vintagecongo:Naming colonialism : History and Collective Memory in the Congo, 1870-1960 /Osumaka Lik
vintagecongo:Naming colonialism : History and Collective Memory in the Congo, 1870-1960 /Osumaka LikakaWhat’s in a name? As Osumaka Likaka argues in this illuminating study, the names that Congolese villagers gave to European colonizers reveal much about how Africans experienced and reacted to colonialism. The arrival of explorers, missionaries, administrators, and company agents allowed Africans to observe Westerners’ physical appearances, behavior, and cultural practices at close range—often resulting in subtle yet trenchant critiques. By naming Europeans, Africans turned a universal practice into a local mnemonic system, recording and preserving the village’s understanding of colonialism in the form of pithy verbal expressions that were easy to remember and transmit across localities, regions, and generations.Introduction: Naming and African Voices page 31 The Dynamics of Naming in Precolonial Congo: An Overview page 212 Colonialism and the Village World: Contexts to Naming page 323 Naming, Colonialism, Making History, and Social Memories page 534 Early Naming, Explorations, Trade, and Rubber Collection page 795 Naming and Belgian Colonial Rule page 926 Talking under One’s Breath: Praise Names as Strategic Ambiguities page 1197 Confronting African Voices: Negotiations and Instrumentalization of Names page 136Conclusions page 157SAMPLE OF NAMES USED IN THIS WORKpage 163 -- source link