The banana plant and the moon: Conservation and the Malagasy ethos of life in Masoala, Madagascar

For people in rural Madagascar, the growth of one's kin group and the joint processes of movement and anchorage in the land are fundamental aspects of a successful life. In this article, I examine the clash between the Malagasy ethos of growth and the canonical conservationist ethos of static equilibrium. I argue that biodiversity conservation on the Masoala peninsula leaves local people with a sense of having been defeated in the purpose of life as they understand it. I further suggest that, in the case of people of slave descent, such defeat reverses the historical process of shedding slave status. [ Madagascar, Masoala, conservation, national parks, concepts of growth, slavery ]