Land Rights and the Forest Peoples of Africa
Land Rights and the Forest Peoples of Africa
Land Rights and the Forest Peoples of Africa
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<strong>L<strong>and</strong></strong> rights <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> forest peoples <strong>of</strong> <strong>Africa</strong> – Part I<br />
In relation to processes <strong>of</strong> discrimination, however, forest people can be willing to participate<br />
in (everyday <strong>and</strong> ritual) relations with <strong>the</strong>ir farming neighbours in which <strong>the</strong>y appear to be<br />
destitute, subservient or clients. <strong>Forest</strong> people do this partly in order to gain access to goods<br />
that farmers have, <strong>and</strong> <strong>of</strong>ten describe such behaviour in idioms normally used in hunting. The<br />
difficulty <strong>and</strong> suffering <strong>the</strong>y may experience as a consequence <strong>of</strong> discrimination during<br />
interaction with farmers can be equated with <strong>the</strong> hardships <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> hunt. However, wherever<br />
forest people retain <strong>the</strong>ir forests <strong>and</strong> sufficient wild resources, <strong>the</strong>y have little difficulty in<br />
maintaining <strong>the</strong>ir autonomy <strong>and</strong>, from <strong>the</strong>ir own point <strong>of</strong> view, maintaining relationships <strong>of</strong><br />
equality with <strong>the</strong>ir neighbours. 47 However, <strong>the</strong> supposed gulf between villager <strong>and</strong> hunter–<br />
ga<strong>the</strong>rer rituals <strong>and</strong> values may not, at least from an Mbuti point <strong>of</strong> view, be so unbridgeable<br />
(Kenrick, 2005); in fact <strong>the</strong> dynamic <strong>of</strong> inclusiveness at <strong>the</strong> heart <strong>of</strong> forest peoples’<br />
egalitarianism is focused precisely on bridging <strong>the</strong> divide those (especially villagers) who are<br />
seeking to assert <strong>the</strong>ir power (especially over forest peoples) attempt to create.<br />
<strong>Forest</strong> peoples see <strong>the</strong>mselves, <strong>and</strong> are seen by <strong>the</strong>ir neighbours, as <strong>the</strong> autochthons or ‘first<br />
people’ <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Central <strong>Africa</strong>n forests. Their neighbours commonly see <strong>the</strong>m as <strong>the</strong> custodians<br />
<strong>of</strong> fertility, whe<strong>the</strong>r it is to make crops grow, animals multiply or women conceive <strong>and</strong> give<br />
birth. 48 These widely recognised aspects <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir identity are today becoming a potent way for<br />
forest people to assert <strong>the</strong>ir rights through <strong>the</strong> international indigenous peoples’ movement.<br />
However, unless those in <strong>the</strong> West who are supporting forest peoples’ participation in such a<br />
movement can recognise that forest people have not simply been victims <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir more<br />
powerful village neighbours but have also participated enthusiastically in social <strong>and</strong> ritual<br />
relations with <strong>the</strong>m as a way <strong>of</strong> maintaining <strong>the</strong>ir autonomy, we will remain focused on<br />
discrimination in a way which fails to engage with <strong>and</strong> support forest peoples’ processes <strong>of</strong><br />
inclusiveness. If support focuses only on forest peoples’ fight against <strong>the</strong> discrimination<br />
perpetrated by <strong>the</strong>ir neighbours, <strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong> fight will be in terms <strong>of</strong> what Jerome Lewis has<br />
called ‘white <strong>and</strong> black “village people”,’ 49 involving structures <strong>of</strong> representation <strong>and</strong><br />
leadership that will undermine <strong>the</strong> very equalising processes at <strong>the</strong> heart <strong>of</strong> forest peoples’<br />
social worlds.<br />
D<br />
<strong>Forest</strong> peoples’ l<strong>and</strong>ownership systems<br />
Focusing on one example: contrasting Bagyéli <strong>and</strong> neighbouring farmers’ systems<br />
In this section, through exploring <strong>the</strong> contrast between exclusionary systems <strong>of</strong><br />
l<strong>and</strong>ownership <strong>and</strong> more egalitarian inclusive systems <strong>of</strong> relating to <strong>the</strong> environment, we<br />
hope to convey <strong>the</strong> way in which this simple dynamic creates a complex social reality which<br />
those working for indigenous peoples’ rights in Central <strong>Africa</strong> need to be aware <strong>of</strong> if <strong>the</strong>y are<br />
to support, ra<strong>the</strong>r than undermine, forest peoples’ attempts to secure <strong>the</strong>ir futures.<br />
47 Contra C Turnbull (1966) Wayward servants. The two worlds <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Africa</strong>n pygmies, Eyre &<br />
Spottiswoode, London; J Kenrick (1999) ‘Reflections in <strong>the</strong> Molimo Pool: Gender, Ritual, Economics <strong>and</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> Mbuti <strong>of</strong> Central <strong>Africa</strong>’, in K Biesbrouck, S Elders <strong>and</strong> G Rossell (eds) Hunter–Ga<strong>the</strong>rers in a<br />
Multidisciplinary Perspective: Challenging Elusiveness, CNWS, Leiden.<br />
48 J Woodburn (1997) ‘Indigenous discrimination’, pp. 345–61; J Kagabo <strong>and</strong> V Mud<strong>and</strong>agizi (1974) ‘Ballad <strong>of</strong><br />
Claypeople – Batwa <strong>of</strong> Rw<strong>and</strong>a’, in Cahiers D Etudes <strong>Africa</strong>ines, vol. 14, no. 53, p 77.<br />
49 J Lewis (2001) ‘<strong>Forest</strong> People or Village People: Whose voice will be heard’, in A Barnard <strong>and</strong> J Kenrick<br />
(eds) <strong>Africa</strong>’s Indigenous <strong>Peoples</strong>, p 76.<br />
Kidd & Kenrick 16<br />
March 2009