Why do We need to Recognize Their Unique Role in Environmental Management?
Indigenous peoples have a deep spiritual connection to the natural world and have been, since the most ancient times, living in full cohesion with Mother Earth.
Although they make up a small percentage of the global population, they play a vital role in the care and regeneration of the environment as they steward almost half of the world’s land surface and 80% of its remaining biodiversity. In other words, they are some of the most effective guardians of our planet’s natural resources.
Sadly, history has shown how often indigenous communities have cruely been marginalized and overlooked. Indeed, over the course of the year, they faced discrimination, poverty, and hazardous violence – jeopardizing their traditional knowledge and custodial responsibilities which have not been enough recognized or valued.
But there is hope. Increasingly, governments, NGOs, and businesses are beginning to realize the importance of indigenous people in preserving our planet’s precious resources. In light of the current environmental threats, we must acknowledge our responsibility to support these communities and help them overcome some of the challenges they face. This is the first pivotal step to unlocking their immense potential as key allies in the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss.
The historical context of Indigenous people and their connection to the environment
As aforementioned indigenous people have a unique relationship to the environment as they belive that humans are not separate from the life around us but rather a vital part of it. They place Mother Earth at the center of cultural, judicial, and social systems as the element which ties everything as one. Their profound connection to the land is often passed down through generations – building a deep ancestral knowledge of their local ecosystem. This intimate relationship with their surroundings has led many Indigenous communities to develop practices and capabilities essential for the sustainable management of the environment.
Unfortunately, this way of living has been massively jeopardized due to the widespread and long-lasting colonization of indigenous lands. European powers’ settlement of new territories in the 16th century signaled the beginning of a new period in which the exploitation of resources, people, and civilizations was systematic. Indeed, the impact of colonization on indigenous tribes throughout the world has been tremendous. In many instances, it resulted in the removal of indigenous people from their traditional territories and the extinction of their traditional ways of living – leading, among other things, to the exploitation of natural resources and detrimental effects on local ecosystems.
Despite the challenges and widespread marginalization, indigenous communities have continued to play an important role in environmental management. Fortunately, in recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the important role of Indigenous as they are vital stewards of our environment and its fast-depleting resources. For example, The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is a landmark framework that establishes universal standards fo the treatment of indigenous peoples. This comprehensive international agreement outlines the minimum rights and protections to which indigenous peoples are entitled, such as the right to survival, dignity, and well-being. Additionally, the Declaration extends upon existing human rights norms and fundamental freedoms in order to address the particular and special issues faced by indigenous peoples such as dispossession of land, forced removal or relocation, impacts of large-scale development, abuses by military forces, and armed conflict. The framework also acts as a fundamental instrument for the fight for indigenous rights and self-determination – the right to freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development – serving as a guiding principle for governments and other actors interacting with indigenous peoples.
Why do Indigenous people have a vital role in environmental protection?
1. Indigenous people have a unique connection to the land.
Indigenous peoples have a deep spiritual connection to nature that has been passed down through generations. This relationship stems from a belief in the interdependence of all living organisms and a respect for the equilibrium and harmony of the natural world. For numerous indigenous peoples, nature is not merely a resource to be exploited, but rather a holy and living entity to be revered and conserved. Hence, their spiritual practices frequently revolve around the concept of a reciprocal link between humans and nature, whereby we are responsible for caring for the land and all its creatures – in return, the earth provides for their needs.
Contrary to indigenous traditions, we are witnessing nowadays a widespread culture of land exploitation, closely tied to the rise of industrialization and capitalism. This mode of treating our habitat results from the ideology that the land is a means to an end – a resource to be extracted and transformed into goods and services that can be sold for profit. Hence, from a state of connection and abundance, we have shifted to a sense of scarcity perceiving our home, planet earth, a mere warehouse.
2. Indigenous people have a vested interest in preserving the environment.
The health of the environment is essential to the well-being of Indigenous communities as they embrace sustainable management of natural resources which can fullfil their essential needs without jeopardizing one of the future generations.
Based on an ancient Haudenosaunee philosophy, the Seventh Generation Principle states that the decisions we make now should result in a sustainable planet 7 generations from now. In the context of environmental priorities, it is commonly associated with the belief that we borrow the earth from our children’s children and it is our duty to ensure that decisions regarding energy, water, and natural resources remain sustainable for the future. However, it may also be applied to relationships, whereby every action should result in seven-generation-long ties.
The rationale for this sustainable blueprint lies in the core belief each human are brother and sister and most importantly equal being. Their social and cultural traditions reflect a long heritage of mutual respect and support among indigenous peoples. Many indigenous tribes, for instance, have a practice of sharing resources and assisting people in need, regardless of their background or circumstances. This sense of community and mutual assistance is crucial and is seen as a key component in their survival.
3. Indigenous people bring practical knowledge to environmental management.
The connection indigenous have with mother earth in not only spiritual but also practical. These communities carry a large patrimony of ancient knowledge which allows them to know intimately their land and understand its rhythms and patterns. This knowledge, known as TEK (traditional ecological knowledge), is founded on centuries of close observation and engagement with the environment. Hence, this allows them to have a profound grasp of the natural systems and processes of their ancestral lands, as well as the interrelationships between various species and ecosystem components.
Indigenous peoples employ their land knowledge for a number of objectives, including subsistence, cultural and spiritual rituals, and land management. For instance, they have established sophisticated systems for sustainable resource utilization and land management, such as rotational grazing, fire management, and water management. Moreover, their sacred connection to the environment allowed them to develop a rich tradition of monitoring the health of the land and its inhabitants and making resource management decisions based on this evidence. Furthermore, they frequently use indications such as the presence or absence of specific species, changes in the timing of natural occurrences, and the health of rivers and streams to assess the health of their ancestral lands and make resource management decisions.
During the colonization process, European powers frequently perceived indigenous peoples and their civilizations as inferior and barbaric – strongly devaluating their traditional environmental knowledge and practices. As a matter of fact, this false belief in the scientific and technological superiority of the West over other forms of knowledge has been misused to legitimize the exploitation and dominance of indigenous peoples and their habitats.
In a nutshell, the message UR wants to convey is the following: After years of marginalization, it is time to realize that just governance starts with just consideration and integration of each category of the population. The marginalization of vulnerable groups such as indigenous remains one of the main hindrances to a fair and efficient system as lack of inclusions has resulted in paramount issues jeopardizing worldwide collaboration. Therefore, recognizing the value of this knowledge and experiences is critical to unlocking the potential of indigenous communities and integrating it into our system.
Sources
UN General Assembly, United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly, 2 October 2007, A/RES/61/295, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/471355a82.html [accessed 13 February 2023]
=Issues%20of%20violence%20and%20brutality,reality%20for%20indigenous%20communities%20around.
https://www.ohchr.org/en/indigenous-peoples/indigenous-peoples-and-2030-agenda
https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—ed_emp/—ifp_skills/documents/publication/wcms_503715.pdf
https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/indigenous-people-and-nature-tradition-conservation