'en Ful6e of Tanout, Niger, in the northern Sahel practise slightly different strategies of (agro)pastoral production, with consequently differing patterns of mobility. They engage in similar market exchanges... more
The Woδaa6e and Katsinen-ko'en Ful6e of Tanout, Niger, in the northern Sahel practise slightly different strategies of (agro)pastoral production, with consequently differing patterns of mobility. They engage in similar market exchanges (livestock, grain, fodder) and forms of livelihood transitions in both directions along a pastoralism-agropastoralism axis. Case studies of seven households (three Woδaa6e and four Katsinen-ko'en) illustrate the complexity of these practices over a year and a half. If researchers and policy makers are to gain an operational understanding of the risks, opportunities and strategies that characterize the actual agropastoral continuum and the different cultures that engage it, they should extend their analyses beyond the rigidity of agro/pastoral models to the complex relationships these groups of producers have within their ecological and socio-economic environments.
This title summarises an innovative project for gender and development research in one religious society. The approach that was employed combined participatory and ethnographic methods toward a merging of anthropological research with... more
This title summarises an innovative project for gender and development research in one religious society. The approach that was employed combined participatory and ethnographic methods toward a merging of anthropological research with gender and development to prioritise the articulations and understandings of the local population concerning gender norms in their society. The approach was premised on the observation that gender relations are contextual and differ cross-culturally, and this diversity must be accounted for better in mainstream gender and development analytical and theoretical tools, which have been disproportionately influenced by western gender conditions and epistemologies. A second premise was that understanding gender relations and improving women's problems in traditional societies can only be achieved with the inclusion of men and the cooperation of religious/cultural leaders who influence local attitudes, and therefore this project engaged with both genders across sociocultural groups. The article was written for non-specialists and was published on the official website of the Tokyo Foundation in Japan which granted funds for the implementation of the project. The full article may be found at the link: http://www.tokyofoundation.org/sylff/16277
Two children came out of the water and they made a grass house (suurel) and stayed at that place. Later, some cows came out of the water and stayed during the evening with the children. And then the children migrated (gurgiisi, a short... more
Two children came out of the water and they made a grass house (suurel) and stayed at that place. Later, some cows came out of the water and stayed during the evening with the children. And then the children migrated (gurgiisi, a short migration movement). The cows followed the children every place they went because the children had made them fire (Loose translation: tape transcript 1997).His voice is difficult to understand; he is an old man. Sitting on a mat placed on the sand beneath his chair, I listen carefully, even though I know that my tape recorder will later help me in reconstructing his speech. His narrative is not unfamiliar and in fact it is almost surprising to me the similarity to WoDaaBe origin narratives that I have seen on print.My discussion here focuses on WoDaaBe origin stories from the perspective of histories as being socially meaningful, integrated into political contexts. Ethnographic research among the WoDaaBe has reflected rather similar stories of origin ...
The Woδaa6e and Katsinen-ko'en Ful6e of Tanout, Niger, in the northern Sahel practise slightly different strategies of (agro)pastoral production, with consequently differing patterns of mobility. They engage in similar market... more
The Woδaa6e and Katsinen-ko'en Ful6e of Tanout, Niger, in the northern Sahel practise slightly different strategies of (agro)pastoral production, with consequently differing patterns of mobility. They engage in similar market exchanges (livestock, grain, fodder) and forms of livelihood transitions in both directions along a pastoralism-agropastoralism axis. Case studies of seven households (three Woδaa6e and four Katsinen-ko'en) illustrate the complexity of these practices over a year and a half. If researchers and policy makers are to gain an operational understanding of the risks, opportunities and strategies that characterize the actual agropastoral continuum and the different cultures that engage it, they should extend their analyses beyond the rigidity of agro/pastoral models to the complex relationships these groups of producers have within their ecological and socio-economic environments.
