Dorobo

A missionary map of 1848, showing the lands beyond Kilimanjaro as inhabited by Dorobo, describes them as

'a very poor people despised and maltreated by all tribes around'.

The first available map was published in a church-sponsored jounal 'The Church Missionary Intelligencer', No 1, Vol 1, (May 1849). It was this publication that announced to an incredulous world the existence of "Kilimanjaro, covered with eternal snow." This map does not attemp to portray any of the country lying to the west of Kilimanjaro, so Ngorongoro and the Serengeti do not appear. The whole area is designated "Wandorobo, a very poor people despised and maltreated by all tribes around".

Original size 40 cm x 32 cm copy by Hugo von Larwick

This is the most detailed of the early Maps, being published in the Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society. New series 4.700 to accompany an article entitled "Native Routes in East Africa from Pangani to the Masai Country and the Victoria Nyanza" by the Ven J.P.Farler, Archdeacon of Kagila in Usambara.

Note how the caravan route splits into two, the northern one following the previously recorded track by Lengai and Lake Natron; the southern route is new passing through Ngorongoro, Olduvai (Nduvai) and Serengeti.

It is of extreme interest in it's evidence of the ecological setting. It shows clearly the limit of Maasai habitation, corresponding exactly to the present dividing line between the open plain and woodland. This is followed by an area inhabited by Wandorobo, elephant hunters, from whom the traders purchase ivory. Then the route beaks into inhabited cultivated country, extending to its terminus on the shores of Victoria Nyanza.

'Beating About The Bush' is the eagerly awaited follow-up to 'Barefoot Over the Serengeti', the tale of a young boy's life with the Masai, on the predator-rich plains of what is now the most famous Game Park on Earth.

The book charts the life of David Read from the period of 1936 to 1952 in the colony of Tanganyika (modern-day Tanzania), as he comes to grips with his first schooling, his move to the Lupa Goldfields and the onset of adult life. Caught up in the War, he marches his regiment of Masai and Samburu warriors from Eritrea to Kenya before leading them via Madagasgar to the jungles of India and Burma.

After demobilisation he becomes a veterinary officer, and it is here that his childhood experience comes into its own, as he roams the African bush, gazetting East Africa's game parks, investigating ritual tribal murder and learning about the reclusive hunter-gatherer Ndorobo people.

In the Moru Kopjes in the Western Serengeti there were also nearly 100 families of Ndorobo with 10,000 head of cattle and 8,000 head of small stock. Unlike the Masai, who used this area seasonably, the Ndorobo had established permanent bomas, from which they took a steady toll of game with poisoned arrows. As a result of pressure from the Park authorities, the Administration and the Masai elders, the Ndorobo were forced to leave the Park in March 1955 and settle elsewhere.

Finally there are the hunter-gatherers the Dorobo scattered throughout the Maasai area. There are about 8 different groups - some speak the Maasai language, but there are at least two other Dorobo languages one being closely allied to Nandi. Also included in this category are the Kindiga or Hezabi [Hadza] who speak a 'click' i.e. a Bushman-type lanuage which has similar sounds to, but is far removed from the neighbouring Sandawe language. Their main home is on the east side of Lake Eyasi in Mbulu district but they spread into Maasai country and into Singida.

In East Africa there are two main categories of vulnerable minority peoples who have been in consequence subjected to flagrant violations of community and individual rights. These are hunters and gatherers, namely the Hadza, Dorobo and Sandawe together with many ethnic groups who are pastoralists. The Maasai of Tanzania and Kenya are the largest and most widely known of he many pastoral peoples of East Africa. These minorities suffer from the common problems which characterize the plight of indigenous peoples throughout the world.

Frequent acrimony, currently depicting the relationship between game Hunting companies and rural communities in Tanzania, will be a thing of the past after the government adopts a new wildlife policy.

Designated as wildlife management areas, the communities will benefit from the spoils of game Hunting, presently paid to local authorities by companies operating in those areas.

The proposed policy seeks to amend Tanzania's obsolete Wildlife Act of 1975, and, according to the natural resources and tourism minister, Zakia Meghji, 'it is of utmost priority and should be tabled before parliament for debate soon'.

She said the government would repossess all Hunting blocks allocated to professional hunters and hand them over to respective local authorities.

In turn local governments, together with the communities, would be empowered to allocate the Hunting blocks to whichever company they prefer to do business with.

'Guidelines of the policy are ready and are just being fine-tuned,' she said.

Communities set to benefit from this policy are chiefly those bordering rich game controlled areas and parks. They include the Maasai, Ndorobo, Hadzabe, Bahi, Sianzu and Kimbu in northeastern Tanzania.

Members of these communities are often arrested by game wardens and fined for trespassing on game conservation areas. As a result, they have been extremely bitter about being denied access to wildlife resources, which they believe, naturally, belong to them.

Under the new policy, Meghji said, the government will ensure that people undertake increased wildlife management responsibilities and get benefits to motivate them in the conservation of wildlife resources.