FOMBANDRAZANA VEZO: ETHNIC IDENTITY AND SUBSISTENCE STRATEGIES AMONG COASTAL FISHERS OF WESTERN MADAGASCAR by EARL FURMAN SANDERS (Under the Direction of THEODORE GRAGSON) ABSTRACT The complex dynamic among coastal peoples of western Madagascar involves spread of cultural elements due to extensive seasonal migrations, tribes and ethnic groups merging into progressively broader ethnic groups, distinctions based on interethnic and intra-ethnic boundaries, and lumping of peoples with remotely similar subsistence patterns which has perpetuated ethnonym vagaries. This study analyzes the cultural bases of the Vezo, a group of marine fishers inhabiting the west coast of Madagascar, with the intent of presenting a clearer image of what is entailed within the ethnonym, Vezo, both with respect to subsistence strategies and cultural identity. Three broad areas of inquiry, ethnohistory, ecological niche as understood from the Eltonian definition, and geographical scope inform the field research. Access to these areas leans heavily on oral histories, which in turn is greatly facilitated by intensive participant observation and work in the native language. The analysis shows that the Vezo constitute a distinct ethnic group composed of diverse named patrilineal descent groups. This ethnic group is defined by common origins and a shared sense of common history, which along with the origins of the taboos are maintained within their oral histories. Within the ethnonym, Vezo, there are subsistence as well as other cultural distinctions, most notably the taboos. These distinctions are the bases of the ethnic boundaries separating those who belong to the Vezo cultural group and others who are referred to as Vezo (Vezom-potake and Vezo-loatse) due to geographical disposition. Contact with other, contiguous and noncontiguous groups of marine fishers in southeastern, southern, and northwestern regions of the country reveals that not all who live by the sea and orient themselves toward the marine environment in Madagascar are Vezo. The examination of neighboring groups to the east of the Vezo promotes the possibility of improved understanding of mechanisms of ethnic group formation and the meaning of ethnicity in a broader sense for this region of Madagascar. INDEX WORDS: Ethnogenesis, Ethnic Identity, Ethnic Boundaries, Ethnic Group, Descent Group, Ecological Niche, Subsistence Strategies, Semi-nomadism, Vezo, Masikoro, Mikea, Madagascar. FOMBANDRAZANA VEZO: ETHNIC IDENTITY AND SUBSISTENCE STRATEGIES AMONG COASTAL FISHERS OF WESTERN MADAGASCAR by EARL FURMAN SANDERS B.S. Marine Biology, College of Charleston, Charleston , SC, 1980 M.S. Marine Biology, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC, 1984 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ATHENS, GEORGIA 2005 © 2005 Earl Furman Sanders All Rights Reserved FOMBANDRAZANA VEZO: ETHNIC IDENTITY AND SUBSISTENCE STRATEGIES AMONG COASTAL FISHERS OF WESTERN MADAGASCAR by EARL FURMAN SANDERS Major Professor: Theodore Gragson Committee: Brent Berlin Ervan Garrison Electronic Version Approved: Maureen Grasso Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia August 2005 iv DEDICATION To my mom, Dorothy Furman Sanders and my dad, Robert Wilson Sanders v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thanks go to the Vezo of western Madagascar who permitted me insight into their life patterns, to Ted Gragson, Brent Berlin, and Ervan Garrison for constructive input during my time as graduate student, to Ben Blount for encouraging me to apply to the program, and to the gang at the motorcycle shop for at least attempting to keep me real. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.............................................................................................................v LIST OF TABLES.......................................................................................................................... x LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................................xi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem..........................................................................................1 Issues Critical to Understanding the Central Idea.....................................................2 Research Intent..........................................................................................................5 2 THE VEZO CULTURAL MODEL: SOME THEORECTICAL PERSPECTIVES.....7 What Others Have Said about the Vezo....................................................................7 My Own Views on the Issue of Vezo Identity........................................................16 Historical Context in a Nutshell..............................................................................16 Essence of the Vezo Cultural Model.......................................................................17 Research Beginnings...............................................................................................20 3 FIELD RESEARCH: APPROACH, ACTUATION, ANALYSIS..............................26 Research Intent........................................................................................................27 Effective Approach: Synopsis.................................................................................28 Methodology...........................................................................................................30 The Heart of the Field Research..............................................................................39 vii Participant Observation...........................................................................................43 Trajectory: Temporal and Spatial............................................................................55 4 AL KOMR: ISLE OF THE MOON.............................................................................79 Malagasy Origins and Settlement Dilemmas..........................................................79 Early Settlement History.........................................................................................88 Political Transformation..........................................................................................90 Arab Influence.........................................................................................................92 European Influence..................................................................................................92 Anthropogenic Impact on the Landscape................................................................95 Brief Geophysical and Climatic Overview.............................................................97 5 THE WEST COAST AND ITS ENVIRONS..............................................................99 Geophysical Considerations....................................................................................99 Administration Considerations..............................................................................102 Neighboring Groups..............................................................................................104 North and South of the Fihereña Coast.................................................................107 6 VEZO VILLAGE LIFE AND SETTLEMENT PATTERNS...................................117 Vezo Population....................................................................................................117 Situation of Vezo Village......................................................................................118 Social Organization...............................................................................................121 Influence of Local Conditions on Settlement Patterns..........................................138 7 VEZO MATERIAL CULTURE...............................................................................141 Logistical and Raw Material Concerns.................................................................141 Ny Laka Vezo: Sailing Characteristics.................................................................143 viii Ny Laka Vezo: Construction................................................................................156 8 VEZO SUBSISTENCE PATTERNS........................................................................168 General Overview.................................................................................................168 Dry Season Activities: Semi-nomadism...............................................................169 Dry Season Fishing Activities...............................................................................171 Other Dry Season Activities..................................................................................184 Rainy Season Activites..........................................................................................184 Changes Since 1970..............................................................................................186 Cultural Continuity................................................................................................191 9 DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS...................................................................................193 Vezo as Ethnic Group...........................................................................................195 The Betania Situation............................................................................................218