The World and Indigenous Culture

Reviewed by NINA SPRINGLE
Is the Sacred for Sale?
Tourism and
Indigenous peoplesAlison M. Johnston
(Earthscan Publications, 2005)
It would be all too easy to write this
book off as just another far fetched
conspiracy theory, spouting an albeit
unusual mix of development theory
and new age spiritualism, but the
deeper you go, the more merit Alison
Johnston’s argument has. ‘Is the Sacred
for Sale’ is a self declared call to fellow
citizens of the world to think very carefully about the choices we will
inevitably have to make about how we treat the earth and how we
perceive our spiritual connection to it.
Her fundamental contention lies in the idea that tourism is the new
means by which corporations and governments of the industrialised
world maintain their colonial monopoly over the developing world.
That in reality, tourism is a means of converting the developing and
consolidating the commitment of the developed to the new ‘religion’
of consumerism, all at the expense of indigenous cultures and spiritual
beliefs which she terms sacred knowledge. By paying lip service to the
politically correct jargon of sustainability, biodiversity and community
participation, the ‘industrial Man’ (including some UN agencies,
WHO , WTO , IMF etc…all the usual suspects) is able to abuse and
exploit indigenous land rights and sabotage the self determination
of indigenous peoples who more often than not ‘find it impossible
to effectively challenge industry practices or government approval
processes that threaten their ancestral territory and culture.’
Her contempt never shines as brightly as it does in her exploration
of the supposedly virtuous and ecologically sustainable spin off,
‘Ecotourism’. A simple but overwhelmingly effective marketing
strategy, ecotourism dupes affluent people into believing that they
are participating in a venture that is based on equal partnership,
community consultation and sustainable practises all designed
to benefit indigenous peoples. When in actual fact, it is simply a
devious means of getting them to spend their money gawking at
the very cultural and environmental diversity they are destroying
with their consumerist lifestyles.
This is an important book, even if simply to counterbalance the hype
of the tourism industry, but be prepared for some heavy claims.
For example, that compensation given to indigenous peoples for
government/corporate initiated land swaps/buyouts equates to
‘calculated genocide’. Or that the profit formulas for ecotourism
industry perpetuate colonial patterns and the classic trickle down
effect, creating oppressive relationships in target communities,
which experience loss of culture, identity and self esteem. This
can include post traumatic stress syndrome, which results in the
acting out of grief through substance abuse, domestic violence,
prostitution, corruption and crime.
Johnson is scathing in her critical analysis, and decidedly evangelical
about possible solutions to such a pronounced imbalance of power.
However, like so many anti establishment theorists, Johnston tends to
reiterate the same or similar ideas over and over again at full voice,
just in slightly different guises. Other critics may point out her hazy
definition of the word ‘indigenous’.
But perhaps this is nit picking. Perhaps Johnston’s intention for
a book like this is less an academic exercise and more a wellreferenced
proclamation of consciousness or humanitarian
manifesto, a wake up call to humanity. Either way, it is clear why
she is so passionate and committed to this cause – it’s one we all
should be committed to.
reviews
Nina Springle is a writer and community development
worker currently undertaking a Masters of International and
Community Development at Deakin University, Australia.