MIYAMOTO Kana
| Name | MIYAMOTO Kana |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | Specially Appointed Researcher, African Studies Center - TUFS |
kkmiyamoto tufs.ac.jp |
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| HP | https://researchmap.jp/kkmiyamoto |
| Research Field | Cultural anthropology, Folklore |
| Key Words | Chieftaincy, Land disputes, Ancestral belief, Otjiherero-speaking people, Namibia |
| Research Interest | I have conducted ethnographic research among the Otjiherero speaking people in north-west Namibia since 2015. My research primarily focuses on how individuals living in vulnerable social conditions—entangled within the complexities of the modern world—strive to create alternatives to negotiate their own positions. Currently, I have investigated three core themes: 1. Multi-layered meanings of land I investigate how people who previously held little interest in land have come to find a sense of belonging and attachment to it. My work highlights the shifts and impacts triggered by the introduction of land systems based on modern Western concepts of ownership. 2. Traditional Authority and the State I examine the resurgence of traditional authority in the post-colonial era. Specifically, I analyse how the chieftaincy system (introduced during the colonial period) intersects with their rituals and the modern state amidst ongoing post-independence land reforms. 3. Genocide and memory I research biennial or annual commemorations held at the burial sites of successive chiefs and former battlefields (including concentration camp sites), as well as movements for the return of ancestral lands. My focus here is shared concepts of taboo and sacredness to navigate these histories. |
| Degree | PhD, Kobe University, March 2021 MA of Arts, Kobe University, March 2017 |
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