Skip to main content
Journal cover image

Reclaiming Lost Ancestors and Acknowledging Slave Descent: Insights from Madagascar

Publication ,  Journal Article
Brown, ML
Published in: Comparative Studies in Society and History
July 2004

These three statements regarding personal ancestry were made to me by villagers during life history interviews I conducted a few months into my research in northeastern Madagascar. Each statement is an admission of slave ancestry, and I highlight them to introduce this paper for three reasons. First, such statements are not uncommon in these villages. Many villagers told stories of lost or stolen ancestors, forced labor for “nobles,” and slave ancestry. Second, much of the recent scholarship addressing slavery elsewhere in Madagascar has suggested that slavery is not easily discussed among contemporary residents of this Indian Ocean island. Thus, the fact that the people among whom I studied readily acknowledged their own slave descent by referring to their “lost” or “stolen” grandparents or to their own Makoa identity prompts further comparative inquiry. What factors explain acceptance of slave ancestry among some Malagasy and its concurrent stigmatization among others? Third, examination of variations in Madagascar's responses to slavery can lead us to new insights into the forms of identity and opportunity in other post-slave societies.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

Comparative Studies in Society and History

DOI

EISSN

1475-2999

ISSN

0010-4175

Publication Date

July 2004

Volume

46

Issue

3

Start / End Page

616 / 645

Publisher

Cambridge University Press (CUP)

Related Subject Headings

  • Anthropology
  • 4408 Political science
  • 4401 Anthropology
  • 4303 Historical studies
  • 2103 Historical Studies
  • 1601 Anthropology
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Brown, M. L. (2004). Reclaiming Lost Ancestors and Acknowledging Slave Descent: Insights from Madagascar. Comparative Studies in Society and History, 46(3), 616–645. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0010417504000283
Brown, Margaret L. “Reclaiming Lost Ancestors and Acknowledging Slave Descent: Insights from Madagascar.” Comparative Studies in Society and History 46, no. 3 (July 2004): 616–45. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0010417504000283.
Brown ML. Reclaiming Lost Ancestors and Acknowledging Slave Descent: Insights from Madagascar. Comparative Studies in Society and History. 2004 Jul;46(3):616–45.
Brown, Margaret L. “Reclaiming Lost Ancestors and Acknowledging Slave Descent: Insights from Madagascar.” Comparative Studies in Society and History, vol. 46, no. 3, Cambridge University Press (CUP), July 2004, pp. 616–45. Crossref, doi:10.1017/s0010417504000283.
Brown ML. Reclaiming Lost Ancestors and Acknowledging Slave Descent: Insights from Madagascar. Comparative Studies in Society and History. Cambridge University Press (CUP); 2004 Jul;46(3):616–645.
Journal cover image

Published In

Comparative Studies in Society and History

DOI

EISSN

1475-2999

ISSN

0010-4175

Publication Date

July 2004

Volume

46

Issue

3

Start / End Page

616 / 645

Publisher

Cambridge University Press (CUP)

Related Subject Headings

  • Anthropology
  • 4408 Political science
  • 4401 Anthropology
  • 4303 Historical studies
  • 2103 Historical Studies
  • 1601 Anthropology