The Nature of the Path: Reading a West African Road

The Nature of the Path reveals how a single road has shaped the collective identity of a community that has existed on the margins of larger societies for centuries. Marcus Filippello shows how a road running through the Lama Valley in Southeastern Benin has become a mnemonic device that has allowed residents to counter prevailing histories.

Built by the French colonial government, and following a traditional pathway, the road serves as a site where the Ọhọri people narrate their changing r...