Territorial Struggle around nature-tourism in Northern Tanzania

Abstract

In recent years, land struggle in protected areas for conservation in Northern Tanzania has intensified, Maasai have been displaced from conservation areas and are dispossessed through cattle seizures. Indigenous peoples are effective stewards of the environment through their strong connection to land, natural resources, and all living things; their lands contain the majority of global biodiversity. Local Maasai have been living for centuries as pastoralists as part of the Serengeti ecosystem; a global biodiversity hotspot. And yet, management of national parks and conservation areas has relied quite exclusively on western-based conservation approaches.

Territorialization of areas through fortress conservation is restricting customary Maasai land use in Tanzania´s most popular tourist destination. While only a minor share of profits from nature-based tourism is allocated to local Maasai communities, violent clashes with armed wildlife rangers as well as with Tanzanian military and police alienate local peoples from natural resources. Eviction and dispossession of Maasai in Serengeti has continued since colonial times, first with the fixation of nations´ borders, later through the creation of conservation areas. Furthermore, in order to sell the idea of untouched nature for nature-tourism, their livelihoods, beliefs, customs are neglected and disconnected through forced displacement from the biodiversity and lands they have lived on and, importantly, with. Commodification of nature is achieved with conservation arguments which serve to dispossess and evict local peoples from their land.

How does understanding of human-environment relations of the different actors present in these conservation areas differ?

How can nature-based tourism feature just participation of Maasai in economic activities and integrate Maasai ways of knowing nature into conservation practice?

The study, taking political, socio-economic, cultural as well as environmental factors into account, will enable a robust analysis of current and future fragilities and conflict risks through an understanding of all the actors´ aims and interests. To realize an understanding of all the actors´ perception of human-environment relations and being in the world, the Maasai ways of knowing nature have an important part in questioning and decolonizing conservation practices.

Actors will be grouped according to their association to human-environment relatedness and their (post‑)capitalist position in conservation. The study engages with a post-humanist approach through integrating Maasai knowledge and environmental factors in the analysis. Using actor analysis for a qualitative case study of commodification of human-nature relation, the study will provide vital contribution to policy analysis activities in the on-going conflict where interests of Maasai communities, conservation and nature-tourism industry intersect.