Lost People: Magic and the Legacy of Slavery in Madagascar

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Magic and the Legacy of Slavery in Madagascar David Graeber LOST LOST PEOPLE PEOPLE LOST PEOPLE LOST PEOPLE Graeber INDIANA INDIANA University Press Bloomington & Indianapolis http://iupress.indiana.edu 1-800-842-6796 Africa | Anthropology | History Betafo, a rural community in central Madagascar, is divided between the descendants of nobles and descendants of slaves. Anthropologist David Graeber arrived for fieldwork at the height of tensions attributed to a disastrous communal ordeal two years earlier. As Graeber uncovers the layers of historical, social, and cultural knowledge required to understand this event, he elaborates a new view of power, inequality, and the political role of narrative. Combining theoretical subtlety, a compelling narrative, and vividly drawn characters, Lost People is a singular contribution to the anthropology of politics and the literature on ethnographic writing. DAVID GRAEBER is Lecturer in Anthropology at Goldsmiths, University of London. He is author of Toward an Anthropological Theory of Value: The False Coin of Our Own Dreams and Fragments of an Anarchist Anthropology. “Offers fascinating comparative material with other places where the wound of past injustices continues to fester and destroy. . . . [A] brilliant weaving together of history and the anthropology of participant observation. The style is limpid, funny, and a delight.” —Maurice Bloch “The political intrigue makes for a compelling narrative. Committed to showing the power of stories, Graeber is very capable of telling a story of his own. A brilliant study in the classic anthropological tradition.” —Michael Lambek Front cover inset photo by the author. Back cover inset photo from Joseph Simon Gallieni, Neuf ans a Madagascar, Librairie Hachette et Cie., Paris,1908. Background photo © iStockphoto.com/arturbo. Lost People Magic and the Legacy of Slavery in Madagascar David Graeber Lost People Indiana University Press Bloomington and Indianapolis This book is a publication of Indiana University Press 601 North Morton Street Bloomington, IN 47404-3797 USA http://iupress.indiana.edu Telephone orders 800-842-6796 Fax orders 812-855-7931 Orders by e-mail iuporder@indiana.edu© 2007 by David Rolfe Graeber All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, ncluding photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.The Association of American University Presses’ Resolution on Permissions constitutes the only exception to this prohibition. The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984. Manufactured in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Graeber, David. Lost people : magic and the legacy of slavery in Madagascar / David Graeber. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-253-34910-1 (cloth)—ISBN 978-0253 -21915-2 (pbk.) 1. Ethnology—Madagascar— Betafo. 2. Slavery—Madagascar—Betafo. 3. Betafo (Madagascar)—History. 4. Betafo (Madagascar )—Social life and customs. I. Title. DT469.M276G73 2007 969.1—dc22 2007004502 1 2 3 4 5 12 11 10 09 08 07 For my mother, who wished to live long enough to see this book come out. ...