Conservation RefugeesWho are the Pygmies?The Pygmy's are an ethnic group that inhabits the dwindling Bwindi Impenetrable Forest a Tropical Rain Forests of Central Africa. They are made up of four common groups; the Twa of Rwanda, the Baka of Cameroon, the Mbuti of the Central Republic of the Congo, and the Aka of Cameroon.
The reason for the name Pygmy, is based in their uncommonly short stature. The most endowed and physically developed of the tribes, the Mbuti, at the tallest reach five feet. Interestingly, the Pygmy's are one of the few, purely nomadic peoples in the world. They fully source their food, medicine, and homes from the rain forest. They live in symbiosis, both supporting and sustaining the other. However, with recent developments in logging, farming, and mining, the Pygmy's are loosing their home, food, and livelihood to the 'Bantu' people- they're struggling to survive maintain their connection to the forests and to survive. Besides the development causing problems, the Bantu look down upon the This is a conflict that the Pygmies are definitely losing. If something is not done now, many predict that the tropical rainforest of Central Africa, as well as the Pygmies that live within them may disappear within the next 30 years. Some of the ways they catch their food by setting nets and chasing their prey into them. They also use medicines derived from the forest. Since they are nomadic, women are considered equal (a common trait within nomadic groups). Typically, decisions are made throughout the group with involvement of everybody, with no set organization. Along with their own native language, they also often speak the local Bantu languages, and sometimes french. While they are capable of living off of the forest with no interference from the outside, many pygmy groups trade with the local Bantu people. More about them is discussed in the page under this one, labeled culture. From there, you can also read about the different tribes. |
It should be noted that while many of them prefer their tribal name over Pygmy, there is no other term in which to refer to them as a whole. It should be noted that some select Pygmy tribes have embraced the term however.
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History
It has been estimated by Anthropologist that they have existed in the Congo for about 60,000 years. The earliest historical reference of them, is when ancient Egyptians captured some of them for entertainment purposes. They were also mentioned in the Iiliad of Homer. Interest in them picked up worldwide when some pygmies had been sold into slavery and entered zoos and world fairs, for europeans and americans to look at, in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. A famous example of this is Ota Benga, a Mbuti pygmy who had been captured after his family was massacred. After his time in the 1904 World Fair, he was given to Bronx Zoo, who removed him from exhibit after public pressure became too much.
The worst part of this genocide has happened in modern day times, however. Before the 1990’s, there had been some conflicts between the Bantu people and Pygmy people but it picked up speed with the removal of the pygmies from their native land and the Rwanda Genocide introducing more conflict.
The worst part of this genocide has happened in modern day times, however. Before the 1990’s, there had been some conflicts between the Bantu people and Pygmy people but it picked up speed with the removal of the pygmies from their native land and the Rwanda Genocide introducing more conflict.
Why is the Genocide Occurring?
There are 3 main reasons for the occurrence of this genocide. One of them being the preexisting racist ideals the Bantu people have for the pygmies. To them, the pygmies are considered subhuman or child-like, and often they treat them like animals, even occasionally hunting them. There is a common superstition that having sex with a pygmy or consuming the sexual organs can cure illnesses, and eating them is a common practice. While this mindset is strange to those who grew up in a society where this is considered barbaric, magic and superstition is a very strong belief to the majority of the people. This belief has only grew stronger after massive amounts of bloodshed and political upheaval.
Another one is the creation of state parks of their native land, because they are being kicked out with no compensation from the government. Without the ability to depend on the forest and no compensation, they are forced to beg and let the Bantu people use them for labor in order to survive for a little bit longer. There was also the competition for the congo’s natural resources between the rebel groups during the 1st and 2nd congo civil wars, which have severely depleted the pygmies sources of survival. While the civil war’s is now over, the Bantu people are still cutting down the forest at an exponential rate for farming and money from the selling of natural resources. There is also still the existence of the rebel groups, who are fighting for control over the forest as a source of wealth. These rebel groups are the main ones who are massacring, raping, and consuming the pygmies.
Another one is the creation of state parks of their native land, because they are being kicked out with no compensation from the government. Without the ability to depend on the forest and no compensation, they are forced to beg and let the Bantu people use them for labor in order to survive for a little bit longer. There was also the competition for the congo’s natural resources between the rebel groups during the 1st and 2nd congo civil wars, which have severely depleted the pygmies sources of survival. While the civil war’s is now over, the Bantu people are still cutting down the forest at an exponential rate for farming and money from the selling of natural resources. There is also still the existence of the rebel groups, who are fighting for control over the forest as a source of wealth. These rebel groups are the main ones who are massacring, raping, and consuming the pygmies.
What can they do?
Education is not easy for the pygmies to receive. In the forest, they had no use for it, so they don't have a tribal system to provide the education of reading and writing. When out of their forest, they are burdened with poverty, providing no opportunity to receive an education. And if they found someone willing to teach them, it is likely that it would be difficult to find someone to hire them because of the Bantu's view of the Pygmies.
However, education is the easiest way for pygmies to get a voice in a organization or government to get help. With an education, many would have more job opportunities to give them the money enable to help save their tribe, their tribal land. This does not mean, though, that education is the only way for them to help regain their way of life.
There are good news however. Pygmies such as Sinafasi Makelo (a Mbuti tribal member), has spoken to the UN about the troubles they are facing, including the cannibalism. He has requested that the act of cannibalism to be recognized as a genocidal and crimes against humanity act. The UN has been sending out investigators out, who has been reporting back to the UN with their data confirming the acts of cannibalism, rape, and house burnings. Additionally, pygmies had filed a complaint against the World Bank for threatening their traditional tribal lands and requested to recognized as indigenous people- and succeeded.
If more people knew about the Pygmy Genocide, if the UN sent people out to help, if the ICC recognized it as a genocide, if African countries recognized them as citizens, or the ones who were forced from their home are allowed to come home, the Pygmies could recover and start thriving again.
They just need help.
Violence & Health Conditions
As mentioned before, Pygmies are being consumed by the Bantu people for magical powers. The women are being raped due to the superstition it will cure illnesses. The UN has reported there are reports of pygmies being forced to eat their colleagues, and pygmies that hunt for the Bantu people, being killed and eaten when they fail to bring back food. There are high rates of rapes among the women, and many are enslaved by the Bantu people. A Baka Pygmy named Malala has explained the slavery of the Baka Pygmies to Susan Schulman from Global International, saying "When you’re owned, you’re obliged to work in the plantations. They will give you alcohol and smoke and, sometimes, manioc leaves for lunch but they won’t pay."
During the Rwandan genocide, it is estimated that out of the 30,000 pygmies that were there, 10,000 were killed.
There are records of massacres, house burning, mass rapes. As a response to the Pygmy people being forced out of their tribal grounds, the wildlife officers for the parks often use conservation as an excuse to attack the local pygmies, even those not found in the forest. In a video from Survival International, a Baka pygmy man states, “They came and beat me in my home… they beat me with machetes…" He and his wife had been sleeping when they invaded, and they had found nothing incriminating in their home. Later, a different pygmy man comments, “The forest is all we know. We are from the forest, not the village”. Many of them can not enter their tribal lands now, to teach their children the ways of their people, or even collect fallen fruit. If they do, they run the risk of encountering the wildlife officers and being beaten, arrested, and/or killed.
Out their forest, they are extremely poor and few of them are healthy. There are high rates of HIV/AIDs, yaws (a painful skin condition), malnourishment (especially among the children), Jiggers (a parasite that often gets into feet and causes an infection) and mortality of the pygmies is increasing as time goes by. Many pygmies in villages haven’t had meat or a source of high amounts of protein in a year. Meanwhile, the pygmies that are still in their tribal homes, they are healthy, and their biggest risk is the violence they face from the Bantu people.
According to the Genocide Convention of 1948, there are 6 different factors that determines a genocide (not all of them have to be met). The Pygmy genocide meets two of them: “killing members of the group” and “causing serious bodily or mental harm to the members of the group”. It is unclear of if the treatment of the Pygmy people is meant to wipe them out, but that is currently happening. The current estimate population is about a half of million, and has been dropping. Unless the violence isn’t stopped, there is a huge risk for the extinction of the Pygmy People.
During the Rwandan genocide, it is estimated that out of the 30,000 pygmies that were there, 10,000 were killed.
There are records of massacres, house burning, mass rapes. As a response to the Pygmy people being forced out of their tribal grounds, the wildlife officers for the parks often use conservation as an excuse to attack the local pygmies, even those not found in the forest. In a video from Survival International, a Baka pygmy man states, “They came and beat me in my home… they beat me with machetes…" He and his wife had been sleeping when they invaded, and they had found nothing incriminating in their home. Later, a different pygmy man comments, “The forest is all we know. We are from the forest, not the village”. Many of them can not enter their tribal lands now, to teach their children the ways of their people, or even collect fallen fruit. If they do, they run the risk of encountering the wildlife officers and being beaten, arrested, and/or killed.
Out their forest, they are extremely poor and few of them are healthy. There are high rates of HIV/AIDs, yaws (a painful skin condition), malnourishment (especially among the children), Jiggers (a parasite that often gets into feet and causes an infection) and mortality of the pygmies is increasing as time goes by. Many pygmies in villages haven’t had meat or a source of high amounts of protein in a year. Meanwhile, the pygmies that are still in their tribal homes, they are healthy, and their biggest risk is the violence they face from the Bantu people.
According to the Genocide Convention of 1948, there are 6 different factors that determines a genocide (not all of them have to be met). The Pygmy genocide meets two of them: “killing members of the group” and “causing serious bodily or mental harm to the members of the group”. It is unclear of if the treatment of the Pygmy people is meant to wipe them out, but that is currently happening. The current estimate population is about a half of million, and has been dropping. Unless the violence isn’t stopped, there is a huge risk for the extinction of the Pygmy People.
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