fPcN interCultural:

defenders of free tribal life

One problem aboriginal people living in their traditional manner have, is that their life is not based on a monetary system, and so does not correspond to our conception of economy.

As hunters and gatherers, for example, they can exist independently of any economic system and state form. Since the majority of nations in the world have assumed state forms to rule their own economic interests, it is not possible for them to support, or better still: put up with, other forms of living.
Every form of autonomy and subsistence economy reveals that these people are to a certain extent outside the law and not bound within a state community. The autonomous part of a country becomes a vacuum, a vacant spot on the map with no "useful” form of productivity for the rest of the population or the state. The economic flow is interrupted,; growth stagnates. A state depends on income through commerce, but this is lacking in autonomous areas. There is no influx or exit of money. Also, other member of the state might prefer similar ways of living, and want to live in a similar way. When such an autonomous area wants to establish itself, the state soon comes into difficulties, because on the long run more and more money, and therefore influence gets lost.

The example of the Hadzabe illustrates this. The Kindiga, as the Hadzabe are called in Tanzania, are one of the last indigenous peoples in East Africa., closely related to the people of southern Africa, known as the "Bushmen”. The Hadzabe gain their livelihood from hunting and gathering, a form of living found all over the world, which, in the hundreds of thousands of years of human existence, has proved to be the most effective and environmentally sound way of living. They live in tribes without the constraint of an anonymous hierarchical society with its rules and regulations. Their beliefs and way of living, their values and norms are passed down from generation to generation, as unchanged as possible because they have been tested by innumerable generations A change in their form of organisation would provide an unnecessary risk for them and is therefore avoided if possible..

The Hadzabe society was admirably suited to its form of life. It is born of it, as our society is born of our living conditions. The lack of freedom in a society based on hierarchy would condemn it to death. The Hadzabe have neither chiefs nor shamans, neither priests nor medicine-men as we understand them. Everyone has equal rights and life is borne by the dignity of individual responsibility..
The advice of the elders is respected without necessarily being followed. The source of their affiliation, which includes every member of the community, is their mutual respect for each other. They enjoy the protection and the security of this order as a member of a group and not as a single individual. Everyone looks after the other members of the community equally, without drawing a personal advantage from this. Everything is shared, and no single person would suffer from hunger in their group. If necessary the whole group would go hungry. And so old people are provided for. Many of the Hadzabe live to a grand old age, which must seem improbable to those who have been taught that only the modern way of living guarantees longevity and health.

The question arises as to the role of the Hadzabe in a Tanzanian national state. Of what importance are the world market, taxes, wars, governments, towns, etc. to them? The Hadzabe are unfortunately have not been asked, though Tanzania certainly asks itself what it should do about the Hadzabe who pay no taxes, are not insured, are not part of the labour force, and occupy land without really using it, or rather without it being of use to the national state of Tanzania. The Hadzabe run around all day without working and being gainfully employed. The tribal land of the Hadzabe could be used more profitably for Tanzania. There are many resources there awaiting exploitation, and the rest of the country could be leased to cattle nomads. That would bring in revenue and above all control. This is the mechanism that most types of state make use of. The President of Botswana is driving the "First People of Kalahari” from their tribal land, saying that they should live in regions where they can receive a general education. Many tribal members know this type of ”education” and "development”, and they do not want to take part in it. The "Bushmen” are no longer allowed to hunt in Botswana. President Mogae explained that when they hunt they do not go to work. If everyone behaved like that Botswana could no longer maintain its economic upswing. (Newsnight /BBC 2005). Even in Germany if one looks back in history one can find many examples of autonomous and autarkical forms of living which have been destroyed. Alternative niches can be found here and there, but these are seldom more than individual phenomena. The indigenous people not only give us an insight into how we loved thousands of years ago, they also show us our own social decay and the loss of our own roots. The varied lives of tribal people over the last 150 years show us every step of our own development from hunters and gatherers to degenerate industrial people. We should not forget what our economic "advancement” really cost, and what we gave up for it.
Note: Author: Daniel Habenicht

Topic

• Exploitation