更新日:2016/06/28
I am pleased to inform you that the 1st Colloquium of Natural History of Landscape Formation had held at #318, Inamori Memorial Foundation Building (third floor), Kyoto University on 28th (Tuesday) June 2016.
This time we invited Dr./Junior Professor of Anthropology, Michaela Pelican <http://www.michaela-pelican.
The Colloquium of Natural History of Landscape Formation is set up for exploring into the interelated two research questions, namely, (1) how hunter-gatherers and the neighboring agro-pastoralists in the world have interacted with each other, and (2) how those peopoles have constructed their collective identities. We thus invite distinguished researchers, who are promoting relevant studies to our research questions to give us a talk on their works.
1st Colloquium of Natural History of Landscape Formation
【Date】
28th June 2016 (Tuesday) 14:45-17:00
【Venue】
#318, Inamori Memorial Foundation Building (third floor), Kyoto University
http://www.asafas.kyoto-u.ac.
【Schedule】
14:45-15:00
Introduction
Akira Takada (Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies (ASAFAS), Kyoto University)
15:00-17:00
Mbororo perspectives on indigenous identity and Mbororo-Pygmie
Michaela Pelican (Dr./Junior Professor of Anthropology, Department of Cultural and Social Anthropology, University of Cologne)
Discussant: Daiji Kimura (Center for African Area Studies (CAAS), Kyoto University)
Mbororo perspectives on indigenous identity and Mbororo-Pygmie relations
by Michaela Pelican, Junior Professor of Cultural and Social Anthropology, University of Cologne
【abstract】
In this presentation I will focus on the relationship between Mbororo pastoralists and Pygmie foragers from the perspective of Mbororo indigenous rights activists in Cameroon.
Besides their international recognition as indigenous peoples of Cameroon, the Mbororo and Pygmies seem to share little in common.
The Mbororo are an (agro-)pastoralist group that entered Cameroon in the late 19th century and mostly live in Cameroon’s savannah region favourable to cattle grazing.
The Baka, Bagyeli and Bakola, also known as Pygmies, live in Cameroon’s southern forest zone and count as the region’s first inhabitants.
Direct contact and cohabitation of members of the two groups mostly occur in Cameroon’s Eastern region around Bertoua, an area that over the past decade has experienced an increase in Mbororo population due to the influx of refugees from the neighbouring Central African Republic.
My research has focused on the Mbororo of northwest Cameroon and personally I have had very limited encounter with members of Pygmie groups.
However, with the Mbororo’s growing struggle for recognition as an indigenous people and participation in joint development initiatives, the Pygmies have become a relevant reference group for Mbororo indigenous rights activists.
In the past years, there has been an ongoing and controversial debate within Mbororo society on what it means to be ‘indgenous’ and if the Mbororo want to be seen on the same level with Pygmies.
In this presentation I will elaborate on this controversy and its ideological underpinnings.
【Notes】
* The talk is given in English, and no translation will be provided.
* No researvation is required for participating in the Colloquium.
* Admission-free.
* The Colloquium of Natural History of Landscape Formation is a serial seminar that have been carried out since Academic Year 2016, as part of the JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)(Overseas Academic Research) “Natural history of landscape formation in contact zone between hunter-gatherers and agro-pastoralists in Africa” (Primary Investigator: Akira Takada).
【Co-hosted by】
・52th Kyoto University African Study Seminar (KUASS)
