The land tenure issue, with regard to Maya land rights,
is the overarching problem, from which several other issues threatening
Mayan existence originate. The two chief issues are the logging of Maya
lands by foreign companies, and the negative social impacts of the paving
of the Southern Highway. In addition to land-related problems, there are
other social problems such as the ongoing threat to indigenous religion,
the looting of Mayan ruins by foreigners, the high illiteracy rate among
Mayas, and the general problem of access to political power.
Logging
Since 1995, the Toledo District has been doled out to seventeen different
logging companies, both foreign and Belizean. None of them are Mayan. These
concessions, granted by the government of Belize, disregard the uniqueness
of these rainforests and were made without the participation of the local
Maya communitites. The Toledo Atlantic International logging company, which
has received the largest concession, is backed by a Malaysian company.
They have licenses to log over 159,000 acres bordering seven Ke'kchi Mayan
communitites in the southern part of the Toledo District, directly affecting
the streams where these people bathe and get their drinking water, and
threatening their traditional hunting grounds. In addition, another Malaysian-backed
company known as Atlantic Industries Limited has permission to log 24,000
acres of rainforest in the Columbia River Forest Reserve and the Maya Mountain
Forest Reserve. Small as this concession may be, it is probably the most
damaging in terms of environmental degradation and is directly threatening
the existence of fifteen Maya communities bordering these reserves. For
example, all of the streams passing through these communities originate
in the areas designated for logging.
The Forest Department has said that all "social, economic, environmental,
and ecological concerns have been addressed," but the lack of enforcement
undermines the Forest Department's goal. Without any enforement of the
eighty-three rules outlined in the Columbia River Forest Management Plan,
the work of the Forest Planning and Management Profect in designing a model
plan for the sustainable loggin of the Columbia Forest Reserve is meaningless.
For example, measures taken to control log extraction are not being carried
out because there is rarely a Forest Department officer on site at the
loggin activity!
On November 16, 1995, a team of observers, representing the Toledo Maya
Cultural Council (TMCC) and the Ke'kchi Council of Belize (KCB), walked
to the Atlantic Industries logging site north of Jimmy BUt in the Columbia
Forest Reserve, near the village of San Jose. On that day, bulldozers were
expanding the logging road and log hunters were in the forest searching
for specimens of hardwood to cut. According to the logging concession granted
to the Atlantic Company, there should be absolutely no felling or removing
of logs from this section of forest (#25 in the Columbia River Forest Management
Plan) until the year 2007, but area clearing by bulldozers and construction
of sawmill facilities have already begun. The observers counted eleven
large trees within a two-mile area that had been cut without Forest Department
approval. None of the logs or stumps displayed the required marks of the
Forest Department of the Atlantic Company.
As long as the Forest Department is significantly understaffed, enforement
of rules will continue to be a major obstacle to sustainable forestry in
Belize. For example, revenues and taxes from cut logs will probably never
be fully collected by the government. The Atlantic Company has already
broken several of the concession laws. Why should we trust that they will
pay all of their taxes? The people in Belize should not be fooled into
thinking that the logging concessions must be allowed in order to raise
funds for our country. We will lose the precious national heritage that
can only increase in value over the years. A company that disregards th
guidelines set up for sustainability does not deserve to manage the area.
The protection of rainforests will not only benefit the Maya, but Belize
and the world as well. The Columbia River Forest Reserve has an invaluable
ecological significance. Located in the northwestern corner of the Toledo
District, it borders Guatemala to the west, Chiquibul National Park and
Bladen Nature Reserve to the north, the Maya Mountains Forest Reserve to
the east, and several Mayan Indian communities and Reservations to the
south (see Map of Sanctuaries, Reserves, and Parks). In 1993, Conservation
International conducted a biological assessment of the Columbia River Forest
Reserve and concluded that "protection of these forests is a high conservation
priority for the country." The scientist stated that "we can saw without
hesitation that the evergreen forests of this area are of great national
and international importance as a resevior of biological diversity. Our
studies strongly indicate that the most species-rich plant and animal communities
in Belize occur in Columbia River Forest Reserve." Botanists decumented
diverse local flora that may surpass 1,500 species, which represents a
high percentage of all plant species in the country. Several plant species
indentified are unique to the area, including fifteen species not previously
seen in Belize. A recently described tree and a mountain palm are known
only in this area and in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala.
Over 224 bird species were recorded, including 43 wintering bird species
from Eastern North America. According to the survey, one bird is of special
conern: "the Keel-billed Motmot needs special concern because deforestation
can directly threaten its geographical and ecological range. It is also
worth nothing that thirty-five species found are rare in the country."
The biological team also found three previously unrecorded species of frogs,
indicating the unique qualities of this particular forest. Additionally,
the reserve is "a critally important watershed that traps and recycles
the heavy rainfall that is so crucial to the productivity of agricultural
lands [in Toledo]. The removal of forest cover ... will undoubtedly have
strong and lasting impacts on the rural economy of southern Belize."
The logging practices we have observed have threatened this gragile
ecological balance. In contrast, the Maya system of agriculture has proven
to be more environmentally friendly. Mayan farming methods use local plants
to supply nutrients to the soil and help stop erosion all year round. This
is crucial in an area that recieves 180 iches of rainfall every year. In
addition, we are moving towards a more intensive form of sustainable agriculture
by promoting the planting of permanent crops such as cacao and citrus.
The transition, though, will take time. Logging the Columbia River Forest
Reserve will not enhance our goal of sustainable agriculture. Although
some farmers have milpas near the Forest Reserve, they do not represent
a threat to the existence of the rainforest compared to the intensive logging
operations to be carried out by the Malaysians.
The Southern Highway
The loggin situation we are confronting is not an isolated issue. All of
the same questions about environmental justice are posed by the upgrading
of the Southern Highway. Paving this road will be a blessing and a curse
to the people of Toledo. It will bring much revenue to the district and
tie in this "forgotten district" with the rest of the nation. This area
is the last frontier to be exploited for mineral, marine, and agricultural
resources, and it is a potential haven for government and private enterprises
to expand their profits. However, the incorporation of Toledo into the
rest of the country may further disadvantage indigenous communities. The
Maya are the poorest people of the nation, unable to tap into the benefits
of increased commerce. The land tenure question, regarding the control
of the land on which we live, must be resolved before the highway is completed.
We want to make it clear up front that we are not against development.
But neither do we support development which would have lasting negative
impacts on the social structure of the local people. The Maya are unprepared
for mass development projects because of their lack of education, health
services, transportation between villages, and political voice. The road
is not being paved to benefit the indigenous community, but the wealthiest
people of the nation. Imagine what could happen with the arrival of rich
investors looking for land to buy or sell if they are allowed a free hand
in the vicinity of the Maya communities.
The principle of stewardship over our natural resources, which makes
Maya agriculture superior to loggin, would inevitably be undermined by
the "mine-and-run" philosophy of land speculators.
As people concerned with the fate of the environment and social justice,
we must ask ourselves: who stands to benefit from the upgrading of this
road? The answer can be found by examining the interest of those who are
pushing the project. Consultation of the Mayas have been minimal, and the
flow of information has been essentially one-directional. This is true
even with our supposed participation in the Environmental, Social, Technical
Assistance Program (ESTAP), created by the government of Belize and the
Inter-American Develpment Bank (IDB). Representatives from local communities,
but their voices are consistently ignored. This superficial representation
frustrates community leaders, as government plans hatched up in Belmopan
are implemented on Mayan lands. Clearly, those who stand to gain the most
are the large commercially-exporting banana and citrus companies who would
love to expand their fields in the south, and will do so if given the opportunity,
regardless of what local people say.
Other Problems
The Mayas of Toledo are face with numerous, severe socio-economic and political
problems. The educational system is woefully inadequate, and consequently
the illteracy rate of the Mayas is the highest in the country. The Mayas
are often called the "poorest of the poor" in Belize, with government statistics
indicating that the average annual family income is only US $600 per year.
Basic social infrastructure, including health care, transportation services,
and communication services, is sorely underdeveloped. To compound these
problems, the Mayas lack a means to redress their grievances, as we have
absolutely no political representation in the government of Belize and
are treated as the "forgotten people" of our own country. |
