Ethnic Cleansing and Human Evolution
Please pardon my recent radio silence. I evidently haven't mastered the art of simultaneously blogging and reporting for print, and I've been occupied with the latter this week. That's why this blog hasn't been updated since I blogged, well, about breaking my radio silence. Since then, I've been hard at work on a story about light pollution, which I hope will be ready to showcase in this space within a few days. In the meantime, let's talk about ethnic conflict and human evolution. (Disclaimer: What follows is more scientific hypothesis than journalistic fact. I welcome any data that confirm or refute what I'm about to suggest.)
It's not often that calls for ethnic cleansing relate in any way to human evolution. But I think I found one in a discouraging but beautifully written article about the historical roots of Kenya's current problems. The article shows how long-simmering conflicts over land ownership underpin much of the post-election violence currently seething across Kenya.
The Washington Post's Stephanie McCrummen, reporting from conflict-wracked Elmenteita, Kenya, wrote:
The family of former president Daniel arap Moi is similarly flush with fertile land, including a vast swath near this Rift Valley town, where preelection local radio broadcasts urged "the people of the milk," a reference to the Kalenjin [tribe], to "clear the weed," the Kikuyu [a rival tribe], according to a recent report by the International Crisis Group.
Now, I don't know much about the Kalenjin or the Kikuyu, but I do know that the former have traditionally been pastoralists, or animal herders, and the latter, farmers. I also know that conflicts between animal herders and farmers are nearly as old as the firmament. (Just think of the allegory of Cain, the farmer, and Abel, the shepherd.)
I suspect there's a link between the metonyms the violence-inciting broadcaster used—"people of the milk" and "the weed"—and the social and genetic histories of the two tribes he or she was alluding to.
Around the world, many people (like virtually all other mammals) are unable to drink milk as adults. Lactose intolerance, in a sense, is nature's default state. But lactose tolerance has evolved in many groups of people whose ancestors have herded mammals for centuries. These people have had a long-standing evolutionary incentive, so to speak, to be able to drink milk throughout their lives. So it makes sense that the pastoralist Kalenjins drink milk.
And the "weeds"? Well, that sure sounds like an unsubtle—not to mention offensive—reference to the way the Kikuyus, like Adam and Eve, by the sweat of their brows, learned long ago to coax a living from the soil.
Tags: Kenya | genocide | evolution
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Waste of time and space
I can't believe that this inept, rambling, ridiculous piece of pseudo-fluff was actually published in USNews. Especially under the title Ethnic Cleansing and Human Evolution. To the author: Quit smoking weed before you write, and go back to journalism school. The previous poster hit the nail on the head: This doesn't even rise to the level of junk science. The title was intriguing which is why I clicked on the article. Too bad there was nothing to back it up.
Ouch!
I'm glad you liked the headline, Phil. Too bad the rest of it felt like a waste of your time. I hope the others reading this blog are at least somewhat interested in engaging in a free flow of ideas, which, of course, is the best way for immature ideas to mature.
Ben Harder,
If you have travelled to this Kenya that you write about and if you have tried to use your computer cord there you must have realised that you need an adapter to use it there. Now if you choose not to get an adapter then you won't use your computer, simple as that, for while Americans use two prong plugs Kenya use three prong ones. What you essentially tried to do is to borrow this item from the news and may be it was a slow day, find a way to make a science link to it. Now to your hypothesis or are you coming up with a new theory? It is called trying too much. This why:
1. The problem in Kenya is nowhere near being called ethnic cleansing or even genocide as some sections of the media were quick to call. Please check your facts carefully before you rush to click publish
2. The Kalenjins are not hell bent to wipe out the kikuyu. The problem is more complex than that. Both sides have played a part. It starts with historical, colonial injustices, incompetent unwilling indigenous governments and land ownership is at the root of the whole thing. Let me just put it simply, Kalenjin land was taken from them by the colonial government, then the indigenous governments continued form where the British left. Even then Kalenjins are not as badly off as the Kikuyus who number much more than the Kalenjins. The kalenjins do not want to lose any more land while the kikuyus are eyeing the kalenjin lands (Rift Valley).And no they do not want to buy it in a clean buyer /seller transaction they want to snatch it.
3 So the kalenjins are only defending what is theirs. It boils down to livelihood, culture and 'a way of life'. And I think that the Kalenjins have a right to defend theirs.
4. It is not genocide or ethnic cleansing. Otherwise what America is doing in Iraq and Afghanistan is genocide. The kalenjins are defending themselves and so are the kikuyus.
You will do better if you actually do a little research before pushing this kind of article into the faces of your readers. It seems to me you did not want to be left behind without commenting on the Kenyan crisis that everyone has been covering in the last two months. It is not fair to your readers and to Kenyans. I will comment on the science bit, there is nothing to back it up .Or did you just want to tell us you plan on working on it. Trying to understand African problems using formulas that have worked in the west without a deep understanding of the problem has never worked. So would it have been different if one of the warring tribes had evolved to tolerate flatulence from eating beans? Whatever happened to research and double check? We Africans are tired by the careless manner that western journalists cover African issues. By the way I am lactose tolerant, (care to send me a few litres?) and I do not consider it negative in any way. It has not made me hostile to my neighbours and friends from all four sides of the globe.
ok
Am kenyan, and you have just made a fool of yourself by using what the media reported and make more nonsense out of what you read. Before you scientifically study Kenya and its citizens like they are cave people, go there and talk to them about what's really going on. Great Britain is at fault of what really happened in Kenya because they came and put boundaries when their should'nt be none, Britain exhausted all of Kenyans natural resources and like they did all other African countries left Kenya in a mess, and gave power to the Kikuyus who they felt they could trust more than the Kalenjins, Lous or Luyhas. Next time get your facts straight before publishing junk.
Ben Harder's reply: Michael, you're quite right that British policies toward Kenyans in general and specifically with respect to their tribal affiliations are a very significant contributor to the current conflict in your homeland. According to the McCrummen article, in fact, a Kenyan's tribal identity was once a flexible characteristic that could change during one's lifetime--more of a Lamarckian trait than a Darwinian one. That was before the British imposed stricter divisions to suit their purposes. Incidentally, I have been to Kenya. I visited in 2002 and interviewed quite a few Kenyans and foreigners, primarily for a story (subscription required by Science News, but also available free here) I wrote on methods for safely disinfecting contaminated water.
Common ground
When I visited Kenya in 2002, most people I spoke with seemed untroubled by their tribal differences, or at least striving to find common ground in spite of them. I remember two friends (a Luo and a Kikuyu) joking that despite being from different tribes they looked ethnically indistinguishable from one another, spoke the same tongue, and held jobs with the same employer. I deeply hope that those two men are still friends today.
kenya
Well Ben, am a Luo, and my best two friends here in Charlotte are Kikuyus, when all this started, we consoled each other despite the differences back in Kenya, but I was much offended by the way you potrayed the whole picture blaming it on tribal lines, Kikuyus, Luos, Luyhas and Kalenjins lived peacefully before the British came, the English created this whole mess and did little to help resolve it, the United States even did more than the Great Britain to bring peace back to Kenya, but before you publish any material go as far back as you can and research more facts.
Science??
Ben-Here is a definition for you for the word science!
"a branch of knowledge or study dealing with a body of facts or truths systematically arranged and showing the operation of general laws"
Your piece represents nothing that deals with facts.....you should join the hollow man in hollywood sitting around pools and coming up with cute ideas like the way you did this piece. If you would like to know the truth, hop on one of the company Jets and go to Kenya and take a drink of truth......we will forever be grateful reading your posts then!
T
Ben guessed, but he guessed right
Ben, don't listen to all these complainers, you guessed right (See IRIN, "Spreading the word of hate" http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/777bb0d43384210781b07badf7d4df3f.htm).
Steve and evolution?
No steve he is still trying too hard.Let him take another subject please.
Milk-lactose-tolerance-incitement-violence-land -history no connection.
This is a life and death issue for Kenyans not one for childish scientific speculation. You need entertainment? Hollywood is right next door.I think they are still screening American Idol. Make fun of that instead. I am a kenyan and I am still offended one week later....
Shades of Carl Schmitt
Actually Ben Herder has an intriguing, well not hypothesis, but still at the very least a meme. By explaining violence through linking land tenure to ethnic identity and way of life, he is following a path well troden.
Blut und Boden anyone?
The evolution bit is easier to understand, Kenya being the cradle of mankind and all that, hence 'we' are closer to nature and swing machetes in warfare as opposed to 'they' the rational ones who'd split the atom on top of people's heads to immolate them instead.
Entertaining enough, nothing to get too worked about, just good clean fun.
Elmenteita
This is all very interesting but as one living at Elmenteita the situation is so much more complicated and urgent than one can imagine. Right now we need more long drops because the facilities are inadequate. There is a mobile medical unit that comes every 2 weeks but that is not enough. We are doing are best just to discover who s actually in need and those who are taking advantage of the stricken. The rains have begun and needs are ever more pressing and the demands are increasing. If anyone wants to really help then contact us and we will do our best to get the help to the people who are really in need.
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Wow, This Is Really Dumb
And which part of this was either scientific hypothesis or scientific fact? What part of it relates to human evolution? The part about Adam and Eve?
This sounds like a bunch of truly ridiculous speculation. It's not even junk science. Do you understand what makes something a scientific hypothesis? If so, what in this silliness you've written would be the testable claim?
Mar 08, 2008 07:24:23 AM [permalink] [report comment]