By Pegue Manga
Francois Messieh, a Baka pygmy from Zokadiba, a village in the north of Boumba-Bek National Park, could not conceal his disgust at urban life as he crushed the stem of his cigarette.
Baka youths enjoy their natural habitat
Messieh had spent just one day in Yokadouma, a small town in the East Province of Cameroon, some 635 km from Yaounde. He, like other Bakas, were in Yokadouma for a workshop that featured the presentation of a study, sponsored by WWF Jengi Southeast Forest Programme, on space and resources used by Bakas.
"See," he interjected, "this is the season for wild mango harvest and I am here. Most of my brothers are in the heart of the forest now." Then he reached out for one more stick of cigarette, lit it and began puffing. Tomorrow, he thought, one would have to stay on again to listen to more talking
Messieh's interjections demonstrate Baka pygmies' attachment to their forest home and their reliance on its resources. Any attempt at persuading them to change their ways is greeted with misgivings.
"No, this people want to deceive us," they chorused during the Yokadouma meeting, when stakeholders tried hard to explain that efforts are being made to secure their rights and uphold their customs in the management plans of the Nki and Boumba-Bek national parks.
Forest Dwellers
The reaction was understandably so because they have been living in the forest for centuries. Their forest god, Jengi, and their sacred places are all found in the forest. This has shaped their perception of the world and their attitude towards conservation.
A WWF study on identification of Bakas' resources used and space in the north of the Boumba-Bek National Park revealed a clear link between space, resources, tradition and customs of the people. Take away one of these components and you would have destroyed the essence of their existence.
The Bakas remain attached to their homesteads
The study carried out by Njounan, Ndinga and Defo, of WWF Jengi Southeast Forest Programme, showed that Bakas have their sacred places and shrine far, far in the forest. Most of these sacred places are found in the national parks. Around these sacred places, the study disclosed, is a concentration of non-timber forest products.
Moreover, Bakas, who number several thousands in the Southeast of Cameroon, identify sacred places from some particular trees. For instance, the Loa Mendi tree, which according to the study is found deep inside the forest, is considered sacred. It has a high medicinal value (it is used for treatment of sterility and impotency) and the Bakas go for it only once a year.
So endeared they are to the forest that they build their houses (ironically called huts by non-Bakas) deep inside. The study explained that the Bakas have two types of settlements. They have internal permanent forest settlements and external settlements that are located near the main roads.
They also build temporary "huts" in the forest to carry out gathering, hunting and fishing. There is a concentration of "huts" around non-timber forest products.
Rituals are also performed in the forest during certain periods of the year. There is, according to the study, the Yeli dance performed by Baka women out of the forest, before the men go hunting. The Yeli dance, Bakas believe, provide security for the men while hunting. It also enables the men to go for the big game.
The study also established that Bakas' penetration of the forest depends on the availability of non-timber forest products. The fewer the resources, the farther they penetrate the forest and vice versa. They harvest some of these resources in disregard of sustainability. Bakas fell some trees to harvest honey. They dig out wild yams and, most of the time; do not replant the tuba for regeneration.
Faced with these strong attachments to the forest, conservation organisations like WWF have been working hard to ensure that the rights of these indigenous people are included in the management plans of the three national parks and their customs recognised.
Helping Them Out
Jenny Springer is in charge of Livelihood and Governance in WWF USA. According to her, indigenous people have clearly expressed their profound reliance on the forest for their way of life.
"It is very important to recognise this relationship in conservation," she noted.
"In every part of the world, there is a long history of marginalisation of indigenous people. It is not created by conservation. Initially it is a social issue but conservation as a social process can get caught up in this same path of social problems and marginalisation," Jenny explained.
Consequently, she said, in order to be successful, conservation organisations have to work in close partnership with indigenous people and support their rights, while designing conservation projects that will also benefit them.
Jenny said she had noticed an increased enthusiasm to recognise the rights of indigenous people this year, compared to last year, when she visited the Southeast.
For John Nelson, Policy Advisor for Forest Peoples Programme, an NGO that works to secure the rights of indigenous peoples and promote their participation in the environment, there has been a big difference compared with when his organisation first arrived in the Southeast in 2001.
"We are feeling very optimistic and we are going to be increasingly collaborating with WWF and its partners to work on a common agenda to secure indigenous peoples rights," he said. "People should remember that when they talk about wildernesses in Africa, a lot of these places are actually populated by people."
But Podo Mois, a Baka from Massia, still in Boumba-Bek north did not enthuse. "The forest is our home. We have our honey, wild yams and mangoes to harvest. Once we are in the forest we feel very good, so there is no need moving out."
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