Bajuni: Land, Language and Orature

This book is about the cultural heritage of the Bajuni community
of eastern Africa. It is part of a wider effort at safeguarding the
intangible heritage of this coastal community that has suffered
from violent conflicts in North Eastern Kenya and Southern
Somalia. In the recent past, the community has been exposed to the
vagaries of climate change.

As the book shows, the structure of the Bajuni language is close
to that of Swahili in many respects. The language is structurally
a dialect of Swahili. However, from a sociolinguistic perspective,
the community has consistently affirmed that their variety is a
language and not a dialect. The essays in this volume have largely
adopted this sociolinguistic interpretation.

In addition to describing the Bajuni language, the authors discuss
Bajuni oral poetry as encapsulated in the vave ritual poetry, the
efforts of individual Bajuni artists to safeguard their culture
through poetry, the community material culture, and the politics
of Bajuni land tenure insecurity in Kenya and Somalia.

The essays are illuminating and open up possibilities for further
research and learning. Bajuni Land, Language and Orature has
implications for linguistic rights, cultural policies and inclusive
governance practices. It is a valuable resource for those interested
in culture, arts, and community rights.