Fred Ngusilo, left, a member of the Ogiek community, works with a relative to sift through the ruins of their grandfather's house in the Mau forest, destroyed by Kenyan police.

(BOSTON) Imagine living in the same forest as your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and all your ancestors as far back in time as stories can tell, and depending on the forest for food, shelter, recreation and education. Imagine, then, that the forest depends on you, too, because you and your people have protected it for generations.

Then, along come government officials who tell you what you already know: The forest is precious, an environmental and ecological gem that should be preserved. And then they tell you that to protect it, you all have to leave.

Originally published on theconversation.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.

(0) comments

Welcome to the discussion.

Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.