Up to 70,000 Maasai people are facing eviction from their ancestral lands by the Tanzanian government, which is seeking to establish a 1,500-square kilometer area for trophy hunting in its place. According to the nonprofit Survival International, a large police force arrived at the Loliondo division of Ngorongoro district on June 8. Two days later, police fired on people in an effort to force the tribe off the land. While the Tanzanian government denies forced removal, Survival International published graphic images of Maasai people that show bloodied faces and pierced flesh, and an Al Jazeera interview confirmed several serious injuries. The government says that the police operation was intended to demarcate hunting land and begin conservation.
The Maasai have submitted a plan to open designated hunting and conservation lands, which would also allow the Maasai people to remain and share the economic benefits from the tourism. According to the leader, the government never responded. O...