TRIP TO MADAGASCAR ISLAND

[fearn]

Hi Radu,

Probably right. Madagascar has a mix of farmers, cowherds, and fishermen, so you can expect typical tools of these groups.

The Mikea spear I referred to is a "typical" African spear, with a small leaf head on one end and a chisel blade on the other end, both fitted with fairly loose sockets.

I looked up the Mikea, and there's a story attached. The chisel end is for digging up wild yams, and the spear head is for "self defense." The Mikea "tribe" is a group of people who know how to hunt in the Mikea forest, and collect wild yams as part of their diet. The Mikea forest was one of those places where people who got into trouble ran to. The threat was always that any pursuer would get speared from ambush. Each end of the spear has a use.

So, the mikea spear is a sign of mikea identity. If you're carrying one of these spears/digging sticks and know how to use it, you're Mikea. Supposedly.

Nowdays, the Mikea forest is a conservation area, and "native" Mikea "tribesmen" have special rights to collect and grow crops in the forest. Who is and is not a Mikea suddenly matters, and apparently, there are all sorts of fights about who is and isn't genuine. Thanks to the (very necessary) conservation movement, these cheap-looking spears are now political symbols, apparently. Interesting stuff.

F