Baiga And Maasai

This week’s discussion we focused on the agriculture and mythology of both India and the Baiga people. It was interesting to see the input and opinions that group members had regarding the similarities and differences between the Baiga and the Maasai. We discussed that both the Baiga and Massai thought that something was rightfully theirs and given to them from their creator. In the case of the Maasai this was the cattle that they were gifted from God and the Baiga believed that they were the chosen ones and the kings of the jungle. The Baiga also have an interesting type of agriculture called Bewar, which is similar to a slash and burn technique. Bewar is where plants and bushes are burned to the ground and the ashes are left to dry, this acts as a type of fertilizer for the ground, then a mix of sixteen seeds are sprinkled on the ground a week before it rain this type of …show more content…
The culture and practices of the Baiga have led to multiple disputes between them and the Indian Forest Department and in our group we discussed whether the culture of the Baiga should be a priority or the preservation of the forest area. Some group members argued that the practice of Bewar replenishes the nutrients of the soil so if it were to remain it could potentially be more sustainable than in other parts of India while others said that the preservation of forest land should be a priority and some even mentioned a balance between the two sides. Finding a balance would not be easy because the Baiga are already thought of as being criminals and are being kicked off of their land, Bewar and current agriculture practices that are being put to use in India also differ and it would be difficult to find a compromise since both sides are against one another. Another similarity between the Maasai and Baiga that we discussed was how in both cases the government is interfering and taking their lands away, while both the Maasai and Baiga want to govern themselves instead of being