Anthropologist
chieftaincy, power and the politics of commemoration
In this short video, I share with Jean-Marie Tieno, a legendary Cameroonian filmmaker – my thoughts on Freedom and the concept of Sovereignty in Africa. The filmmakers were interested in learning how the concept of freedom is expressed in African languages.
In his book, Lela in Bali: History through Ceremony in Cameroon (2006), anthropologist, Richard Fardon contends that Lela could be understood as a “barometer of the state of play in Bali politics: a ceremony that has adjusted to reflect the changing composition and external relations of the community” (2, italics mine). To extend this argument, it’s absence over several consecutive years could also index the state of politics – one that shows the growing dissonance between the ruled and the rulers.
A Bibliography of Published Literature on the Bali Chamba of Cameroon & Nigeria, arranged thematically and by discipline.
Traditional Titles and Rank in Bali Nyonga with particular focus on subchiefs, councillors, ambassadors and lineage heads
An abridged version of the following article was originally published in Africa / Volume 85 / Issue 04 / November 2015, pp 733 – 735 DOI: 10.1017/S0001972015000728, Published online: 18 November 2015 Meredith Terretta, Nation of Outlaws, State of Violence: Nationalism, … Continued