In Kenya, a group of conservation scientists confront the cultural tradition of an indigenous tribe

From the article, written by Eliza Kazamia:

• After three years of hard work, the Western conservation scientists had formed a relationship with the Daasanach, a nomadic community in northern Kenya. Mar Cabeza and Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares had regularly visited from Helsinki to work with the tribe to improve wildlife conservation in the region where they live.

• As the ceremony unfolded, Fernández-Llamazares and Cabeza, who work at the Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), became horrified. The Daasanach draped themselves in the skins of cheetahs and leopards, civets and genets, the very animals the conservation scientists were trying to protect. One day, Fernández-Llamazares and Cabeza counted 85 skins worn by ceremony members.

• The Dimi ceremony is the beating heart of Daasanach culture—a rite of passage for men to become true and respected members of their community. In one group meeting, recorded by the scientists, a Daasanach member explained that the ceremony “makes the killing of animals a matter of pride.” Another added, “What I like the most of Dimi is gathering with my people, sharing our stories and our songs.” An elder in the group asked a young man if he wanted to stop Dimi. “No,” he replied, “but I do not know how I am going to find a skin. Now there are less cheetahs and leopards, and every friend I have needs the skin for Dimi, and even if I can buy it, it is too expensive. What am I going to do when my daughter is old enough? Without the skin, I cannot do Dimi.”

• The young man’s worry about shortages of animal skins points to a place where the objectives of tribe and conservationist align. Jenny Glikman, an expert in the field of human-wildlife coexistence who leads research on human dimensions for the Instituto de Estudios Sociales Avanzados (IESA-CSIC) in Spain, explained that some indigenous people have shown a willingness to adapt to conservationists’ proposals. She points to the success of Lion Guardians, a nonprofit founded by conservation biologists Leela Hazzah of Egypt and Stephanie Dolrenry of the U.S., which works with the Maasai tribe in South Kenya.

It may look like I posted the full article, these are only a few snippets, and I encourage you to give the full thing a read. It's very interesting! I'm particularly fond of how the Maasi tribe has confronted their own similar issue regarding the ritualistic hunting of lions as a rite of passage, but I also understand that it's difficult to find a "one-size-fits-all" approach to environmentalism and cultural tradition.

Thoughts below!