Ethnobotany research on Mambila
A Kent Anthropology MSc in Ethnobotany, has recently (2009)
been completed on the ethnobotany of Somie village. This page
makes the thesis available.
The research this reports was supported by the
Kay Williamson Educational Foundation
Sharing Knowledge Intra-cultural variation of ethnobotanical
knowledge and the factors that pattern it in a Mambila community
in the Cameroon-Nigeria borderland
Réka Komáromi
MSc Ethnobotany, 2009 University of Kent at Canterbury Department
of Anthropology [email protected]
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the
degree of Master of Science in Ethnobotany with the University of
Kent at Canterbury, the Durrell Institute of Conservation and
Ecology and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
September 2009
16,000 words
Abstract
This dissertation is an outcome of a collaborative work with
the Mambila Dictionary Project, to which it contributes Mambila
names for 173 vascular plants (65 identified with scientific
names), and voucher specimens of 60 plant species deposited at
the herbaria at Yaounde, Cameroon, and Kew, UK.
Situated within the wider debate concerning the preservation and
loss of biocultural diversity, I focus on the plant knowledge of
39 Mambila women and men of varying ages. As this study is the
first ethnobotanical project conducted in the area of
Somié, in the Cameroon- Nigeria borderland, I aim to
establish the basic categories in the local classification of
plants. I also aim to identify the factors influencing the
general pattern of ethnobotanical knowledge and the degree of
knowledge sharing and knowledge loss, particularly in relation to
age, gender and level of education measured in years spent at
school. I primarily focus on theoretical and practical knowledge,
that is, the ability to name plants, and the practical skill to
identify plants and their uses as well as to put this knowledge
into practice.
Individual chapters as PDF files may be downloaded from the
contents below. You may also download
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Table of contents
-
Acknowledgements................................................................................8
- Chapter 1:
Introduction
- 1.1 Theoretical context and
background.........................................................9
- 1.2 Aims and
objectives........................................................................11
- 1.3
Hypotheses...........................................................................
…....11
- 1.4 Chapter
contents...........................................................................12
- Chapter 2: Ethnography
- 2.1 Geography
……………………………………………………………………….…………........13
- 2.2 The
Mambila…………………………………………………………………………..................14
- 2.3
Religion………………………………………………………………………..............................15
- 2.4 Demography and social
organisation……………………………………….................................16
- 2.5 Subsistence
agriculture…………………………………………………………..........................18
- 2.6 Education and
language…………………………………………………………….....................19
- 2.7 The
market…………………………………………………………………….............................19
- 2.8 Agro- pastoralist
conflict……………………………………………………………...................21
- Chapter 3: Data collection, methodology
and ethics
- 3.1
Informants……………………………………………………………....……….
.......................22
- 3.2 Research assistants
……………………………………………………..
....................................22
- 3.3 Freelist and questionnaire
interview……………………………………….................................23
- 3.4 Plant identification
trailwalks…………………………………………………...........................23
- 3.5
Interviews………………………………………………………………………….....................24
- 3.6 Voucher specimen collection and
identification………………………………………..............24
- 3.7 Participant
observati…………………………………………………….....................................25
- 3.8 Data
analysis…………………………………………………………………….........................26
- 3.9 Permissions and
ethics………………………………………………………..............................27
- Chapter 4: Local systems of plant
classification
- 4.1 Categories of Mambila ethnobotanical
classification…….....……………………………..........28
- 4.2
Nomenclature………………………………………………...………………………….............29
- 4.2.1 Generic
names…………………………………………………………......................................29
- 4.2.2 Folk- specific
names……………………………………………….............................................29
- 4.3. Ethnoecological
categories………………………………………………...……………............31
- 4.3.1 The Field
(ŋuen)........................................………………….............………………...............31
- 4.3.2 Coffee plantations and oil
palms……….............……………………………….......................32
- 4.3.3 The Homegarden
(kapti)………………………..............………..............................................32
- 4.3.4 The Savanna
…………………………………………….............………………......................32
- 4.3.5 The Forest
(homo)…………………………
……………………..............…………………...33
- 4.3.6 Lake, water, stream
(dua)………………………………………………...................................33
- 4.3.7. The village
(lɔɔ).............................................................33
- 4.3.8. The Courtyard (cà gà )
........................................................33
- Chapter 5: Domains of plant
knowledge
- 5.1. Knowledge of medicinal
plants………………………………..……………………………...34
- 5.1.1. The concept of disease and medicine in Mambila
culture…....................35
- 5.2.1 Knowledge of food plants and their
preparation……………………....……………………...36
- 5.2.2. Semi wild and wild foods
…………………….............………………………….....................37
- 5.3 Famine
foods………………………………………………………………………....………..37
- 5.4
Firewood…………………………………………………………………………....……….....38
- 5.5 Cash
crops……………………………………………………………………….....…………..39
- 5.6 Plants for construction and
crafts………………………………………………........………...39
- 5.7 New and introduced
species.....................................................39
- 5.8 Multi- purpose
species.........................................................39
- .
- Chapter 6: Patterns in the variation of
ethnobotanical knowledge
- 6.1 Theoretical and practical ethnobotanical knowledge
…………........................41
- 6.1.1 Lexical plant knowledge
…………......................…………………………….............41
- 6.1.2 Substantive plant
knowledge………………………………………..............…...........42
- 6.1.3 Specialist plant
knowledge…………………………………..............…………..........43
- 6.1.4 Flexibility and
change…………………………………………..............……….........44
- 6.1.5 Knowledge
erosion……………………………………………..............………..........45
- 6.2 Informant
consensus………...…………………………………………………………...........45
- 6.2.1 Consensus among
group…………..............………………………………………….46
- 6.2.2 Formal education as an independent
variable………………………….......................47
- Chapter 7: Discussion and
conclusion
- 7.1 Factors that influence ethnobotanical knowledge
variation and its patterning
- 7.1.1
Age................................................................................52
- 7.1.2 Gender
roles.......................................................................52
- 7.1.3 Ethnic mixing and the effects of
'Fulbeisation"....................................54
- 7.1.4 The role of formal
education........................................................54
- 7.1.5 Patterns and fluctuations in the transmission of
plant knowledge....................55
- 7.1.6 Socio- economic
changes..............................................................56
- 7.1.7 Individual motivation and
preferences...............................................57
- 7.1.8 Knowledge
loss.......................................................................57
- 7.2 Methodological constraints and
inconsistencies.......................................58
- 7.3 Conclusion
- Appendices
- Appendix I: Photographs
- Aerial photographs of Somié illustrating the extent
of deforestation...........................64
- Miscellaneous photographs taken in the
field..................................................65
- Appendix II: Tables
- Table 1: Socio- demographic data for 37 research
participants ...............................68
- Table 2: Freelist and interview
form.........................................................70
- Table 3: Form used to record demographic data collected
during structured interviews...............72
- Table 4: Summary list of tree species mentioned on
freelists and collection walks .............73
- Table 5: Summary list of plant species mentioned on
freelists
……………………………….....76
- Table 6: Summary list of 'top 22" plants from freelist
mention ..............................80
- Table 7: Individual knowledge scores based on trail
walk……………………………………….81
- Table 8: Individual knowledge scores based on identifying
and naming uses in the field
………82
- Table 9: Yearly activity calendars for men and
women………………………………………….83
- Table 10: Freelist mentions of tree/ plant varieties and
tree/plant uses by
groups………………..84
- Table 11: Summary table of plants used medicinally and in
ritual………………………………..85
- Table 12: Food plants based on information from freelists
and
trailwalks………………………..86
- Table 13: Trees mentioned as firewood by different groups
…………………………………88
- Table 14: Trees and other plants mentioned as sources of
food (wild or
cultivated)……………...89
- Table 15: ANTHROPACcluster analysis of freelist
data(trees)…………………………………..90
- Table 16: ANTHROPAC cluster analysis of freeelist data
(other
plants)…………………………91
- Table 17: ANTHROPAC regression analysis of trailwalk data
(trees)……………………………92
- Table 18: ANTHROPAC regression analysis of trailwalk data
(other
plants)…………………….94
- Table 19: Summary list of transmission channels of
ethnobotanical
knowledge………………….96
- Table 20: Knowledge transmission summary list for all
participants……………………………...98
- Appendix III: Statements
- 1 : Note on
orthography…………………………………………………………………………….100
- 2 : Voucher specimen
collections…………………………………………………………………..101
- 3: Letter from the mambila Dictionary Committee to the
University of Kent at
Canterbury……...105
- 4: Reflections on the
fieldwork…………………………………………………………………….107
-
References…………………………………………………………………………………………..110
- List of Figures and Tables
- Figure 1: Map of
Cameroon…………………………………………………………………...13
- Figure 2: Map of Cameroon with Tikar Plain indicated
…………………………………...14
- Figure 3: Yamba ceremony in front of the Chief's
palace…………………………………….16
- Figure 4: Typical Mambila house in the centre of the
village………………………………...18
- Figure 5: Veyo Marguerite in her groundnut
field…………………………………………….19
- Figure 6: Girls at the market selling maize-based
snacks…………………………………......20
- Figure 7: Cattle herds of sedentary Fulbe moving through
savanna…………………………..21
- Figure 8: Observing 88-year old Wuwea Barabas fixing a
fishtrap…………………………...25
- Figure 9: Making maize beer
(kpata)…………………………………………………………26
- Figure 10: Home garden
(kapti)………………………………………………………………..32
- Figure 11: Teaching Mambila literacy in the
courtyard………………………………………...33
- Figure 12: ‘ Tradi- practitioner' in his
office
……………………………………………36
- Figure 13: Ring- barking trees for
firewood…………………………………………………….38
- Figure 14: Unidentified bulbous plant at male specialist's
house, used against spiritual
-
poisoning………………………………….…………………………………………42
- Figure 15: Young boy with njà gÃ
(Cyperus articulatus)
……………………………………..45
- Figure 16: Unidentified fleur (introduced species)
…………………………………………...47
- Figure 17: Plant uses mentioned on trailwalks
………………………………………………...49
- Figure 18: Young girl with her certificate of excellence
from school
…………………………51
- Table 1: Plants on the 'top 22" list that were mentioned in
multi-contextual uses
………..40
- Table 2: Medicinal plants and plants used in
‘ritual' medicine as mentioned on
-
trailwalks…………………………………………………………………………….43
- Table 3: Trail walk data for Epathorium
odoratum…………………………………………….44
- Table 4: Agreement on plants as food (trail walk data)
………………………………………46
- Table 5: Total number of plants in different category uses
as mentioned on freelists
- and on trail
walks…………………………………………………………………….48
- Table 6: Individual knowledge scores based on identifying
and naming uses on trail walk….50
- Table 7: Linear regression model for the relationship
between plant knowledge/ age,
- gender and
education…………………………………………………………………50