by Philip Briggs
Edition 34: Spring 2006
Should we pay to take photographs of traditional African cultures? It’s a question that arises all over the continent, from Mali’s Dogon Country to Ethiopia’s Omo Valley. But nowhere does it seem to polarise opinions and fray tempers quite so frequently as it does in Maasailand, whose fabulously photogenic pastoralist inhabitants live in proximity to several of East Africa’s most popular wildlife-viewing areas, including the Serengeti and Masai Mara.
When it comes to being photographed, individual Maasai fall into one of
two camps: those who point blank refuse, and those who expect happy
snappers to pay for the privilege. And if Westerners generally have
some sympathy for the former attitude, most react with something
approaching outrage to the latter, interpreting it as evidence of a
hyper-commercialised and corrupted society ‐ an allegation that
reflects Western prejudices far more than it does contemporary Maasai
culture.
To diverge slightly, it can be difficult for outsiders to come to terms
with the cocktail of traditional and Western influences that informs
modern African culture. When it comes to religion, for instance, most
Africans are devout Christians or Muslims, yet many simultaneously
adhere to an apparently contradictory traditional belief system. And in
cities like Arusha or Nairobi, slick businessmen, trendy safari guides
and traditional Maasai co-exist in a manner that seems paradoxical to
outsiders but is unremarkable to locals. Furthermore, the businessman
or safari guide, should he happen to be Maasai, will return home for
special occasions in traditional attire, indistinguishable from
relatives who might always dress that way. The point being that,
whether outwardly modern or outwardly traditional, Africans, like us,
are all living in the 21st century. And a variety of external factors ‐
population growth, the gazetting of traditional grazing land as
national parks, exposure to other cultures and religions, the creation
of a cash economy ‐ ensure that their cultures are not static museum
pieces, but dynamic, modern entities.
For most safarigoers, direct exposure to traditional cultures will take
place in a semi-formalised ‘cultural village’, most of which are
genuine settlements that existed long before the advent of tourism but
now accept paying visitors for a fee. Personally, I see absolutely
nothing wrong with such institutions, and much that is commendable, but
they do have to be approached with realistic expectations. This, in
essence, is a cottage industry, one whose inhabitants derive a
substantial living from tourism, and it stands to reason that there
will be an element of contrivance to the experience.
And so, to our left, we have a bunch of well-off visitors from
media-obsessed Europe or North America, twiddling their video cameras,
straightening their custom-bought safari outfits, and planning the diet
they’ll go on to compensate for the endless lodge buffets. To our right
stand the red-robed representatives of a culture as resilient,
non-materialistic and ascetic as that of the Maasai. And the former
straight-facedly accuse the latter of being commercialised? Some
perspective, please… or are we so riddled with culture-bound
expectations about how traditional Africans should behave that the
slightest deviation blinds us to reality?
Should we pay to take photographs of traditional African cultures? Why
not? I find it difficult to get worked up about the subject. But if you
don’t like it, why not save your film and buy a postcard? In all
honesty, you’ll probably get a lot more from an encounter with the
Maasai, or any other similarly charismatic traditionalist culture, if
you desist from thrusting a camera in their collective face, and try to
actually communicate, or just enjoy the moment! |
