Publications
Maam Kumba Bang, from the River to the Sea, with Calabash and Curdled Milk
The myth of Maam Kumba Bang, a water deity revered on the Island of Saint-Louis in Senegal, reveals a profound relational ecology where kinship with more-than-human entities fosters horizontal human relationships. This study demonstrates that Maam Kumba Bang serves as an ancestor of relation, shaping the island's ecosystem and cultural practices through rituals performed between the Sénégal River and the Atlantic Ocean. By integrating West African oral traditions with concepts of oceanic kin, the research highlights how shared respect for water underpins social cohesion and ecological vitality. The findings introduce a sensitive epistemology into critical ocean studies, emphasizing the role of myth in sustaining more-than-human relationships and cultural continuity.
The Seven Years’ War in West Africa
Africa played a pivotal role in the global struggle of European empires during the Seven Years' War, despite its often-overlooked significance. The conflict between French and British forces on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Saint-Louis Island and Gorée Island (1758–1759) was not merely a minor sideshow but a critical battleground for controlling trade in gum arabic and disrupting France's transatlantic slave trade. This study reveals how European powers sought to transform African lands into cash crop production hubs, reshaping colonial economies with lasting consequences. By analyzing the immediate and long-term impacts on French and British empires alongside African and Eurafrican communities, it underscores Africa's centrality in the broader geopolitical dynamics of the war.
African Indigo in the French Atlantic: Michel Adanson’s Encounter with Senegal
Michel Adanson's five-year study of African indigo in precolonial Senegal, conducted near the French fort of Saint-Louis, revealed complex transatlantic exchanges of knowledge and material. His experiments, blending European botany with local Wolof expertise, demonstrated how indigo cultivation and dyeing practices connected West Africa to Caribbean colonies like Saint-Domingue and Guyana. Through herbarium sheets, experimental notes, color samples, and correspondence, Adanson's work exposed the interplay between African indigenous knowledge, French imperial ambitions, and colonial plantation economies. The study highlights the material remnants of these encounters—dyed fabrics, maps, and taxonomies—as critical artifacts in understanding global histories of knowledge production.
Migration and the right to survival: An empirical study of three fishing communities in Senegal
A significant portion of Senegalese migrants, particularly local fishers, embark on perilous ocean journeys to Europe and the Canary Islands due to dwindling fish stocks caused by industrial fishing. This study reveals that the decline in small-scale fishing in Senegal has profound implications for the right to survival, food security, and livelihoods of coastal communities in Bargny, Saint-Louis, and Thiaroye. Through semi-structured interviews, researchers captured grassroots perspectives on socioeconomic human rights, highlighting the precarious balance between local fishing practices and industrial exploitation. The findings underscore the urgent need for policies that protect small-scale fishers' rights while addressing the broader impacts of overfishing on food security and migration patterns.
Size class, density, and distribution of Uca tangeri (Eydoux, 1835; Decapoda: Ocypodidae) in the mangrove ecosystems of Senegal
A comprehensive study on the decapod brachyuran crab, Uca tangeri, reveals significant variations in size and density across Senegal's mangrove ecosystems. The research, conducted in the Senegal River delta, Saloum islands, and Casamance estuary, found that crabs in Saint-Louis exhibit a modal cephalothoracic length of 24–25 mm and weight of 31–32 mm, while those in the Saloum and Casamance regions are smaller, with lengths ranging from 16 to 19 mm and weights from 24 to 26 mm. The study also identified a negative allometric growth pattern (b = 0.8) for both length-weight and height-weight relationships. Notably, Uca tangeri demonstrates no preferential spatial distribution, with an average density of 1.3–1.6 crabs per square meter across the studied mangroves.
Water, through Words and Evils: The Case of Saint-Louis
The Island of Saint-Louis faces a growing paradox where its rich colonial cultural heritage and unique deltaic environment pose both challenges and opportunities for sustainable development, particularly concerning water management. Research reveals that while water has traditionally been revered by cultures like the Serer people—linked to protective spirits and life rituals—industrialization and urbanization have shifted perceptions, reducing it to a commodity. This transition threatens the site's spiritual and ecological heritage, highlighting the need for balanced strategies that integrate cultural preservation with modern development. The study underscores the vulnerability of water heritage in such contexts while advocating for approaches that leverage local traditions and deltaic conditions to foster resilience.
Ports as bridges between civilisations
Ports, particularly the Port of Saint Louis founded in 1659, serve as critical bridges between civilizations by facilitating interactions among diverse peoples and cultures. This study challenges conventional narratives of colonial African development by analyzing the complex interrelationships between ports and their shifting hinterlands. It reveals that multiple forces—including colonial administrations, commercial companies, indigenous political authorities, religious leaders, trading networks, local communities, and households—shaped spatial organization in Senegal's regions. The dynamic relationship between Senegalese port-cities and their hinterlands reflects broader colonial policies driven by economic, political, and social objectives. By examining these interactions, the research offers a nuanced understanding of how ports functioned as cultural and economic hubs, linking Africa to global networks.
'Pestilential Emanations', Medical Knowledge, and Stigmatisation in Saint-Louis, Senegal, 1854-1920
Colonial medical knowledge in Saint-Louis, Senegal, shaped urban transformation through racialized perceptions of disease. French doctors initially framed the Senegambian region as a diseased environment under miasma theory, associating Africans with infectious agents and justifying hygienic measures like waste removal and cemetery closures. This stigmatization led to forced removals of the urban poor from the city center and later the entire island. The 1900 yellow fever epidemic shifted medical understanding toward germ theory, but racialism persisted, influencing urban planning regardless of theoretical frameworks.
Mixed society and African ‘Rococo’
Colonial architecture in Senegal's Saint-Louis Island and Gorée Island reflects a unique blend of French and local Toucouleur influences, diverging from styles seen elsewhere in the French Empire. Unlike other colonial outposts, buildings here incorporated ornamental elements from the Muslim Toucouleur ethnic group, creating a distinct 'African Rococo' aesthetic. This style prevailed during the early phases of French presence but was later supplanted by more uniform colonial designs as territorial colonization progressed. The study highlights how mixed societies shaped architectural evolution in West Africa, contrasting with patterns observed in the Antilles, Pondichéry, or Canada.
Saint-Louis – miasto zaszczepione. Europejski model urbanistyczny i kulturowy na gruncie afrykańskim
Saint-Louis, once the capital of French West Africa, stands as a unique example of European urban planning adapted to African soil. The city's core, shaped by 300 years of European influence, showcases the interplay between spontaneous African urbanization and rigid European designs. This study reveals how specific spatial arrangements and social structures from this colonial era have persisted in the modern city, demonstrating the enduring impact of European models on local conditions. The research explores these dynamics through an analysis of Saint-Louis's urban evolution, highlighting its significance as a testament to cross-cultural urban development.
‘We Are Well as We Are’: An Indian Critique of Seventeenth-Century Christian Missions
A critical examination of seventeenth-century Christian missions on the Island of Saint-Louis reveals that African women played a pivotal role in shaping Senegal's social and cultural landscape. The study highlights how 'signareship'—a term describing the influence and agency of African women—evolved during France's prolonged occupation (pre-1758). Drawing from accounts by Geoffroy de Villeneuve, who documented Wolof marriage patterns after living in Saint-Louis and Goree (1785–88), the research underscores the enduring relevance of these dynamics. It also notes the distinctive flair of Senegalese women in adornment, a tradition that persists today. The analysis challenges colonial narratives by centering African perspectives, offering new insights into the intersection of power, gender, and culture during this period.
Saint-Louis, Senegal
Saint-Louis, Senegal's third-largest town and former capital, offers a unique urban landscape shaped by its historical significance and geographical features. Located just south of the border with Mauritania, the city comprises an island and part of the Langue de Barberie peninsula, connected by the 500-meter-long Pont Faidherbe bridge. This structure not only serves as a vital link but also reflects the city's strategic importance during its peak as Senegal's capital in the 19th century. While Dakar later surpassed it in prominence, Saint-Louis retains its historical and cultural value, making it a notable subject of study for urban development and heritage preservation.
Urban growth and cultural identity; fractures and imbalances in heritage values: A case study of the island of Saint-Louis, Senegal
The island of Saint-Louis, Senegal, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, faces significant fractures and imbalances in its heritage values due to rapid, unplanned urban growth and the overshadowing influence of Dakar. This study identifies key morphological and functional factors that have shaped the city's evolution, revealing how its unique French-influenced gridiron structure and cultural identity persist despite current decline. The research employs a case study approach, analyzing the island's development within its broader territorial context—including the mainland island of Sor and La Langue de la Barberie—to justify its enduring prestige as a heritage site. Findings underscore the tension between historical significance and contemporary urban challenges.
Portrait Photography in Senegal: Using Local Case Studies from Saint Louis and Podor, 1839–1970
Senegalese photographers actively appropriated and developed portrait photography from the 1850s, creating culturally specific practices distinct from Western models. This study highlights their role in shaping photographic history, contrasting with narratives that prioritize European or North American interpretations. Through oral testimonies and archival research—including interviews conducted in Saint-Louis in 2013—the work challenges universalist approaches by emphasizing local contexts, such as the métis community's influence on studio practices. It also addresses preservation challenges, noting the fragility of early photographic records due to climate, lack of funding, and deliberate destruction. The research underscores how Senegalese photographers, like Adama Sylla, used portraits for social documentation, blending colonial and local traditions in ways that reflect broader African photographic histories.
Fragments of an Indian Ocean Life: Aristide Corroller Between Islands and Empires
This study highlights the unique socio-economic trajectory of Île de France (later Mauritius) during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, contrasting its stability with other French colonies amid global conflicts. It reveals how the island's strong maritime orientation and reliance on neutral trade, particularly U.S. commerce, sustained its economy despite broader disruptions. The research underscores the dual nature of Île de France's economy—urban maritime and rural plantation—and its resilience during the French Wars, which positioned it distinctly from Caribbean colonies. Additionally, it examines the island's economic boom post-1825 following Britain's preferential sugar tariff, coinciding with the decline in slave labor availability. The study employs historical analysis to explore these dynamics, offering insights into the complex interplay of colonial economies and global trade during this period.
L’impact de l’ouverture de la brèche dans la langue de Barbarie à Saint-Louis du Sénégal en 2003 : un changement de nature de l’aléa inondation ?
A breach opened in the Barbary Tongue sandspit in 2003 dramatically altered flood dynamics for UNESCO World Heritage-listed Saint-Louis du Sénégal, eliminating significant flooding events. The study found that while the city's vulnerability to rising sea levels persists due to its proximity to high-tide levels, the breach has effectively mitigated inland flooding by accelerating river water drainage. Using hydrological models and IPCC projections of sea-level rise, researchers simulated future flood scenarios, revealing potential for increased marine influence could lead to urban submersions during peak annual waters by century's end.
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