Wuli, elan and Inerti : the Karoninka approach to sustainability

Abstract

Using a counter and post development lens, the author discusses indigenous peoples' relationships with the natural world, with particular focus on ecological spirituality and environmental restrictions. The author suggests that, in recent literature on sustainable development, indigenous peoples generally have been categorized as 'Mother Earth' worshipping societies. Based on ethnographic field research conducted in Basse Cassamance, Senegal and The Gambia, the author proposes that non-accumulating , indigenous groups like the Karoninkas offer a fresh outlook on sustainability that transcends mainstream generalizations, and provides relevant insights into the indigenous 'problematique'. In Wuli, Elan & Inerti , the case of the Karoninkas illustrates that alternative approaches to sustainable development are found in cultures of non-accumulation.