Johny Baleng (c. 1890–1964): A colonial broker from the Cameroon Grassfields

Abstract

This article presents insights into the life story of Johny Baleng, a subchief from the Cameroon Grassfields. I argue that understanding him as a broker in a colonial context helps to identify local agency beyond the paradigm of coloniser-colonised. He needed to prove to his paramount chief that he was able to manage people and facilitate a high agricultural production rate, in order to achieve a more elevated social status in the local context. He travelled extensively and forged alliances with several chiefs of the region. At the same time, he worked with the German and French colonial administrations as a tax collector, worker recruiter and interpreter. These activities secured him an important position in his social environment and in the colonial structures.