This article is based on the observation that the large debate on the nature
and consequences of so-called indigenous land tenure systems does not
sufficiently take into account the perceptions and interpretations of peasants
themselves. Consequently, its aims are to provide people with a voice and to
analyse their assessment of different forms of access to land, of the modifications
undergone in recent times, and their adjustments to this change. The
results of this qualitative approach are compared with some statistical information
gathered by the authors in the study region – three villages in
central Burkina Faso – as well as country-wide. As a result, one may conclude
that peasants in this area do not feel insecure about their land tenure
situation, and this assessment of their own position is confirmed by empirical
data.