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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:Attitudes of Maasai pastoralists towards Amboseli National Park
Author:Ondicho, Tom GesoraISNI
Year:2006
Periodical:Mila: a Journal of the Institute of African Studies
Volume:7
Pages:49-56
Language:English
Notes:biblio. refs.
Geographic terms:Kenya
East Africa
Subjects:national parks and reserves
land conflicts
Maasai
Economics, Commerce
Amboseli National Park (Kenya)
Pastoral systems
Culture and tourism
Maasai (African people)
Abstract:Since 1946, when the first national park was established, the Masai people have experienced a continuous loss of huge parts of their ancestral lands to protected areas, including the Amboseli National Park. The people who were moved out from this park - situated c. 240 km to the southeast of Nairobi, Kenya's capital - were denied any share of the park's revenues. Furthermore, the park has taken the best grazing areas and the permanent water sources, both essential for the Masai pastoralist way of life. Cattle are the traditional and actual source of wealth for most pastoralists, and the source of most of their food. Thus, the Masai perceive that the expropriation of park area reduces their wealth, and they do not understand why the government should value wild animals more highly than cattle. The potential importance of the park as a revenue earner through tourist development has little if any significance to the majority of Masai pastoralists who have little interest in things that money can buy. This situation has created conflicts between the Masai and the Kenya Wildlife Services authorities. The paper is based on literature research, observation and discussions with key informants. Bibliogr., sum. [ASC Leiden abstract]
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