ninehillsRAMBLE in the JUNGLE
Land Grab in Esu? Or… how to undo an indigenous kommunity
By Wanaku Verdzekov · · Kom & Indigenous
Tags: land-grab, esu, plantations
Or… how to undo an indigenous kommunity.
Limerick:
"There once was a young wo/man from Esu
Who found a dead mouse in her/his stew.
Said the waiter, 'Don't shout
Or wave it about,
Or the rest will be wanting one too!'"
Comment: There's nothing wrong with plantations. In fact, that is what triggered slavery (I mean the slave trade of the many sugar plantations in the Caribbean and the cotton plantations of the American Deep South, among others). Then came mechanization, and the need for slaves (human muscles) was replaced by mechanized muscles: engines and machines. So what to do with the slaves now? That's a question. And humans still need plantations.
In the case of the people of Esu: they quietly lived their lives in the peace, calm and greenery of Esu Land… until "a dead mouse fell in their stew".
Ahem!
— Wanaku Verdzekov
Reading & grammar
Reading level: Gr 9–11
Understand
- What does the limerick suggest about the situation in Esu?
- How does the author link plantations to slavery?
- What does "a dead mouse fell in their stew" mean for Esu?
Grammar focus: humour for a serious point. The post opens with a comic limerick before a serious story. Humour can draw readers in, but writers must judge whether it fits the subject.
Try it: Is the limerick effective here, or does it make light of a serious issue? Write a paragraph giving your view.
Discuss: When a powerful investor wants community land, who should decide? Argue.