Fulbe pastoralists and the changing property relations in Northern Ghana

Abstract

Fulbe pastoralists have only lived permanently in Northern Ghana since the beginning of the twentieth century. Prior to this period they seasonally moved cattle from their settlements in the Sahelian and savannah regions of Burkina Faso to Northern Ghana. However, most of them returned to their home region with the arrival of the seasonal rains. In contrast to the Fulbe, most of the agricultural groups in Northern Ghana have a longer history of settlement in the area and consider themselves to be the autochthon population. Some, like the Mamprusi and Dagomba, are known to consist of groups that, similar to...