At the Ileret hominin footprint site in the Turkana Basin of northern Kenya, FIELDwork began a collaboration with women from the Dassanach community through the making of a manyatta, a traditional Dassanach homestead. What began as an effort to create a cultural point of encounter for visitors evolved into something more intimate; a shared process of making through which craft became a means of exchange, connection, and conversation, opening up possibilities that extended far beyond the structure itself.

The craft became the medium through which relationships developed. We learned not only about materials and techniques, but about the women themselves, their aspirations, their work, and the possibilities they imagined for their community.

The Ileret footprints are a significant record of human history, but the site exists within a living cultural landscape. The manyatta was conceived as a way to bring these two stories into conversation, creating a space where visitors could encounter the scientific significance of the site alongside the people and practices of the place.

Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?