| | Toure catalogues a century of change in the nomadic way of life brought about by French colonialism and capitalism, describing the transformation of the Peul people in the Ferlo region who farmed and herded a variety of animals in a system of long-distance transhumance into permanently settled cattle ranchers. He also looks at the pastoralists and their potential for mobility which is one of the principal ways of managing climatic and ecological risks. The environmental consequences were disastrous as the long drought made clear; the human consequences are more mixed. This article raises interesting questions about class differentiation and changes in women's responsibilities: do boreholes reduce the work of water carrying and do larger herds increase the work of milking and making butter? |
