Densities of Meaning in West Namibian Landscapes

We're sorry to announce that as a precautionary measure, this event has been postponed until further notice. 

 Event 

Densities of Meaning in West Namibian Landscapes

This talk introduces a "counter-mapping" project in west Namibia, documenting memories of former dwelling places amongst indigenous peoples cleared from landscapes celebrated today as "pristine wilderness".

It will combine spoken word, audio and video to draw alternative understandings of land and nature into view, asking how can these cultural heritage dimensions be re-entangled with African landscapes now celebrated primarily for their global biodiversity and wilderness values?

About the speaker

Sian Sullivan is Professor of Environment and Culture at Bath Spa University. Sian is an environmental anthropologist, cultural geographer and political ecologist concerned to better understand diversity in cultural understandings and representations of the natural world, amidst contemporary concern over climate change and species decline. She is particularly interested in intersections and frictions between cultural, natural history and economic values as these pertain to beyond-human natures. 

Sian has carried out ethnographic and oral history field research with indigenous peoples (Damara / ≠Nūkhoen and ||Ubun) in west Namibia for 25 years, contributing expert testimony to a recent national review of indigenous and marginalised communities for the Namibian government’s Ancestral Land Commission, appointed in 2019.