Research Period 1997-1999: History of settlement and political power in southwestern Burkina Faso

The project focusses on the transformation of the political geography and its interrelations with the natural environment in the province of Ioba and the adjacent provinces of Bougouriba, Poni and Sissili. The four main topics of the project are

1) the pre-colonial history of settlement, especially the interaction between the Dagara immigrants and the previous settlers
2) the colonial introduction of administrative districts and chiefdoms and the relations of these institutions to pre-colonial earth-shrine territories, earth-priests and local "big men"
3) the history of the catholic infrastructure that in some cases lay across the colonial structures and
4) the post-colonial changes of the local structures of settlement and administration.

A comparison with corresponding developments in northwestern Ghana that have already been studied by Carola Lentz will throw a light on the relative impact of colonial influences and on local strategies of adoption or resistance on both sides of the international border between Burkina Faso and Ghana. The research on the post-colonial period will focus on recent conflicts about land rights, political appointments, the boundaries of administrative districts and the impact of development projects in the area. In this context, notions of "home" and ideas about "development" created by migrants and by the educated élite will be of interest. This present-day approach is necessary because oral traditions about the history of settlement and political power are an area of conflicting interests and cannot be studied without considering their manipulation in the context of recent conflicts.

The collection and analysis of oral traditions at selected localities will be complemented by the extensive study of relevant sources in colonial and missionary archives and by interviews with migrants and politicians.