13 - Viewpoint

Summary

Migil enkaputi te nkupes Do not break a relationship without good cause

(Maasai saying: Kipury 1983)

This book is not merely an abstract ecological debate about land use policies and development objectives. At the time of writing Tanzania's politicians and administrators are moving towards a decision that will affect the future of 23 000 Maasai pastoralists within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Ngorongoro itself is not just another piece of African real estate. It is a World Heritage site and has been described as the eighth wonder of the world. It is probably the most important wildlife tourist destination in East Africa.

The Maasai themselves are the heirs to several thousands of years of pastoralist involvement in Ngorongoro. They have helped shape the present environment and have long helped protect the wild animal populations. They are pure pastoralists with mixed species herds practising a spectrum of nomadic and transhumant husbandry. They are among the best known of Africa's peoples and epitomise the ecological and cultural value of pastoralism.

Academic questions aside, the critical issue is whether the Maasai should stay in NCA, or whether their impacts on environment and wildlife justify their resettlement elsewhere. These questions hinge on a definition of the values of NCA and on an evaluation of the impacts of pastoralism. We argue that the conservation values of NCA are inseparable from the pastoralist presence, especially in that Ngorongoro illustrates man and nature coexisting in harmony.