Central African Republic Archives

Mbenga vs. Development in the Dzanga-Sangha Forest

The Mbenga people have lived in the Dzanga-Sangha Forest of the Central African Republic for centuries. However, maintaining a traditional livelihood is now a challenge due to logging, poaching, poor health, and servitude to the majority Bilo who exploit local resources. Photo Credit: The Guardian

The University of Michigan has its origins in land coercively purchased by the United States Federal Government from the Anishinaabeg (including Odawa, Ojibwe, and Potawatomi) and Wyandot nations. While this project documents ongoing cases of land expropriation and dispossession outside of the United States, we are also based in a university that stands, like almost all property in the United States, on lands obtained from indigenous peoples, generally through violence, intimidation, and dishonesty. Knowing and acknowledging where we live and work does not change this, but a thorough understanding of the ongoing consequences of these histories must shape our research, teaching, and outreach to create a future that supports human flourishing and justice for all individuals.

Category: Central African Republic

Mbenga vs. Development in the Dzanga-Sangha Forest

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