Tantara’i Velondriake (Oral Histories of Velondriake)

Due to increasing biodiversity loss, climate change and globalization, oral traditions in the Velondriake area are disappearing. We therefore aim to document, preserve, and revitalize oral history within this changing landscape, focusing mainly on social memory and its transmission, mobility and resource use, response to climate change, human resilience, social identity, social organization, social networks, and memories of conflict and warfare.

We conducted 120 interviews with 111 oral historians (91 males, 20 females) across 32 villages and hamlets. We transcribed the audio recordings to prepare and package them for digital archiving. Copies of the transcriptions were translated from Vezo to English and packaged for digital archiving to make the information available to non-Vezo speakers.

We are preparing academic publications and grant proposals in close collaboration with Vezo community members, to support their efforts to sustain traditional livelihoods in a rapidly changing environment.