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 rekomaromi@googlemail.com

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 the full-text as a PDF file Warning for those with slow connections: this is 2.1Mb.

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 (càgà) ........................................................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 njàgà (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