milking the rhino

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Anthropology

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Apr 3, 2024

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What does the title of the film, “Milking the Rhino,” suggest? What milk does the Rhino produce? Why do you think the filmmakers chose this title? The title of this film suggests the metaphorical “milking” resources out of the Rhino, in terms of the films points about the relationship between Rhinos, indigenous peoples, and conservation. The cultural, economical, and social reasons for “milking the rhino” are important and conservationists who refuse to take the steps needed to understand the impact of endangered species on the indigenous people that depend on them will only continue to hinder their own progress. I think the filmmakers chose this title because it is provocative and many western audiences would not have imagined a Rhino being milked, adding to the level of interest and therefore out reach that the movie has. As shown in the film, how does wildlife figure in Maasai and Himba culture? How do many Himba and Maasai make their living? Why might Himba, Maasai or other rural communities in Africa kill wildlife? Wildlife has a cultural and economic impact on the lives of the Maasai and Himba, the two rural living indigenous groups in the region. Rural communities in Africa kill wildlife as a means of protection, especially in the case of rhinos as they can be damaging to crops, livestock, and people in the area. These communities have a significant cultural attachment to the local wildlife and the land that surrounds them in a sort of give-and-take dynamic. Additionally, in times of hardship, Rhinos can be used as another livestock source as a last resort. Define the “myth of wild Africa.” What does it say about the relationship between people and wildlife? Why is it relevant to current efforts to conserve wildlife? Why is it relevant to rural African communities? The “myth of wild Africa” is derived from the white colonists' idea that Africa is a lush land teeming with resources and has been untouched by humans. This idea, however, completely ignores the fact that there have been people living in Africa for centuries and that for over four hundred years, white European colonizers have been exploiting the land. The use of this idea for conservationist efforts in Africa can be useful as most Westerners are able to sympathize with wanting a place on earth where there is untouched land. However, this can lead to another instance where indigenous people in these rural areas are being ignored in favor of keeping this antiquated idea alive. How can we reconcile the myth of wild Africa with other images of Africa as, for example, impoverished, war-torn and violence-ridden? The two images of Africa that have been popularized today, the image of a wild Africa and the image of a poor, war-torn continent have been made as a result of continued exploitation of the land by European colonizers since they first set foot in Africa. By continuously exploiting the land, its resources, and its people while having a continued history of disrupting any peaceful governments in favor of profits, the descendants of those colonizers can make it seem like there

is two sides to Africa. This paints any land with indigenous people on it as tainting the otherwise untouched lands surrounding it, which is untrue. Why do local people often have negative attitudes towards wildlife conservation? Local people often have negative views towards wildlife conservation because of past issues with colonization seeming to be similar to conservation techniques. Westeners, especially white westerners coming in to tell indigenous people how to live their lives and that they must change integral parts of their culture in order to save animals while giving no solutions on how to fill in that hole shoves the consequences of exploiting species onto locals. Additionally, the amount of work and recognition that conservationists can get for saving animals while neglecting the needs of the clearly impoverished indigenous communities can also be another point of contention. What role can communities play in natural resource management and conservation? What roles might external actors play in conservation and whom might they be? Local indigenous communities play a large role in conservation due to their cultural attachment to their local environment. Through pre established sustainability practices and spreading awareness they can help increase the impact of conservationist causes on the reigon. Governments, both federal and local also play large roles in advancing conservation efforts through funding and improved policies to strengthen and reinforce regulations, while also putting in larger efforts to create protected areas. Define community-based conservation. What does it seek to achieve? Community-based conservation is an approach that involves local communities in the management and preservation of natural resources within their own areas. By allowing these communities to take a role in conservation, while also effectively acknowledging their more intimate understanding of the environment. Community-based conservation achieves its goals through eliminating excessive exploitation of resources, preserving “untouched” areas, and the creating of jobs for the local peoples, increasing the socio-economic well-being of the indigenous population. This approach prevents the continued separation of indigenous people from their enviorment and creates benefits for both nature and people. What knowledge is required for community-based conservation? What specialized knowledge do local communities have? Community-based conservation uses a combination of ecological, social, economical, and cultural knowledge. Local indigenous peoples possess cultural and practical knowledge earned by way of just living there and originating from the area. This allows for them to know much ore about indigenous species and how to develop as well as maintain sustainable resource management practices. Additionally, this understanding and its acknowledgement by conservation is needed in order to implement and maintain long term conservation strategies.

Collaborating with indigenous communities ensures that conservation work is successful while supporting of the locals. Drawing from the film, what are some ways that tourism has affected Maasai and Himba culture? How have local communities in the two cases adapted to tourist desires? Ecotourism has led to a wave of tourists coming to the area, leading to cultural commodification, and has turned the Maasai and Himba people into tourist attractions. Local indigenous people have tried to take advantage of this economically, with handicrafts to wow tourists. However, the switch has to maintain the line of making sure that communities are respected and meeting the expectations of visitors. What does the scene of tour guides sweeping away the car tracks leading to the Himba village suggest about tourist desires for their experience in Africa? The scene of tour guides sweeping away car tracks leading to the Himba village suggests that tourists want the experience of the “wild Africa” myth. By erasing the car tracks, the tour guides manage to successfully maintain and reinforce the colonist idea of an untouched and easily exploitable way of life. This turns the village and its people into unknowing participants in a “side show” act for the tourists so that they can see how “backwards” and “simple” the life is there. What can happen if local communities do not benefit from conservation? Resistance from the local community, which would then lead to a overall feeling among the community that any conservationist ideas or plans must be stopped, making the enforcing of conservation measures essentially “toothless”. Additionally, without visible economic and social benefits such as improved education or healthcare, indigenous communities may resort to or continue ecologically damaging practices. Involving and benefitng local communities in social and economic ways can make conservation a collaborative endeavor and would increased the sustainability of conservation efforts. What are the necessary skills or capacities that communities need to have in order to manage successful revenue-generating activities from conservation? In the film, what individuals and institutions help the two communities build the necessary capacities to manage and conserve wildlife in their area? Can you think of other kinds of agencies or people who might help build local capacity? Maasai Staff at Community-Owned Il Ngwesi Lodge, Kenya Business management, marketing, and ecological knowledge to ensure sustainable practices. In the film, individuals and institutions such as NGOs, governmental agencies, and conservation organizations work with the communities to build these capacities, providing training and support. Other potential contributors to capacity-building could include academic institutions and local business owners who bring diverse expertise and resources to empower communities in managing and conserving wildlife effectively.

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