Daniel Azinaha // Mapping Memory and Remembrance of German presence in Massa and Mousgoum territories during the colonial period in Cameroon (1884–1916)
Daniel Azinaha is a PhD student in Cultural Geography at the University of Maroua in Cameroon. His research lies at the intersection of cultural cartography, applied climatology, and historical memory. He specializes in the mapping of memory and remembrance related to German colonization (1884–1916) in the Massa and Mousgoum territories of northern Cameroon.
His work investigates how colonial history is inscribed in landscapes and local narratives, using cartographic methods and ethnographic fieldwork to document various forms of remembrance. In addition to historical geography, he engages with applied climatology–particularly its implications for local agricultural practices in the Far North region of Cameroon. His research integrates geospatial technologies, oral history, and participatory mapping to better understand the relationship between environment, memory, and identity. A key aspect of his research is the use of oral history, which plays a central role in both data collection and interpretation. It serves as a methodological tool that allows him to adopt a critical stance toward Eurocentric historical narratives, and to foreground indigenous perspectives and lived experiences.
Daniel's work contributes to broader discussions on postcolonial heritage, local knowledge systems, and the decolonization of geographic knowledge in Cameroon.
