This comment is a reaction to an article dealing with farmer–herder relationships in Burkina Faso. It was argued that the relationship between Mossi and Fulbe is not deteriorating as has often been described in the so-called mainstream literature, and that the apparent open animosity between the two ethnic groups can partly be explained as a frontstage discourse with the aim of concealing personal wealth. The comment questions the use of historical data and the extent of secrecy in relation to personal wealth, and criticises the way in which the authors use terms like orthodoxy and mainstream to portray a broad set of ideas and theories.