“If we are talking about conservation, then the Baka are the best conservationists. We have been living here since time immemorial, and the forest has not disappeared. Those who now claim they are conserving the forest are the same people pillaging our forests. We see sawmills felling large portions of our forest every day. Is it not this same government that authorises the felling?” Daniel Njanga, Cameroon.
You know, every time I read or hear about how others just leave their home(s) land and go somewhere else and begin taking, changing, moving, removing and overall disrespecting the indigenous peoples who have lived their for centuries, something rises up in me that I must meditate away.
The the Baka, Bagyeli and Bakola peoples of Cameroon are being taken advantage of in the way I described above. Do you think it has anything to do with jealousy? Have you ever heard the sounds of the forest? Smelled the freshness after the rains? Been surrounded by green…green…green life?
I have read about this type of action before — where large multi-national corporations just have their way. You know the strangest thing about this is that there are sooooo many people who don’t even know what is going on with their money. I’m talking about those who are still fortunate enough to have money to invest somewhere. Some of them are surely good ‘upstanding christians’ — some are surely right-to-lifers — surely some of them are even environmentalist. But all of them are looking for a return on their investments. But, at what cost? I wonder how many of them care about this issue of displacement, disrespect, and dishonor?
Indigenous peoples everywhere must be respected — allowed to survive as nature, God, and life without intrusion dictates. Oh, that’s right, we are God? — some of us surely behave as if we are God…just a little more omnipotent than others? Well, I thank God that the demigods are not eternal.
Read: Pygmy communities disapprove climate mitigation plans article. By the way, I have seen documentaries where I have heard from the mouths of the people themselves, they do not like to be called pygmy.
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