Few foraging societies continue to live in the way they are represented in ethnographic accounts. Political and economic pressure has forced most of them to change their traditional ways, often to the detriment of their people. Here are links to recent media articles discussing the current issues that contemporary foraging societies must face, arranged by geographic region of relevance.
Logging and Animal Trade Threaten African Pygmies (National Geographic June 3, 2005)
The Bayaka Pygmies occupy the forests of the Central African Republic and traditionally used net hunting as their major subsistance strategy. This is an article featured in National Geographic showing how boom-and-bust logging cycles and illegal hunting of bush meat have stripped the Bayaka of their resources. Despite the establishment of a large conservation park, these people are being restricted to only a fraction of the forest in which they once hunted freely.
Who Rules the Forest? (National Geographic September 2005)
The people of the Democratic Republic of Congo have endured several decades of civil war and exploitation. Among them are the Mbuti Pygmies of the Ituri forest. While the inhumane physical and social treatment of the Mbuti is appalling, this article suggests that they are soon to be in danger of losing their home. With the end of civil war comes stability, followed by industrialization. Much like the Bayaka, the Mbuti will likely face irresponsible logging and hunting practices once the Ituri forest becomes safe and accessible. There is also a flash media page related to the article at the following link. Multimedia: Mbuti Pygmies (National Geographic September 2005)
Hunting ban threatens Congo forest dwellers (IRIN October 31, 2005)
This article discusses the results of a blanket animal hunting ban on the lives of the Baka community, a hunter-gatherer group living in the Congo. The aim of this hunting ban is to eliminate poaching, yet it has simultaneously punished the Baka for their traditional subsistence practices. The situation is complicated by the prejudice and misconduct of park rangers. The article goes on to provide hope for the future of the Baka, as several agencies are working to draft a bill that will protect their rights.
Africa's Forgotten Conflicts (CNN November 13, 2006)
Hunter Gatherers are particularly dependent on the stability of their environment, meaning that war and violence pose a huge threat to their well being. This article is not specifically about foragers, but it provides a brief history of the ongoing conflicts in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, and Somalia which affect various Central African foragers.
A Pygmy Traveler Gives Voice to a Marginalized People (NYT December 1, 2007)
As the leader of a group who has been largely ostracized and mistreated, Antoine Lenoa fights to promote the integrity of Pygmy people. This article is his profile, describing his presidency of the African Congress of the Pygmies and his visit to the United States.
News 24 links up children in UK and the rain forest (BBC January 31, 2008)
The BBC sent a camera crew and field reporter to cover various aspects of the Baka Pygmy's lifestyle. Like much of the Pygmy population, the Baka have been struggling with illegal logging activity and are now combating this injustice with GPS mapping devices that enable them to clearly outline their territory. Additionally, local Baka school children were given the unique opportunity to ask and receive questions from their British peers.
Bushman anxious to hunt again like his ancestors (CNN December 14, 2006)
This article talks about one bushman of the Kalahari who wants to hunt like his ancestors. The government removed his people from the reserve that they had been living on, the land of their ancestors, and this disrupts many aspects of his life.
The insider's guide to the Kalahari Bushmen (CNN December 14, 2006) This article addresses the Ju/'hoansi of the Kalahari Desert and their struggle to keep their lands and livelihood.
Namibia Bushmen Claim Land (Reuters January 25, 2007)
This article exemplifies the struggle between modern day society and hunter-gatherer groups, such as the Bushmen.
Southern Africa's 'Bushmen' face lifestyle threat (AFP October 15, 2007)
The article gives a bleak account for the future of the Bushmen of Namibia, where disease, war, and government interaction have lowered their already dwindling numbers.
Fat Men Can't Hunt: A BBC Three Four-Part Series (BBC November 25, 2007)
Taken from the website: "Fat Men Can't Hunt is a four-part series that follows a group of eight men and women to see if they can live among the San Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert in Namibia. The men will have to join hunts, spending days at a time foraging for food. Meanwhile the women will have to stay in the camp, living their lives according to the strict social rules that govern local women."
North American Foragers
For Struggling Tribe, Dark Side to a Windfall (NYT September 2, 2007)
This article chronicles the division of the Yurok tribe of California over the use of $92 million in logging proceeds from the Department of the Interior.
Slide show: fishing with the Yurok (NYT September 2, 2007)
This slide show depicts the fishing strategies of the modern Yurok tribe, the largest in California. The captions also provide information on their traditions, history, and hardships.
Tribal Group Kills Whale Off Washington (NYT September 11, 2007)
This article describes the killing of a whale by the Makah tribe of Washington state. It exemplifies the struggle between preserving tradition in tribal groups and government conservation efforts.
Arctic Voice Drowning in Climatic Shift (BBC October 15, 2007)
The Inuit of the Arctic are slowly losing their way of life as the climate is warms and some native flora and fauna are lost.
Alaskan Tribes to Receive Ancient Remains (USA Today October 20, 2007)
Remains, which were found 11 years ago in a cave in the Tongass National Forest, were returned to the Tlingit tribe, whom scientists have determined as the rightful descendants of the remains. The remains include such bones as vertebrae, ribs, teeth, a mandible, and a pelvic bone. These remains were required to be returned to the Tlingit tribe under the 1990 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.
Its Native Tongue Facing Extinction, Arapaho Tribe Teaches the Young (NYT October 17, 2008) is an article in the NYT that describes how the Arapaho tribe in Wyoming have created a school where Arapaho language is taught.
Tips From the Potlatch, Where Giving Knows No Slump is an article in the NYT that discusses the principles and meaning of the potlatch, past and present, and what the lessons are for readers during the December gift season. Bill Cranmer, a hereditary chief and elected leader of the Kwakwaka’wakw Indians, is quoted extensively as an expert.
Aboriginal abuse could 'wipe out generations' (ABC News June 16, 2007)
This article discusses alcohol and lack of education as prime causes for child sexual abuse in northern Australia. The article poses a realistic look at what this abuse could do to the next generation of Australian Aboriginals.
National Geographic (September 26, 2007)
Reporter Hope Hamashige explains how "a new rush to harvest iron, coal, and other minerals in Australia's Pilbara region is creating fortunes. But the unprecedented boom is also making life difficult for tourists, locals, and native groups."
PM promises vote on Aborigines (CNN October 11, 2007)
Australian PM John Howard has vowed to recognize Australian Aborigines as the country's first inhabitants. "While [this] would not grant new rights to Aborigines, such recognition has enormous symbolic significance."
An Australian newspaper reported that the Australian "government is considering a plan which would see central Australian Aborigines funded to cull feral camels," an animal which has been causing a considerable amount of trouble recently in the area. (The West Australian October 12, 2007)
Young Chilean Keeps Nearly Extinct Languages Alive (San Francisco Chronicle August 12, 2007)
This is an article about a 16 year-old Chilean boy who is considered to be the only speaker of the Selk'nam language which died with the last Selk'nam woman. The boy used dictionaries and tapes made by missionaries of chants to learn the extinct language. See also The Voice of Spirits Past for more information and for a link to audio of a Selk'nam chant click here.
Argentine Indigenous in Protest (BBC November 6, 2007)
Marginalization of indigenous peoples in Argentina.
South American Indians Demand ‘Respect’ for Uncontacted Tribes (Survival International June 3, 2008)
It is estimated that approximately fifteen isolated tribes exist in the Peruvian Amazon. Organizations like Survival International as well as local indigenous rights activists have pushed for the government to respect the rights of these people to their ancestral land. A short film connected to the story can be viewed here
Did Island Tribes Use Ancient Lore to Evade Tsunami? (National Geographic News January 24, 2005)
This article shows how in some ways hunter-gatherers were better adapted to survive the tsunami. It also explores some major issues that arose when an isolated society came into contact with 'the outside world.'
Can Fat Teens Hunt? A BBC Three Six-Part Series (BBC November 25, 2007)
A lot like the "Fat Men Can't Hunt" reality series, this series takes ten severely overweight teenagers and sends them to live with the Iban tribe of Southeast Asia, a group of former headhunters. There, the teens will have to live as members of the tribe, eating their traditional hunter gatherer foods and taking part in the work to acquire food. The producers hope this will end the teens' dependency on food.
Worldwide Foragers
Genographic Project (Five year project launched April 13, 2005)
In an attempt to trace the migration of DNA gene markers through human history, the Genographic Project is sampling the DNA of several populations who have remained relatively isolated. This is a pdf document discussing the various representatives participating in the study, as well as the general characteristics of their respective indigenous groups.
UN adopts declaration on rights for indigenous peoples worldwide (IHT September 13, 2007)
This article is not about forager societies in particular, but it does cover the adoption of a UN declaration to protect indigenous peoples, including hunter-gatherer societies.
Newsweek featured a pair of articles about "Freegans". The Noble Scavenger on the Living-Room Couch (October 1, 2007) and Freegan Ride (October 1, 2007).
