The plight of the San Bushmen people can be viewed as a model example of how development-induced displacement can drastically affect the indigenous people's traditional way of life and more importantly their subsistence strategy. The Botswana government's reason for the "voluntary relocation" was officially proclaimed as a way of "setting aside the protected area for wildlife and tourism development" while the suggestions from human rights groups, that diamond exploration was involved, were vehemently denied by the government (link) After being "evicted" from their ancestral homes in mid 1990s, the San have been relocated to government-built camps like the one at Nucati, where they were told by the officials that they could continue their hunter-gathering lifestyle at their new location. While to the government officials the new settlements like Nucati might have seemed very similar to the areas in Kalahari Game Reserve where Bushmen used to live, to the Bushmen themselves the situation couldn't be any worse.
According to the Bushmen chief, his people don't know the new area and can't find edible plants or figure out the "patterns of game" there (link). So not only are they unable to adapt to their new land, as such adaptive knowledge would take at least a generation to develop, but they think that their spirituality is at risk. Many San are now infected with HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (link). Perhaps because young Bushmen are so demoralized by the general unemployment and poverty, they find themselves on a quick downhill road towards alcoholism and drug abuse. Tuberculosis is sometimes said to be the disease of poverty while drug abuse might be a possible contributing factor to the increased rate of HIV/AIDS infections. But such etic, scientific explanations don't matter to the San who see the cause for all the deaths originating from the angry ancestor spirits who cursed the people for leaving their Kalahari homeland, the land where these ancestors are still buried (link). While at the Nucati camp, the San people, once proud hunters, are completely dependent on the government for their subsistence which is provided in the form of fenced-off plots of land and food rations of cornmeal, pasteurized milk and tea (link).
PS: Internally displaced persons are not recognized by international treaties on refugees. Thus despite winning a historic court ruling against Botswana government in 2006, as of today only a few Bushmen have been allowed to return. The government has been blamed for putting further obstacles in this return (link).
Websites referenced:
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/73a2331fd99df33a313ad4b103af74ca.htm
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4968597
http://www.ipsnews.net/africa/nota.asp?idnews=37858
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This unit in our class is really very sad...I really enjoyed reading what you wrote about and it gets me thinking, all these indigenous peoples were torn away from what they knew as their lifestyle, only for governments to gain wealth, but in the end if left these groups of people lost, dead, forgotten, and unappreciated... is the government really sorry? or are they just telling the public what they want to hear ...
ReplyDeleteWhy is it that the newcomer always thinks that they have the right to tell those who have lived there for generations where they should move? This is almost the same story as what happened in Canada with the Aboriginal peoples. The thing that makes me so angry about this is that by taking the people away from their land, they destroy the amazing ability that the people had to support themselves and be healthy. As you noted in your post, many displaced persons develop diseases that were unheard of before, and it will only get worse.
ReplyDeleteGreat read! Are their any groups that are fighting for the rights of the San peoples other than the San peoples themselves. As Elise said this is similar to what happened in Canada with the Aboriginal peoples, I totally agree. I find that we Canadians like to believe we are always on the 'good side', but looking at our history this certainly isn't always the case. One thing that is different is that now Canada is trying to right it's wrongs, I hope the government of Botswana will do the same.
ReplyDeleteDevelopment-induced displacement seems to be all around the globe! It's very sad, because even if indigenous peoples, like the San, were able to return to their land, it wouldn't be the same. The damage has been done and conditions, including the San themselves, are probably not the same either.
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