Paper short abstract:

This paper examines the devastating consequences of current conservation approaches for indigenous hunter-gatherers in the Congo Basin and presents an alternative approach that builds on their customary role of "masters of the forest" to create a space for them in conservation efforts.

Paper long abstract:

Once Bantu peoples began immigrating into the Congo Basin, the indigenous hunter-gatherers of the region, commonly referred to as "Pygmies," came to occupy a role within regional society of "masters of the forest," due to their exceptional forest knowledge and skills. Over the longue durée of regional history, this social identity conferred on them key roles to play in the myths and rituals of pre-colonial states and has allowed them to make important contributions to Bantu societies in economic and ritual domains. In Congo Basin conservation initiatives, however, indigenous peoples (IPs) can lose access to their forest territories, become dispossessed squatters, and witness the destruction of their traditional knowledge base. This has profoundly negative consequences for their health and well-being, yet it also undermines their primary social role in regional society. This paper examines these transformations and explores some ways in which a viable social role can be created for IPs in conservation initiatives. It begins with a short overview of their role of masters of the forest and then addresses the negative consequences produced by the "fortress conservation" approach currently employed by the conservation industry: because indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) are expelled from their customary lands, IPs lose the source of their economy and identity. It then presents an alternative approach which can avoid the devastating social effects of fortress conservation, while providing a means to re-valorize the cultural and environmental contributions that IPs can make in their role of "masters of the forest."