Many developing countries including Ethiopia have launched resettlement programs with ~ varying purposes but the result obtained were both success and failure. Hence, this research paper has attempted to explore the past resettlement experiences of the Mataka! /Pawe resettlement scheme and its implementations since 1974 based on historical perspectives . • In terms of historical perspectives the study indicates that the 1980s resettlement program in ... ABSTRACT Mataka! /Pawe preformed with some difficulties. Because the 1984 famine was huge in scale, and the Derg regime had to do something. The answer was resettlement, but the scheme was implemented in '! campaign approach without proper planning, the settlers faced problems in adapting the physical and social environment. As a result, due to political change in 1991, the majority of settlers left the resettlement areas. In the case of the local people and environment, the introduction of a high density of settlers with a more intensive form of land exploitation, and cle~ng of large areas for fuel wood had pushed the natives out of the settlement site. However, the settlers had access to basic socio-economic facilities like schools, potable water, • and health service centers with the effort of the Tana Balas project. Additionally the finding of the study indicates that, today a new generation system was born and developed the sense of belongingness and become active traders and wealthy farmers in the area.