Reflections on the Massai Boma

     After we finished our stay in the Serenghetti, we stopped to analyze how conservation practices affected the local people in the area. Our grand adventures on safari were relatively absent of people, despite the traditional use of this land by the Maasai for grazing their cattle. We encountered thousands, maybe even millions, of wilderbeest, but the only humans in the Serenghetti were the park service, the safari companies, and tourists. We learned from our three drivers, Samuel, Elize, and Julius, some traditional aspects of Maasai culture as well as perspectives of Massai men who were benefitting from the tourism industry. The Maasai people have been forced off their lands in order to create these grand national parks we have been touring, much like the Native Americans in the United States. However, the relative poverty of the Maasai villages in comparison to the heaping profits of the tourism industry (it cost $2000 per person to go on safari) makes the situation here especially unfair. The government has taken away land that has traditionally been used by the Maasai and neglected their promises on shared profits of conservation. The system of property rights that works so well in most areas of the United States has failed these people who need access to collective resources for their livelihoods.
      On our way to Ngorongoro crater, we made a stop at a traditional Maasai boma just off the road. We agreed to pay the village $170 for a tour, which this particular community provides often for tourists. We were welcomed into the village with song and dance; many people looked happy to have us there. We also visited the kindergarten school where children sang for us and practiced counting in English. Our final stop was the home of one of the members of the community. Most of us felt intrusive in this part of our tour, but we learned about the way families live from a man of each home. Inside, there were two beds, one for women and children and one for men, as well as a place to cook with a small fire. Holes in the wall barely allowed room for smoke to seep out, and the roof was rainproof, but so low we could only stand hunched over. My host explained that the village moves every year, and it is the woman's job to build the house. However no women from the village could speak English or Swahili, and therefore had limited opportunities beyond the village they live in. In contrast, most of the men spoke some English or Swahili, and some had college degrees. I met one man as we were leaving the boma who studied wildlife management at college and had visited several cities and universities in the United States for part of his education. Julius, one of our drivers, as a Maasai had benefitted much from tourism because of his work with Klub Afriko and other safari companies. When I asked him what he thought about tourism and how that affected the Maasai, especially in terms of the village we visited, he was effusively positive. He has really enjoyed working with tourists, but most of the Maasai do not reap the same benefits. In fact, women suffered such hardships at the hands of conservation expension (because it was extremely difficult for them to benefit from tourism in similar ways to the men) that thousands of Maasai women marched from the Serenghetti to the capitol at Dar es Salam in protest a few years ago (That's a really long walk!). The Maasai villagers also told us that they spend roughly $400 on water every two weeks. Tours like ours help to reach that quota and go towards education, like for the man I met. However, through tours they not only earn the necessary profit, but they also allow for objectification. The tourists that enter are not looking for lasting or meaningful connections, nor are they looking to give anything besides money in return for their visit. They simply want to see an alternate mode of living and an exotic culture. We attempted to enter with respect for this new culture and way of living, but we certainly engaged in objectification as well.
      My experience felt both objectifying and objectified. The structure of the tour, and perhaps also our requests of learning as students, created an atmosphere that made it difficult to move beyond what had been set up for us and make meaningful connections and exchange knowledge and understanding. Instead of meeting individuals and learning about their lives, we took a tour seeking to objctify the average Maasai. In a way, I think they objectified us as well, but perhaps as a response more so than an immediate notion. After we finished our small talk in the home of a Maasai family, the man ushered us to his jewelry stand where he, and several other women, loaded our arms with bracelets. It was difficult to decline their insistant offers to purchase something. It was shocking for a lot of us to be objectified as a tourist and as someone with money. But now that the experience is in perspective, I realize that their behavior was only a result of our behavior and our requests. At the same time, this is one of the few ways that a Maasai village is able to benefit from the tourism industry, and at profits over one hundred times lower than the price of our safaris. Is this objectification then a necessary evil? Perhaps a solution could be similar to the historic sites we have in the United States, which serve as a sort of demonstration model, versus actually intruding into people's homes. The lives of the Maasai people are very complex, and many of the solutions we might think of as outsiders will not serve all of the issues at hand. It will be interesting to learn how these people move forward and if more political land use rights will be granted to them.

Today's adventures in Zanzibar were full of color, coral, and seawater. Our trip to the reefs of Mnemba was a slow and bumpy ride, but much calmer than the trip back on the dolla-dolla bus. The island itself is so exclusive the cost of one night at its resort is approximately $1,000. Apparently Bill Gates is a popular guest. What is most shocking though, are the island's no tolerance policies. Dr. Bryceson told us his previous knowldge of the island and its role as a natural resource for local fishermen. Traditionally, during storms, small fishing boats would paddle ashore to the nearest beach or island to wait out the storm in safety. However, with the recent privitization of Mnemba Island, fishers aren't allowed the same sanctuary. In some cases, fishers have actually been chased off of the beach and back into the storm with threats of violence. Working with the local community must be an integral part of every conservation effort because there are always people  and power involved.

Our snorkel exploring demonstrated the high biodiversity found in coral reefs and the complex ecosystems they support. We later learned of various symbiotic behaviors. Some crabs carry anenenemie on their shell to protect them from octupus, while clownfish cover themselves in anenenemie mucus so that they can make a home inside the anenenemie. The fish are not actually immune to its sting, they disguise themselves.

One of the major threats to coral reefs such as this one is dynamite fishing, which is most often practiced by urban fishers seeking quick and large returns. Small-scale fishers have attempted to oppose the practice, and often become injured in doing so. Some success has been achieved, however. Mbudya Island has made a lot of porgress in this regard (where we visited the first day of our trip). Dynamite fishing is exactly what it sounds like: tossing dynamite into the ocean to kill the fish. The practice is extremely destructive of marine habitats as well as wasteful. 90% of the fish kill is not wanted, either because of the toxic nature of the fish or the indesirability. Unfortunately, marine habitats can be easy to exploit like this, since people cannot always see or understand the extent of the damage they do. Through the practices and management of local users, the reefs stand a chance of being preserved and the locals can retain previous rights to the resource.

Karibu Jozani National Park!

Our drive out of Stonetown brought us to Jozani Forest, a protected area of Zanzibar with Zanzibar Red Colobus Monkeys. The forest also contains some of the endangered Zanzibar leopards, of which it is estimated only 10 to 15 remain on the entire island. Our expert guide Chobani told us stories of many years ago when witch doctors would keep leopards as pets and send them to do evil deeds. The witch doctor could inflict suffering through setting loose the leopard and ordering it to destroy the animals and crops of a certain farmer. Zanzibaris thus developed a fear of leopards that was later translated into a government initiative to eradicate the leopards from the island altogether. Despite recent conservation, attitudes remain fearful and disagreeable towards the leopards. The case would make an especially interesting parallel to the reintroduction of wolves at Yellowstone National Park in the United States, one of the key differences being that in the case of Yellowstone, the wolves were actually eradicated by the American movement westward. The animals pose both a real and perceived threat to ranchers and farmers, especially small scale operators with limited production capabilities. Whereas in Montana, ranchers most often produce for a national market, around Jozani, production remains in the local sphere. The cases of wolves killing livestock are much more numerous. On the other hand, the last time Chobani saw a leopard was 7 years ago. The similarities lie in the perceptions of the animals. However, the animosity towards wolves seems to stem from a wide range of Western literature. If Zanzibar is able to increase its population of leopards, it will be interesting to see what effect that has on the villages and also on the attitudes of Zanzibaris towards leopards. Perhaps it will demonstrate similar results to Yellowstone, and perhaps it will be a lesson for Yellowstone to learn from.

Chobani told us many other traditional beliefs and practices, especially those related to medicinal plants and trees. Chobani is the local, if not national and perhaps even internal expert on trees and traditional uses. Hearing him speak on almost every plant we passed by, I felt that the education and practices we have in the United States are nearly comprehensive. Not only could he tell us traditional uses, beliefs, benefits, and knowledge on how to use the plant, he also studied the scientific names and the botany we might study for a college degree. One species he pointed out to us was used to make a love potion. In combination with a talisman, it could be used to make one person think often about another. Chobani said it could be used for married couples who were coming apart and also for courting, when one person was difficult to gain the attention of. He proceeded to tell a story of an American woman he worked with a few years ago and an argument they had on some of these practices. They argued over whether the practice would work only if you believe in it, or always. Chobani did a little experiment where he gave her a love potion. Late that night, she arrived at his door, knocking urgently, wanting to talk to him. When he opened the door, she immediately hugged him, and that was when Chobani knew, he said, that the practice works for everyone.

Belief is such a fascinating phenomenon. Interestingly, Tanzania has three primary religious groups, all of which are roughly similar in proportion: Christian, Islam, and traditional African religions. Despite these divides, the politics have been historically united. On Zanzibar, the presidency follows an unspoken rule that the religion of the elected president should alternate between Christianity and Islam at each switch. Religious tensions have increased slightly in recent years, but hopefully Tanzania and Zanzibar will remain peaceful places.

There are so many more stories, so hopefully our group will find time for storytime when we return. In the meantime, pole pole.

Hujambo?

Jina langu Kylie. Mimi ni mwamerican, mimi ni mwanafunzi. I can't say too much in Kiswahili yet, but I'm off to a good start!Dr. Bryceson asked me last night about my first impressions of Tanzania, and I responded by saying that I didn't really find it very different from home. So far, all of us have done most everything together, and most of the people we have met here are helpful and friendly. The feeling of family is comforting being so far away from my own. My first impressions of Tanzania haven't been quite as exotic as the U.S. media portrays. In fact, we've seen a lot of wealth so far. The drive to White Sand was lined with big white houses, and the drive out was lined with smaller, older ones built fairly close together. I'm only beginning to understand the magnitude of the gap between the rich and poor here. Where I live at home, most of the neighborhoods are middle-class, buried in suburbia where the differences in living are relatively small. So far, my experience here has been pretty similar to traveling in the U.S. Most of the things we have done up to this point on the May Experience have been touristy--oceanfront resorts, American toilets, a spice tour, market shopping, and playing in the ocean. It's clear that our experience here is very different from other peoples, but it's definitely a smooth start to a grand adventure. (Also, the Tanzanian toilets aren't as bad as I thought they would be.)

My favorite activity so far has actually been a lecture. It's encouraging to feel like a little more than a tourist. Narrimon Jiddawi, a professor at the Marine Institute of Zanzibar, spoke to us about women's culture on Zanzibar and the evolving ways women have made a living for themselves. Her passion for the emerging activities in women's empowerment here are inspiring. The jewelry making project is the most recent development. Women farm pearl oysters and use the shells to make jewelry. The culture pulls from Islamic roots, which means the women participating in these activities are usually divorced, and the others receive permission from their husbands. Learning which women choose to participate and why would be fascinating--maybe I will learn in my research!

It's a beautiful place and there's so much to learn here. More to come soon.

Kwa Heri!