Transcript African Contributions - Montclair State University

Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
African Contributions – 01
Week 09
Lecture 01
Africa’s Problems and Lessons of the
Sahel
This lecture was last updated on 01 November, 2013 and 23 October, 2015
11/1/2013
1
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
Africa’s Problems and Lessons of
the Sahel
The learning objectives for week 09 part
01 are:
– to understand some of the major problems
faced today by African people
– to appreciate the environmental wisdom of
certain traditional African farmers and
animal herders
11/1/2013
2
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
Africa’ Problems and Lessons of
the Sahel
Terms you should know for week 09 part 01are:
– Sahel
– Fulani
– Serer
– Senegal
– Sahara
11/1/2013
3
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World: Dr. Richard W. Franke
Africa’s Problems and Lessons of the Sahel
Week 09 Lecture 01 Sources: 2013/2015 Updates
Franke, Richard W. 1987. Power, class and traditional knowledge in Sahel food production. In Studies in Power and Class in
Africa, edited by Irving L. Markovitz. New York: Oxford University Press, pages 257–85. [This essay contains an
extensive and detailed bibliography of the sources used in the lecture.]
Franke, Richard W. , and Barbara H. Chasin. 1980. Seeds of Famine: Ecological Destruction and the Development Dilemma in the
West African Sahel. Totowa, NJ: Allanheld/Osmun.
United Nations Development Program. 2006. Human Development Report 20005: International Development at a Crossroads.
New York: Oxford University Press.
United Nations Development Program. 2013. Human Development Report 2013 – The Rise of the South: Human Progress in a
Diverse World. New York. UNDP. http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global/hdr2013/download/
United Nations Development Program. 2014. Human Development Report 2014. Sustaining Human Progress: Reducing
Vulnerabilities and and Building Resilience. Table 15, Population Trends. Pages 216 – 219.
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/hdr/2014-human-development-report.html
United Nations Development Program. 2012. Africa Human Development Report 2012: Towards a Food Secure Future. New
York: United Nations Development Programme Regional Bureau for Africa .
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). 2015. World at War: UNHCR Global Trends. Forced Displacement
in 2014. Global Trends 2014. Geneva, Switzerland. UNHCR. Pages 3 and 15. .http://www.unhcr.org/556725e69.html
Worldwatch Institute. 2011. 2011 State of the World: Innovations That Nourish the Planet. New York: W. W. Norton and
Company.
11/1/2013/10/23/2015
4
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
African Contributions
1. Past two classes discussed ancient
Egyptian contributions to Western
world.
11/1/2013
5
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
African Contributions
2. Egypt part of Africa
11/1/2013
6
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
African Contributions
3. Focus on Egypt justified by the spectacular
remains from the time of the
pharaohs…but…
4. …Rest of Africa sometimes neglected
because of it.
11/1/2013
7
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
African Contributions
5. This week and next week we will
examine several African contributions
to the modern world that come from
“Sub-Saharan” Africa, also known as
“Black Africa.”
11/1/2013
8
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
African Contributions
6. Many Americans seem to know little
about Africa so let’s learn a few basic
facts.
11/1/2013
9
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
African
Contributions
7. Where is
Africa?
11/1/2013
10
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
African Contributions
8. How big is Africa?
9. About 3x the size
of the U. S., 3x the
size of China, or 3x
the size of Europe.
11/1/2013
11
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
African
Contributions
10. Where is
Black Africa?
11/1/2013
12
Montclair State University Department of
Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western
World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
African
Contributions
11. Sahara Desert
12. Sahel
= Arabic word for
“border”
13. South of the
Sahara Desert all
of Africa is
considered “Black
Africa”
11/1/2013
13
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western
World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
2013/15 Update
How Many Black
Africans Are There?
14. Population of SubSaharan Africa in
2012/2013 about
852.5/888.2 million or 12%
of world total or almost
2.7x/2.8x the United States
population of 315.8/320.1
million in 2012/2013.
Source for figures in red: United Nations
Development Program. 2013. Human Development
Report 2013: The Rise of the South: Human Progress in a
Diverse World. New York: UNDP. Table 14 –
Population Trends, pages 194—197.
http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global/hdr2013/downlo
ad/
This slide was updated 11/1/2013 and
23 October, 2015
Source for figures in black: United Nations
Development Program. 2014. Human Development
Report 2014. Sustaining Human Progress: Reducing
Vulnerabilities and Building Resilience. Table 15,
Population Trends. Pages 216 – 219.
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypa
ge/hdr/2014-human-development-report.html
14
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
How many Black
African Countries
Are There?
15. At least 44.
11/1/2013
15
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
How many Black
African Countries
Are There?
15a. It is therefore
NOT CORRECT to
refer to “Africa” as
“a country.”
This slide was added on 23 October, 2015
16
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
Black African
Countries
16. Most of these
countries emerged
from European
colonial rule in the
1950s to 1960s.
17. Ethiopia (Abyssinia)
is the main
exception.
11/1/2013
17
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
Black African Countries
18. Ethiopia had been
connected to Egyptian
history for centuries
thru Kush and Nubia
and later thru the
Coptic (Egyptian and
Ethiopian) Christian
Church.
11/1/2013
18
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
Black Africa in Human Pre-History
19. Black Africa is the origin of the human
species.
20. All currently available scientific
evidence points clearly to this
conclusion.
11/1/2013
19
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
Black Africa in Human Pre-History
21. You can learn the details about this
important scientific discovery in several
of our anthropology courses.
22. And, yes…
11/1/2013
20
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
Black Africa in Human Pre-History
23. As you properly conclude, we are all
descendents of Black African people.
24. There is much debate and disagreement
about the timing and about the relationships
of various other human groups that evolved as
Africans moved into other continents.
11/1/2013
21
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
2013/2015 Update
Black (Sub-Saharan) Africa Today
(2012/2013 figures)
25. Sub-Saharan Africa today is the world’s
poorest region:
– Annual per capita income = $2,010/$3,153 vs world
avg of $10,184/$13,723 and US avg of
$43,480/$52,308
– Life expectancy at birth = 54.9/56.8 yrs vs world avg
of 70.1/70.8 and US 78.7/78.9 yrs
Source for the figures in red: United Nations Development Program. 2013. Human Development Report 2013 – The Rise of the South: Human
Progress in a Diverse World. New York. UNDP. Table 1, Pages 144, 147.
Source for figures in black: United Nations Development Program. 2014. Human Development Report 2014. Sustaining Human Progress: Reducing
Vulnerabilities and Building Resilience. Table 1: Human Development Index and Its Components. Pages 160 – 63.
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/hdr/2014-human-development-report.html
11/1/2013 and 10/23/2015
22
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
Africa Today
25a. African health crisis: 2011 update
– 27% of Africans are considered “hungry,” compared with 14% of
people worldwide;
– 90% of Africa’s food comes from small farmers compared with
70% worldwide;
– 28% of African children are underweight compared with 24%
worldwide.
– Per capita value added output of agriculture between 1961 and
2006 increased worldwide by 35% but decreased in Africa by
12%.
Source: Worldwatch Institute. 2011. 2011 State of the World: Innovations That Nourish the Planet. New York: W. W.
Norton and Company. page 11
11/1/2013
23
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
Fall 2013 Update
In 2012 the United
Nations Development
Program issued a
special report on African
development…
11/1/2013
24
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
Fall 2013 Update
With statistics from 20082010…
Source: UNDP 2012. Africa Human Development Report
2012: Towards a Food Secure Future. New York.
United Nations Development Program Regional
Bureau for Africa.
11/1/2013
25
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
Fall 2013 Update
47% of rural Africans have access
to safe drinking water versus
80% in Latin America and The
Caribbean
33% of Africans have access to
electricity versus 93% in Latin
America and The Caribbean
Source: UNDP 2012. Africa Human Development Report 2012:
Towards a Food Secure Future. New York. United Nations
Development Program Regional Bureau for Africa. Table
2.2, page 38.
11/1/2013
26
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
Africa Today
26. African health crisis
– Tuberculosis cases per 100,000 persons =
487 vs world avg of 240
– Infant mortality rate = 105 vs world avg of
54
Source: UNDP 2012. Africa Human Development Report 2012: Towards a Food Secure Future. New York. United Nations
Development Program Regional Bureau for Africa. Table 09, page 249.
11/1/2013
27
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
28. According to the BBC in the year
2000 71% of AIDS cases were in
Africa
Africa Today
27. Sub-Saharan Africa is
the center of the AIDS
crisis worldwide
Source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/africa/20
00/aids_in_africa/default.stm
11/1/2013
28
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
Africa Today
29. 6,000 African children die of AIDS
every day, or one every 15 seconds.
30. But several countries such as Senegal
have almost no AIDS at all.
11/1/2013
29
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
Africa Today
31. Africa’s current poverty and underdevelopment
can be largely explained by the devastating
effects of three factors:
– three centuries of the slave trade,
– a century of colonialism,
– recent wars and the refugee problem to which they
contribute.
11/1/2013
30
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
Africa Recently: Wars and Refugees
31. In 2006, with just 12% of the world’s
people, Africa harbored 23% of its
refugees:
– 2.2 million people living in camps, often with
little access to food and water
– Darfur and Somalia are two such situations
Source: UNDP. 2007. Human Development Report 2007/08: Fighting Climate Change: Human Solidarity in a Divided World. New York: Palgrave-MacMillan. Table 26,
page 321.
11/1/2013
31
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The World Refugee Crisis: 2015 Update
31a. In previous years, the previous slide 31expressed
the oversized role of Africa in generating AND
harboring a big share of the world’s refugees.
This is still the case, but developments in 2013
and 2014 have created a refugee problem
unlike any since World War II…
32
This slide was added on 23 October, 2015
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The World Refugee Crisis: 2015 Update
31b. On June 18, 2015, the United Nations High
Commissioner for refugees reported that the world
now has nearly 60 million refugees, a number
approximately equal to the entire population of
Great Britain.
Sources: http://www.unhcr.org/558193896.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/new-un-report-says-worlds-refugee-crisis-is-worse-thananyone-expected/2015/06/17/a49c3fc0-14ff-11e5-8457-4b431bf7ed4c_story.html
33
This slide was added on 23 October, 2015
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
31c. The
Syria, Iraq
and Ukraine
wars have
exploded on
the world
refugee
scene.
Source:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/
world/europe/new-un-reportsays-worlds-refugee-crisis-isworse-than-anyoneexpected/2015/06/17/a49c3fc014ff-11e5-84574b431bf7ed4c_story.html
This slide was added on 23 October, 2015
34
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World: Dr. Richard W. Franke
The World Refugee Crisis: 2015 Update
31d. But Africa remains a major center of refugee concern…
Source: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). 2015. World at War: UNHCR Global Trends. Forced Displacement in 2014.
Global Trends 2014. Geneva, Switzerland. UNHCR. Page 3. http://www.unhcr.org/556725e69.html
This slide was added on 23 October, 2015
35
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The World Refugee
Crisis: 2015 Update
31e. When numbers of
refugees are compared with
the resources of the
receiving countries, African
nations show up as hosting
thousands without adequate
resources – 8 of the 10
nations with the least per
capita resources are in
Africa.
Source: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). 2015. World
at War: UNHCR Global Trends. Forced Displacement in 2014. Global Trends
2014. Geneva, Switzerland. UNHCR. Page 15.
.http://www.unhcr.org/556725e69.html
36
This slide was added on 23 October, 2015
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
Africa Today
33. In contrast to its current poverty and
underdevelopment, Africa outside of Egypt in
the past was the site of highly developed
civilizations making important contributions to
the modern world in art, science,
mathematics, architecture, crops and medicine
11/1/2013
37
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
African Contributions
34. We should not romanticize Africa’s
past but neither should we allow present
circumstances to cloud our appreciation
for the many contributions of its people
11/1/2013
38
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
Not Out of Egypt: Some Black African
Contributions to the Western World
35. Sustainable agricultural practices –
see later in these slides
36. Many of the most expressive words
and phrases in American slang – later in
this class
11/1/2013
39
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
Not Out of Egypt: Some Black African
Contributions to the Western World
37. Vaccination (also possibly from China)
– later this class in Lecture 02
38. Anti-malaria medicines – later this
class in Lecture 02
11/1/2013
40
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
African Contributions
39. Coffee – see the lecture slides for
week 12
40. African rice – first major commercial
crop of the Columbian Exchange – see
the lecture for week 11
11/1/2013
41
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
African Contributions
41. Other foods –
–
–
–
–
–
Sorghum
African palm
Okra
Yams
Black-eyed peas
11/1/2013
42
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
African Contributions
42. Many of the major rhythms of modern
classical and popular music
43. The blues scale – a unique musical
invention that provides the melodic
basis of blues, jazz and rock ‘n roll
11/1/2013
43
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
African
Contributions
Green dot shows location
of Great Zimbabwe temple
ruins
→
11/1/2013
44
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
African Contributions
44. First some sustainable food
production systems from Africa.
45. These come from research I
conducted personally with Barbara H.
Chasin of the MSU Sociology Dept.
11/1/2013
45
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
African Contributions
46. And a study I did
for a seminar with
Prof. Markovitz of
City Univ of New
York
11/1/2013
46
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
African Contributions
47. “Power and Class and Traditional
Knowledge in Sahel Food Production” is
the assigned reading for this week.
To access it click here.
11/1/2013
47
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel Famine
48. That essay is an
extension of some
unexpected findings
from our larger
study on the great
Sahel drought and
famine of 1968 –
1974…
11/1/2013
48
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel Famine
49. …in which more than 100,000 people
died…possibly 250,000
50. The world set up a large-scale
recovery program…but they ignored the
local knowledge of the Sahelian people.
11/1/2013
49
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel Famine
51. We got the idea for our book from
Montclair State students who had
organized fund raising dinners to raise
money to help the Sahel victims in the
early 1970s.
This slide added 23 October, 2015
50
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel Famine
51a. While trying to help the victims, they
kept asking why the famine could happen
and at first we could not figure out an
answer.
This slide added 23 October, 2015
51
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel Famine
51b. The essay you are reading was an
attempt to alert the international
community to the importance of the
local knowledge in this part of Africa.
11/1/2013
52
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel Famine
52. But it now turns out that not only
Sahelians can benefit from this
knowledge.
11/1/2013
53
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
African Contributions
53. With the world facing an environmental
crisis of overwhelming proportions – we will
examine it briefly later in this class –
54. The Non Western contributions from
Sahelian farmers and animal herders – it
turns out – could benefit the whole world.
11/1/2013
54
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
55. Historically the Sahel has had three
meanings…
– A group of countries
– An Arabic word
– An environmental zone
11/1/2013
55
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
What Is the Sahel?
56. The Sahel is a
group of countries in
West Africa:
–
–
–
–
–
–
11/1/2013
Senegal
Mali
Niger
Chad
Mauritania
Burkina Faso
56
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
57. The word “Sahel” is Arabic for
– Edge
– Border
– As in “edge or border of the Sahara
Desert”
58. “Sahara” means “desert” in Arabic
11/1/2013
57
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahara
59. The Sahara is the world’s largest hot
desert.
60. It is almost as large as the entire
United States.
11/1/2013
58
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
61. The third meaning of Sahel is
– An environmental zone on the edge of the Sahara
– A zone with rainfall of 300 – 600 mm per year
– Or, 12 to 25 inches
11/1/2013
59
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
62. The environmental meaning of “Sahel” is the
most important.
– It is the zone that protects all the other environmental
zones in Africa from the desert
– When the Sahel becomes degraded, the Sahara
Desert might expand
11/1/2013
60
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
63. If the Sahara Desert spreads, humans in
Africa will suffer further poverty and
– Their very existence will be
threatened…because…
– Almost no one can live in a hot desert of the
Sahara type
11/1/2013
61
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
64. Many other deserts exist in the world
on all the continents…therefore…
– Other “Sahels” are on these continents
– These deserts, too, can threaten human
existence
11/1/2013
62
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
65. In other words, what we can learn from
human adaptation to the Sahel could…
– Be important in protecting people everywhere
– Help us preserve an important element of the
environment
– Help us learn to produce food more “sustainably.”
11/1/2013
63
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
66. As an ecological
zone
– Protecting the rest
of Subsaharan
Africa from the
Sahara Desert
11/1/2013
64
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahara
11/1/2013
65
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
11/1/2013
66
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
67. So what did I learn?
11/1/2013
67
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
68. The Most Sustainable Production Systems in
Africa:
– A Two-Part Hypothesis
– “...the evidence reveals that the most ecologically
sound Sahelian production systems have arisen
where:
Source: Franke, Richard W. 1987. Power, class and traditional knowledge in Sahel food production. In Studies in Power and Class in Africa,
edited by Irving L. Markovitz. New York: Oxford University Press, pages 259 and 263.
11/1/2013
68
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel Study Hypothesis
1 farmers and herders have been in intensive contact,
exchanging knowledge about plants, animals, and
their interrelations [for long periods of time]
AND/OR
2 producing classes have had substantial power vis-àvis the dominating classes or, conversely, where
ruling classes have had the least power and privilege
relative to the producing classes.”
11/1/2013
69
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
69. For this course we will consider only
hypothesis #1.
– that the most ecologically sound Sahelian
production systems have arisen where:
– farmers and herders have been in intensive
contact, exchanging knowledge about plants,
animals, and their interrelations [for long periods
of time
11/1/2013
70
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
70. But DO think about why hypothesis #2
might be correct.
– Why should excess wealth and privilege lead to
environmental decline?
– Why should excess poverty and exploitation lead
to environmental decline?
11/1/2013
71
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
71. Our study covers four examples –
–
–
–
–
The Bouzou of Niger.
The Dogon of Mali.
The Serer of Senegal.
The 19th century Fulani Empire of Macina in
present-day Mali.
11/1/2013
72
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World, Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
11/1/2013
73
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
72. For this course we will focus on the Serer of
Senegal…but first let us consider the overall
Sahel adaptations.
11/1/2013
74
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
73. Sahelian peoples specialized and
separated the crop farming and animal
husbandry parts of their food
production system.
11/1/2013
75
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
74. Fulani animal
herders
specialized in
camels, goats,
donkeys and
cattle…while…
11/1/2013
76
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
75. …Serer farmers grew grain crops such
as sorghum, millet, peanuts and
vegetables.
76. This specialization allowed Sahelians
to produce enough food for all while
maintaining their environments over long
periods of time.
11/1/2013
77
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
77. Farmers stayed in the southern part of the
Sahel where there was more rain and more
fertile soils.
78. Herders moved back and forth following the
rainfall patterns and allowing their animals to
graze on the best pastures at any particular
time of year.
11/1/2013
78
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
79. In the Sahel you have to adjust to a
short rainy season of three months –
June to August – and a 9 months long
dry season from September to May.
80. The herder-farmer solution adapted
to the land and to the seasons.
11/1/2013
79
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
81. This system has several advantages:
1. It allows the cattle to stay on the northern
pastures during the rainy season, helping to
maintain plant species variety that inhibits
ecological degradation.
2. It allows the cattle to move over large distances,
thus spreading the seeds of acacia species,
reinforcing plant species variety.
3. It allows the animals a dry-season resting place
free of the tsetse but also with grain stalks for
food and water resources nearby.
11/1/2013
80
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel: Seasonal Adaptations
4. It allows for use of the animal dung and other
services during the dry season to improve the
soils of the grain producers' fields, thus
increasing overall output of food.
5. It generally keeps the animals away from the
farms during the cultivation season when they
can damage the crops and allows the herds to
graze a few months in pastures where they do
not compete for resources with grain producers.
11/1/2013
81
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
82. But how to overcome the negative
effects of specialization?
– Serer had no meat or milk
– Fulani had no grain
11/1/2013
82
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
83. They formed a farmer-herder
cooperative alliance:
Herders camp on edge of farm village
during dry season
– Herders trade meat and milk for
– Farmers grain and vegetables
11/1/2013
83
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
84. Environmental exchanges also take
place:
– Cattle eat nutritious grain stubble from
farmers fields
– Cattle hooves break up soil increasing
productivity for next season
– Cattle dung fertilizes farmers’ fields
11/1/2013
84
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
85. Here’s how it looks by season:
11/1/2013
85
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
86. June-August Rainy Season
Herders: Nomadic
– Animals go north to
dispersed pastures
– Stay away from tse-tse
fly
– Help spread biodiversity
of plants by moving
around
– Get most tender grasses
11/1/2013
Farmers:
In Settled Villages
– Plant and harvest crops
– Animals are away and do
not compete with
humans for the growing
plants
86
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
87. September--May Dry Season
11/1/2013
87
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
88. Everyone benefits – including the soil
whose fertility is maintained by these
practices.
89. But there’s more…
11/1/2013
88
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
90. Sahelians have
bred an ancient
African or Indian
cow to be
especially drought
resistant.
91. The “Zebu” cow
has a camel’s hump.
11/1/2013
89
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
92. And…the Zebu cow has been bred to
have a special relationship with a
species of the acacia tree that has also
been bred to have special environmentprotecting qualities…
11/1/2013
90
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
93…these qualities have been particularly
developed among the Serer of Senegal…
11/1/2013
91
11/1/2013
92
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
94. The combination of
–
–
–
–
Zebu breeding
Acacia features
Farmer-herder specialization
Farmer-herder cooperative production
system
11/1/2013
93
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
95….allowed Sahelians to live for
centuries in harmony with their
environment.
11/1/2013
94
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
96. When European colonial rule disrupted
these carefully designed systems,
environmental decline set in, leading
eventually to collapse and famine.
11/1/2013
95
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
97. Scientists today are studying the
Serer, Fulani, Dogon and other Sahelian
production systems to learn how better
to sustain food production over long
periods of time.
11/1/2013
96
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
98. Because of its fragile nature, the
Sahel is an especially important area to
study
99. What happens there is like an early
warning system for other…less
fragile…environments
11/1/2013
97
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
100. Like our own…
11/1/2013
98
The Sahel: 2012
Update
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
Spring 2012 Update
New Yorker author
Burkhard Bilger’s article
“The Great Oasis”
summarizes the problems
and possibilities for a
rebirth of the Sahel and
similar areas in 2012 and
beyond. Click on the link
just below to access it:
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/
12/19/111219fa_fact_bilger
11/1/2013
99
Montclair State University Department of Anthropology
Anth 140: Non Western Contributions to the Western World
Dr. Richard W. Franke
The Sahel
End of Week 09 Lecture 01:
Africa’s Problems and Lessons from the Sahel.
The second online lecture for week 09 is:
Week 09: African Contributions – 01
Week 09 Lecture 02 in pdf
or
Week 09 Lecture 02 in powerpoint
Topic: African Medical Gifts to the World:
Topic: Vaccination and Anti-Malaria Drugs
11/1/2013
100