If we venture beyond the comfort and familiarity of the ground that we have walked upon our whole lives, we will discover vibrant cultures and communities. These communities are the original inhabitants, united by unique customs. They are human beings just like us, yet they are displaced from the land that is rightfully theirs. I would like to introduce you to one of these communities in Uganda, the Batwa tribe, whose story needs to be told.

In 1991, in an effort to save the endangered mountain gorillas, the government displaced the Batwa tribe from their home to create the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Wildlife management became human management as the Batwa tribe, known as “The Keepers of the Forest,” was forced to start from scratch in an environment unfamiliar to them. For thousands of years, the Batwa pygmies were hunter-gatherers with a distinct forest-based economic and social structure. Relocating the Batwa to unforested lands without any compensation destroyed thousand-year-old traditions and threatened their way of life. The ancient African tribe was stripped of their land and of their identity.

The Biocultural Conservation Institute (BCI) was created to empower indigenous communities like the Batwa tribe. BCI was founded by Alan Whitehead in 2009. Passionate about environmental conservation and connecting with the Maasai people in Kenya, Whitehead along with Rafi Abramowitz led The Amboseli Guide School, a Maasai field guide training program. Thus, BCI bloomed as an organization working to spread awareness about indigenous communities’ culture. Whitehead essentially created BCI to protect the communities’ wildlife, solve human-wildlife conflicts, and promote environmental-friendly tourist practices.

BCI expanded their work with indigenous communities to Uganda when Alex Byomugabe, project director of Sanuriro Batwa Community Development Association, connected with the BCI team. Byomugabe has worked tirelessly to uplift the Batwa pygmies, as well as to educate the children. He spreads awareness about the Batwa’s situation through his love for photography. Byomugabe has instructed the Batwa how to adapt to their non-forested land by teaching them how to cultivate pumpkins, cabbages, sweet potatoes, and banana trees by tending to nursery beds and by sack farming. 

I had the pleasure of interviewing Byomugabe. An interesting fact he shared with me was that “The Batwa people used to rub two sticks when they were still living in the forest. They can’t forget their culture so they teach young generations what they used to do in their early years.”

Everyone is united at the Sanuriro Community Culture Center by dancing, weaving, and reciting poetry. Byomugabe’s photos show that the Batwa people have such love and care for each other. They are not strangers who deserve to be shunned away from their home. Because they have been displaced, they do not have enough land for agriculture and they do not have easy access for water. The Batwa children are in school, but they need sponsors urgently. Byomugabe and the Batwa people he works with have already made tremendous progress due to their immense efforts. It is time to do our part and support these remarkable communities who are ardently working to rebuild their community. BCI strives to remind society that despite living on different sides of the earth, we are connected with the Batwa people. We are united under one common goal: we all care about fostering a sustainable relationship with the land and supporting indigenous peoples who do so. To quote the inspirational words of Walt Anderson, board member of BCI, “At this time as we approach Thanksgiving, let’s see how we can help foster hope and support for those people and landscapes that need it.”