Indigenous Forest people in Central Africa.
"The hunter–gatherer people of the Central Africa forests (‘pygmy’ peoples) see
themselves, and are seen by their neighbours, as the autochthons or ‘first people’. Where
forests have remained relatively intact, these people have been able to maintain their
distinctive, egalitarian, inclusive and highly autonomous communities and their
‘immediate-return’ livelihood systems based on subsistence hunting and gathering, and
on trading of forest products with neighbouring ‘Bantu’ peoples. In other parts of
Central Africa, these Indigenous communities have been forced to forsake their
traditional culture and economy as their forestlands have been expropriated by logging,
clearance for agriculture and pasture, ‘development’ and infrastructure projects, and the
creation of wildlife conservation areas. Such processes are set to increase throughout the
region, resulting in increased pressure on these communities and a progressive loss of
autonomy and control over their lives." Their lifestyle is therefore 'fragile' & easily disrupted by development projects.
In Peru the Worldwide Fund for Nature has worked with indigenous people to manage their rainforests whilst logging & marketing the timber to Forest Stewardship standards.
If you have time I suggest you read this essay 'Wilderness: A Western Concept Alien to Arctic Cultures'. 'Wilderness' is not a concept that is part of indigenous cultures.
Monday, 14 January 2008
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