Book: Selling the Serengeti

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Selling the Serengeti
Following the over two decades study and engagement with the Maasai community from the northern part of Tanzania, Benjamin Gardner offers comprehensive insights of the plight these people have. The research is a milestone in a different type of “living geography” involving some stakeholders including, the Tanzanian state, foreign tourism investors, and the public, in this case, the Maasai people. Following recurrent conservation attempts primarily comprising of dispossession and enclosure, the Maasai are troubled and detest the neoliberalism aspect and aggressively criticize even the well-meant efforts of Tanzanian nation as well as that of foreigners to safeguard Serengeti as an international treasure. The Maasai have, for centuries, been the sole protector and governor of the Serengeti part and, therefore, feel threatened by the new developments, whether good-intentioned or not, brought about by the tourists. This work reviews the book Selling the Serengeti: the Cultural Politics of Safari Tourism by Benjamin Gardner.
The book delves on the correlations the Maasai society from the northern part of Tanzania has with foreign-owned tourism organizations. Gardner’s primary focus is the laws and dialogues concerning the winning of society-based and biodiversity conservation as well as the neoliberal focus on foreign ventures in tourism and the overall impact these aspects have on the livelihoods and cultures of the Maasai.

Gardner’s work investigates the way these reforms in economic and social powers and relations restructure how the public and the country connect with non-Tanzanian investors, the society and their respective turfs. Additionally, the book emphasizes the way the reformed tourism agreements alter the meaning and shape of Tanzania’s position as well as that of the village consequently restructuring the cultural residency and fitting. The research just explains neoliberal development, social groups, and market-led conservation surrounding the Serengeti region.
1. Agency Concept
Following decades of disagreements among the Maasai people and international tourism investors that threaten to take away the pastoralist nature by obtaining huge chunks of land; these villagers endorse various strategies to protect their properties. Gardner reveals the concept of agency in which these individuals collaborate to create some form of a social movement. For example, Gardner indicates the 2012 development of “global web movement” in which people joined and fished online supporters to stop the selling-off of Serengeti (Gardner 1). This action highlighted the injustices surrounding the politics of the reserve in which communities living in the area lost land to international conservationists (Avaaz n.p). These attempts of turning the region into tourism conservation have always been met by reproach and significant opposition from the villagers. These people not only employ local movements but also try creating a better understanding of the true meaning of being “a Maasai from Loliondo” (Gardner 2).
2. NeoliberalismNeoliberalism is a social economics and studies policy model that shifts the management of economic factors from the public to the private sector (Igoe & Brockington n.p). Newsham and Bhagwat indicate that the extension of protected regions, a primary factor of conservation has close links to the extension of neoliberal ideas (125). Gardner’s study reveals a degree of neoliberalism in the northern part of Tanzania especially due to the government’s acceptance of foreign investors and privatization of some areas of Loliondo. Following developments that increased pressures resulting in land loss and near loss of the remaining land the Maasai had left, Gardner indicates that the suggestion of “market-based community conservation” was appealing (6). It is evident that the Maasai individuals lacked enough power to fight for land rights successfully and therefore, the adoption of neoliberal ideologies appeared as a compelling bargain that would not only enable them retain their property but also commoditize it for tourism. Neoliberalism aspect in also evident in the recent occurrences such as the 2013 declaration Tanzanian government made that led the Maasai into losing 1,500 square kilometers of land to private conservation firms (Gardner 1).
As a result, the consequential frustrations cause the Maasai in Loliondo to engage in efforts to perform direct negotiations with the private investors to commoditize their lands. These actions are a form of neoliberal reforms as the community seems to transfer its social and economic power to the foreigners in efforts to optimize their land benefits. Gardner points out that Loliondo region remained at the center of politics suggesting how it needed management of tourism and conservation within the neoliberal context (1). Following this respect, it is evident that Tanzanians have, in one way or another embraced some neoliberal ideologies into governing them.
3. Indigenous Knowledge and Conservation Politics.
The Maasai people from Loliondo region use some indigenous knowledge systems to help in understanding and decision making by the elders. It is evident where Gardner points out how the elders emphasize on making their rivals and communities to understand the true meaning of being a Maasai from Loliondo (2). The Maasai society also altered its former stand due to land insecurities and instead adopted conservation strategies that would help protect their property. Nevertheless, the community leaders believe that these reforms provide no sure solution to their problem. It is especially true as confirmed by recent occurrences where Loliondo residents lost 1,500 square kilometers to conservationists (Gardner 1). Before this move, Tanzanian government had embarked on some steps that involved separating wildlife conservation from human activities in the entire Loliondo area. In fact, collaboration between the Tanzanian Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism and Ministry of Land, Housing and Settlements represented the government by embarking on this land use plan.
The suggested reforms followed the new Wildlife Act which prohibited all human operations in the newly formed Game Controlled Area (United Republic of Tanzania n.p). The resulting opposition by the Maasai society was due to suspicions that the strategy was a political way of dividing their village land to serve the needs of the conservation firms. The Maasai people lost in their efforts making the government plans proceed in dividing the land among different communities in the region that conflicted with the tourism companies.
4. Reflection
The book is essentially not only about the already happened things in Tanzanian Maasai land but is a type of an examination of how various actors appear or present themselves as the connection to the land. The book also provides an analysis of how the Maasai society fights to gain control of their land or prevent powerful forces including the government and private investors from grabbing the little land they possess. Gardner’s work is outstanding, in particular, his pointing out the fact that Africans still embrace neoliberal concepts. It is a saddening finding especially since it is the 21st century where such countries should be making intellectual developments instead of going back to the colonial ages.
Works Cited
Avaaz . “Stop the Serengeti Sell-off.” 2012. Retrieved from
http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_the_maasai/?fpGardner, Ben. Selling the Serengeti: The Cultural Politics of Safari Tourism. , 2016.
Igoe, J and Brockington, D. “Engaging Neoliberal Conservation.” Conservation and Society.
2008.
Newsham, Andrew and Bhagwat, Shonil. Conservation and Development., 2016
United Republic of Tanzania (2009). The Wildlife Act, 2009. Ministry of Natural Resources and
Tourism, Dar es Salaam. United Republic of Tanzania