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Received 21 March 2002
Maasai (TANZANIA)
Mr. Lembulung M. Ole Kosyando
Executive Secretary,
NAADUTARO (PASTORALISTS' SURVIVAL OPTIONS)
P.O. Box 46, KIBAYA, Arusha, Tanzania
Tel +255 27 2552179, + 255 27 2552064 / 74
Fax +255 27 2552170
Email lembulug@hotmail.com
Re
Notification: Decision V/16 on Article 8 (j) and related provisions
C: Guidelines or recommendations regarding developments proposed to take
place on sacred sites and on lands and waters occupied or used by
indigenous and local communities
1. Guidelines or recommendations on sacred
sites: Case
Endonyo o-rmorwak
Endonyo o-rmorwak, literally meaning the "Hill of the elders", is a
sacred hill of the indigenous Maasai people living across the borders of
Kenya and Tanzania in East Africa. The hill is situated midway between
Arusha and Moshi towns in northern Tanzania. This place is used for age
groups' graduation ceremonies when the warriors are initiated to elder
hood, and this takes place every twelve to fifteen years. This place has
been used for this purpose for ages.
The site is being encroached at. Conflict of interests between the
Ministry of Education and Culture of the government of Tanzania,
supposedly the guardian of such a site, the traditional leaders of the
Maasai indigenous people, somewhat now disorganised; local Maasai CBOs,
fighting each other to control the hill; and political personalities of
Maasai origin, these wanting to capitalise politically from the tag of
war, has left the site as nobody's land and is being developed by
individuals from the nearby towns and villages.
As a result of the confusion of ownership and management of the site, with
nobody being responsible, the environment around the hill is being
destroyed by developments taking place making it a conflict zone between
the indigenous people and the developers. The feel of sacredness of the
hill has been eroded.
Most of the sacred sites of indigenous people
and local communities are attached to some form of biodiversity sectors.
Most often than not, the conservation of that particular sector of
biodiversity is an integral part of the sacredness. The indigenous peoples
and local communities beliefs as regards to sacred sites are such that you
can not create or replicate the sites at will. They have ancestral
connotations attached to them which cannot be exotically reproduced
elsewhere.
It is for these reasons that our recommendation are:
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The governments recognise the spiritual
feeling, touch and relationship of the sacred sites to indigenous peoples
and local communities, and reflect this in its policies as regards to any
developments proposed.
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The indigenous people and local communities in
collaboration with respective government authorities identify these sites
and register them for conservation, and completely refrain from any
developments.
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When for some reason it becomes absolutely
necessary to consider developments within the sacred sites of indigenous
peoples and local communities, their prior informed consent must be
sought, with all the spiritual, cultural and environmental conditions met,
that indigenous and local communities may attach to such consent.
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