By Ryan Fortune
The prevailing narrative of Progress often overlooks the devastating consequences of human actions on the natural world. One of the many places in the world where this tragedy is now being enacted is in the Western Cape where the decimation of the Chacma baboons has been given free rein.
Fueled by human expansion into baboon habitats, this conflict is often framed as a problem caused by the baboons themselves. Blaming the baboons, however, not only ignores the larger context of human encroachment, but is also a typical case of what Native Americans referred to as the 'wetiko mindset' in action.
The wetiko mindset is one that is characterised by greed, excess, and a sense of separation from nature, as this is demonstrably evident in the response of many Western Cape humans to the local baboon population.
Instead of seeking sustainable solutions that acknowledge the baboons' right to exist, some residents have resorted to violence and extermination, now with the implicit blessing of City of Cape Town officials who have decided to shut down the Urban Baboon Programme at the end of this year: dozens of 'baboon rangers' tasked with maintaining peaceful human-baboon relations will be left unemployed and struggling to feed their families.
This approach echoes the larger pattern of so-called "Civilised" human behaviour: exterminating competitors and denying them access to resources, driven by a belief that the world exists solely for their benefit. As the Native American shamans warned, this is precisely the kind of mindset and consequent behaviour that leads to ecological collapse and societal breakdown.
Individuals like Jenni Trethowan, founder of Baboon Matters, represent a counter-narrative to the "wetiko" mindset.
Trethowan has dedicated decades to advocating for humane and sustainable solutions to the baboon conflict, emphasising the need for better waste management, baboon-proof fencing, and public education.
Her work embodies the call for a paradigm shift, urging a move away from the destructive patterns of the "wetiko" mindset and towards a more harmonious coexistence with the natural world.
The Chacma baboon situation in the Western Cape provides a potent local lens through which to observe how the pursuit of progress, when divorced from ethical considerations and ecological awareness, can lead to the destruction of both the natural world and the very fabric of our society.
So when you visit the Western Cape this holiday season and see baboon corpses scattered across the highways and byways, or starving children begging at the traffic lights for a bite to eat, understand that you are observing the outcome of the wetiko mindset in action, heedless of the warnings of Indigenous prophets who could see far into our collective future, and who warned us about what was to come.
Fortune is a techno-realist who helps businesses adapt to new digital innovations. He can be contacted at https://topmate.io/ ryan_fortune