The Tanzanian government is forcibly relocating Indigenous Maasai residents from their homes and ancestral lands in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA), according to a report by Human Rights Watch.

The area has been home to the Maasai for generations.

The 86-page report, “It’s Like Killing Culture,” details the Tanzanian government program that began in 2022 to relocate over 82,000 people from the NCA to Msomera village, about 600 kilometers away, for conservation and tourism purposes.

Since 2021, authorities have drastically reduced access to essential public services, including schools and health centers. This reduction in infrastructure and services, combined with restricted access to cultural sites, grazing areas, and a ban on crop cultivation, has made life increasingly difficult for residents, forcing many to relocate.