The Maasai are among the best known peoples of Africa, yet their modern history — under German and British Colonial rule and since Tanzanian independence — has been one of exploitation, marginalization and appropriation.
Over the last two years, Mellon Mays Fellow Kisha Bwenge, a senior in International & Area Studies in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis and a native of Tanzania, has explored the impact of cultural tourism on Maasai and Hadzabe communities in the northern part of the country.
Here, Bwenge discusses the Maasai, cultural tourism and the dangers of commodifying identity.
What drew you to the topic of cultural tourism?
I was born in Tanzania. My parents immigrated to the U.S. when I was two. This project has been a very productive way for me to navigate my own cross-cultural identity, and has added a whole new dimension to my understanding of the country.
I think one of the best things about the Mellon Mays program is how it allows us to integrate our own passions and experiences. I feel very fortunate that my scholarly work is also personally fulfilling.
Describe your research process. How did you begin?
The summer after sophomore year, I dropped myself into the middle of Dar-es-Salaam with two words of advice from my mentor: “be omnivorous.” I took in everything. I made contacts and followed leads in every direction. After two weeks in the Tanzanian National Archives, I rediscovered a love for history. It came to life right before my eyes.
I was fascinated by letters from the 1930s between game rangers and district commissioners discussing — or more often, dismissing — “native interests” in the establishment of Serengeti National Park. But the best part was the fieldwork I conducted this past summer, working with Maasai communities and interviewing tour guides, administrators, government officials and tourists. The friendships I formed in that time have been the most rewarding part of this entire process.
Talk about your findings. What is tourism’s impact, both positive and negative?
Through archival work, I’ve attempted to understand the history of government-Maasai relations. There certainly has been exploitation since the colonial period, and the marginalization and displacement has continued post-independence, often in the name of manufacturing national identity.
In the tourism industry, this was compounded by problematic notions of the “other” used to appropriate Maasai-ness, usually in the context of the “noble savage.” In other words, both the government and the tourism industry typically flattened Maasai identity, often at the expense of actual Maasai communities.
But I’m also finding that the Cultural Tourism Programme (CTP), which the government established in 1996, has brought a number of benefits. It allows certain Maasai individuals (typically males) to push back against commodification and to share personal narratives that help redefine Maasai-ness for the tourist. I myself am still learning about the incredible diversity of Maasai experience.
Describe the Mellon Mays program. What has your experience been like?
To put it simply, the fellowship has been transformative. As a sophomore applying to the program, it was impossible to imagine that I could do what I am doing now. My mentors have been instrumental to my growth, and the nine students in my cohort are much more than peers — they are my role models, my confidants and my cheerleaders.
We like to say that “critique is love.” When work-shopping drafts in weekly seminar, we challenge each other out of encouragement, and in full confidence in everyone’s abilities.
What are you plans after graduation?
In a couple of years I plan to apply to doctoral programs in anthropology. My long-term goal is to synthesize my love of qualitative research with my passion for international development. The nuanced cultivation of knowledge and experiences that come with academic research, combined with the critical mobilization of resources and awareness of development work, could prove to be an amazing force.
I believe development anthropology has the ability to change the ways in which we change the world.
The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program will host its annual information session at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, in Cupples II, Room 102. For more information, visit the group’s Facebook page.
