Editor's Statement

I am very pleased to present another special issue of Ethnohistory that nicely reflects the general vivacity and scholarly achievement of ethnohistorical research in general and well illustrates the variety of approaches and issues that in particular are being investigated in Madagascar. The commentaries at the end of this issue make these points in greater detail, but it is important to note how this collection of articles shows how thoroughly the old distinctions between history and anthropology, as well as cognate ideas such as “tradition” and “modernity,” are being broken down. Grounded in intimate engagements with Malagasy history and contemporary society and culture, these essays reflect a wide geographical coverage of the island and show that there have been many intrusive influences other than European colonialism. The articles also definitively show a break with older ideas of what constituted “history,” such as the mere mapping of linguistic evolution and propinquity, and introduce important new themes, particularly dealing with landscapes. Perhaps most welcome is the inclusion of work by indigenous Malagasy scholars, as well as the recuperation of Malagasy historical sources, an emphasis that the journal will continue to pursue.

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