Forest and Shekacho people

Sheka is located in the south western part of Ethiopia. It is one of the remotest zones in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Regional State. Formerly it was part of the then Illubabour province. The present Shekocho zone was then known as Mocha Awraja. It was one of the five Awrajas in Illubabour province. For simplicity, Shekacho is the name of the Zone and Sheka is the area inhabited by Shekacho and other ethnic groups. Sheka is the remotest parts in the country, deprived of basic social services and less focused by both the regional and federal governments, except for its natural resources. In view of the present regime, the natural resources the Sheka people are in possession is more important than the people themselves.

During the imperial regime, the area was used for exiling political prisoners. A very good example was Abbe Gobegna who was critical writer and political opponent to the imperial regime. Abbe was

exiled in early 1970s due to his political views. The communist regime followed the same trend. Political opponents and illdisciplined public staffs were transferred to this area as punishment during the communist regime. Both regimes were no better than dark era to Sheka people, however; the Shekacho people

maintained and survived their views, outlooks and cultural practices towards forest protection and preservation with no or little

interference. Neither the imperial nor the Derg regime retracted communal rights of the people on sacred and hunting forests.

The cultural practices of Shekacho people had been transferred and sustained from generation to generation. It was the cultural practice of Shekacho man to consider a tree as his own child. If someone was not privileged to have child/children due to some reasons, say biological factors, he used to plant a tree, give every love and care like he could do if he had a child. This was a recent memory which has not faded yet from our remembrance.

In the Shekacho society the forests were divided into categories. There were sacred forest lands where cutting a single tree could never be allowed. The previous governments be the imperial regime or the communist junta, did no or little damage to forested of Sheka. The traditional tenure rights, management practices and religious value of forest managements of the Shekacho people was respected by both regimes. The following figure could give good insight about the fact in three decades. The total area under dense forest cover was on average 55% in most of the Derg time (1973-1987). There has been massive decline in forest cover from 1987 to 2005 in the area. A radical change occurred from 2001 to 2005. In four years the dense forest cover declined from 32% in 2001 to 20% by 2005 under TPLEF leadership. The following table is a good indicator of the magnitude of the change in the land cover from 19973-2005

Land cover from 1973-2005 Cover type/year Cover type Dense forest Disturbed forest Open forest Agric/tree Mosaic Agriculture Exposed/ cultivation Wetland Plantation Total land Percentage cover 1973 60 0 26 2 5 5 3 0 100 1987 50 9 25 2 7 3 3 0 100 2001 32 28 18 2 9 3 3 0 100 2005 20 30 21 2 10 6 3 5 100

Source: Melca Ethiopia, 2011 The total land covered with dense forest was 60% in 1973 which dropped significantly to 20% by 2005. In 2001, 32% of the total land was covered by dense forest and this dropped to 20% in 2005. The disturbed forest dramatically increased from 0% in 1973 to 30% in 2005. Similarly agriculture has increased from about 5% to 10%. There were forest for hunting and beekeeping. Trees used for beekeeping in the forest had owners. The owners were responsible to take care of their own trees. Trees were inherited like other

properties. These were recognized and respected by the previous regimes. I do remember that my older brother inherited trees that our dad used for beekeeping. These were accepted and respected practices among the community. There was no or little conflict in relation to ownership among the beekeepers. I had never come

across of such conflict in my age. Captivating trees and trees those served for beekeeping had never been cut randomly. If there was a need to cut, there should be enough justification. If not the cutter would suffer isolation, because he should be considered a person who revoked the social norms and values of the community. The cutter could suffer not only isolation, but also punishment. The punishment depends on the level of damage he had done against the forest in effect damage to the values and norms of the community. This was usually arbitrated by clan leaders and elderly community members. There were forests allocated for both hunting and beekeeping. Hunting forests were protected as well. The norms of the Sheka people protected hunting and beekeeping forest by prohibiting members of the community from farming and grazing at

juxtaposition. My personal experiences will be a good indicator of the good practice of Shekacho people. The event was 40 years ago. I was only about 10 years when I had a confrontation with a passerby. The incident was that, I cut a straight young Kerero tree and was carrying on my shoulder back home. The man stopped me while I was on my way. He was serious, red eyed and cloudy face. I felt that something terrible happened. I could not have the slightest guess that I was the terrible maker. He looked at me in a strange way. I was scared to death. Why did you do that? Asked me, but now more furious. What? My answer was a question in a polite way. Why did you cut this young tree? His voice was powerful and terrifying. I wanted it, I replied still polite, but nervous. I do realize how nave I was. Let god shorten your age like what you did for

this young tree. Do not grow up. My inside melted like an icecream. My heart bit was at rocked speed. I struggled to manage to remain polite and calm, however; my calmness and politeness did not cool him down. I threw down what I was carrying on my shoulder, started crying loudly and keep running. My dad was at the backyard doing some gardening works. Shocked by my strange crying, he was more than hurry to come out of the garden to see me. He checked that my situation was not that worse. After he

reassured that I was calm enough, he asked me as what went wrong. I was just to my mind and was able to speak out what had happened. I narrated the story politely. I told him the mans bad words and curses. He nodded his head in a way of accepting what I said. He was nodding his head to make me peaceful and calm. Ok that is fine. Go and bring the log that you cut and left. It did not take me long to reach and pick the log. He closely looked at the log. I later realized that my dad was not happy inside with what I did. You know why the man cursed you and why he was angry on you? I kept quiet. My dad started the simple reason was that you abrogated the law. The law of your society, which was accepted, honored and respected by generations for centuries. Listen carefully, dad

continued, listen my son, among Shekacho people it had been strictly forbidden to cut tree such as Shao/kerereo, Manjo/Ketema, Ororo/?, etc. But you did cut young, straight and charismatic kerero which could be considered as an image for the locality. What you did was against the cultural value of your community. That was why the man angry with you. That was why he cursed you my son. Did you get what I mean? I nodded my head as an approval.

My dad was good mentor and coach. He also used to tell me about the territory of Shekacho people, about tribal wars-wars between Kafficho and Shekacho, about Oromo invasions, about Miniliks invasion, migration of the people from northern Ethiopia. I did remember when he used to tell me about Amara people who have come and lived in Sheka from the North. I was told when, why and how they came to Sheka. It was too much to a nave teenager to comprehend some sort of geography, history, migration, and

invasion. My father was a farmer, but was very good advisor and coach. I wished now that my dad was alive to tell me more about our value and norms. It is so sad, despair and heartbreaking that all these golden irreplaceable social capitals are weakened, neglected, undermined and now on the verge of extinction. The first level of extinction of a particular group/society starts with extinction of some of its major social capitals. It is now clearer than ever that the positive values and norms have gone and the remaining ones are on their way to disappear, to disappear for no return. Now my questions are: what then? Can Shekacho survive without surviving its values and

cultural practices? I hope many will say no. What can be done to revive such social capitals? Who should be blamed for the current messy situation that the Shekacho people are engulfed with? The old generation who did not properly handed over the past to future new generation? The young generation who did not properly choose and take out the best from the old generation? The government who did not respect the rights and cultural values of the people and who often retracted its own constitution?

These are million dollar questions to young generations which need practical answers. If we do not do the right thing on the right time, whether we like it or not, history will blame us in one way or the other.

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