Relocation of Tanzania’s Masaai From Ancestral Lands Shows Elitist Tourism Still Thriving
Photo Caption: Tanzania has evicted Masaai families from their ancestral homes.
Skift Take
In an era when it's more important than ever to respect local communities, Tanzania's decisions with the Masaai appear beyond clueless.
Tanzania's eviction of Masaai families from their ancestral homes in the country's Ngorongoro conservation area to create more space for safari tourism and trophy hunting has sparked an international uproar about its inhumane treatment of its citizens, especially the government's violent response to Masaai herders' protests.
Tanzanian authorities claim that the Masaai have voluntarily agreed to relocate from the reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage site that's been their home for over a century. But the government's reasoning that the Masaai's growing population is encroaching on wildlife simply exposes the true face of conservation in Africa and reveals that African nations are still largely targeting wealthy, elite visitors.
"This violence that we see in Tanzania is the reality of conservation in Africa and Asia — daily violations of the human rights of Indigenous and local communities so that the rich can hunt and go on safari," said Fiore Longo, a research
