Get lost in a cultural immersion with some of the last Hunter Gatherers
The Yaeda Valley is home to the Hadzabe hunter gatherers. The focus of a visit here is to learn from and about the Hadza, by taking natural history walks with them and visiting their camps. This is a very special experience in this day and age.
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The Hadza, a small ethnic group of hunter-gatherers, are the earliest known inhabitants of the Yaeda Valley, though no one can say for sure when they arrived or where they came from originally. Linguistic studies show that while their language is superficially similar to the Khoisan language group of the Bushmen and Hottentots, it cannot be placed in any of the recognized major ethno-linguistic groups.
The Yaeda Valley Tourism Program began in the early 1990’s when the Hadzabe community invited a small, family-owned safari company to bring tourists to the Yaeda Valley. The relationship between the Hadza and the Peterson family goes back some forty years, and it was of concern to both parties that tourism in the valley serve the Hadza’s needs and values. The Hadza’s invitation led to a series of powwows, resulting in a carefully monitored tourism program.
The Yaeda Valley Tourism Program began in the early 1990’s when the Hadzabe community invited a small, family-owned safari company to bring tourists to the Yaeda Valley. The relationship between the Hadza and the Peterson family goes back some forty years, and it was of concern to both parties that tourism in the valley serve the Hadza’s needs and values. The Hadza’s invitation led to a series of powwows, resulting in a carefully monitored tourism program.
The Yaeda Valley Tourism Program is based on certain principles, among them:
The Hadza have valuable knowledge that the rest of the world has lost.
Hunting and gathering cultures, with their foundation of ecological prudence, have lessons to teach all people. What the Hadza would like you, as a visitor, to take home is an appreciation of their culture not as an antiquated tradition disconnected from the modern world but as a valid part of it. This approach to tourism bolsters self-identity among a people victimized by severe prejudice and discrimination across the board.
Community values and goals are paramount.
Because Hadza land is a communal resource and Hadza society is egalitarian, tourism is judged worthwhile only if it enhances community land and resource rights. In particular, tourism should not permit individuals to profit at the expense of the community. Tourist proceeds go primarily to community accounts, though smaller fees (structured by the community) are paid to local individuals who take part in a given tourist visit.
The Hadza have valuable knowledge that the rest of the world has lost.
Hunting and gathering cultures, with their foundation of ecological prudence, have lessons to teach all people. What the Hadza would like you, as a visitor, to take home is an appreciation of their culture not as an antiquated tradition disconnected from the modern world but as a valid part of it. This approach to tourism bolsters self-identity among a people victimized by severe prejudice and discrimination across the board.
Community values and goals are paramount.
Because Hadza land is a communal resource and Hadza society is egalitarian, tourism is judged worthwhile only if it enhances community land and resource rights. In particular, tourism should not permit individuals to profit at the expense of the community. Tourist proceeds go primarily to community accounts, though smaller fees (structured by the community) are paid to local individuals who take part in a given tourist visit.