Indigenous communities: Their philosophy and spiritual connections with natural habitats

“In the culture of the Maori people of New Zealand, humans are deeply connected with nature; the two are equal and interdependent, even kin. The idea is reflected in the Maori word ‘kaitiakitanga’, which means guarding and protecting the environment in order to respect the ancestors and secure the future” (UNEP, 2017, paragraph 1).

Source: UNEP. (2017). Indigenous people and nature: A tradition of conservation. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/indigenous-people-and-nature-tradition-conservation

In some parts of India, sacred trees have been conserved for generations because of the human community’s religious beliefs (see Kandari et al., 2014, for more information). Similarly, in Bangladesh, some wildlife species such as the black soft-shell turtle, mugger crocodile, rock pigeon and rhesus macaque have been protected for generations because of local beliefs (see Mukul et al., 2012, for more information). In some rural communities in Africa, certain natural resources that are important as a source of food and other domestic products — for example, woodlands, water and mountains — also influence cultural beliefs and were considered sacred (see Udgaonkar, 2002, for more information). In the Lower Songkhram River Basin in Thailand, the Indigenous people who live there believe that natural gods and spirits play a unique role in regulating and using the wetland resources. They express this belief through spiritual practices such as taboos, rituals and treating certain places as sacred (see Cox et al., 2014, for more information).

“When land is owned, managed or occupied in a traditional way, the word ‘traditional’ refers to a knowledge that stems from centuries-old observation and interaction with nature. This knowledge is often embedded in a cosmology that reveres the one-ness of life, considers nature as sacred and acknowledges humanity as a part of it. And it encompasses practical ways to ensure the balance of the environment in which they live, so it may continue to provide services such as water, fertile soil, food, shelter and medicines” (UNEP, 2023).

Source: UNEP. (2023, 19 September). Indigenous Peoples and the nature they protect. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/indigenous-peoples-and-nature-they-protect

Reading

Cox, M., Villamayor-Tomas, S., & Hartberg, Y. (2014). The role of religion in community-based natural resource management. World Development, 54, 46–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2013.07.010

Kandari, L. S., Bisht, V. K., Bhardwaj, M., & Thakur, A. K. (2014). Conservation and management of sacred groves, myths and beliefs of tribal communities: A case study from North-India. Environmental System Research, 3(16). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40068-014-0016-8

Mukul, S.A., Rashid, A.M., & Uddin, M.B. (2012). The role of spiritual beliefs in conserving wildlife species in religious shrines of Bangladesh. Biodiversity, 13, 108–114. https://doi.org/10.1080/14888386.2012.694596

Udgaonkar, S. (2002). The recording of traditional knowledge: Will it prevent “bio-piracy”? Current Science, 82, 413–419. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24106653

Activity

Meet with your community or village elders. Ask them about the spiritual connection and beliefs connected with soil, trees, air, animals and movement of the moon. Write their responses in your journal and think about how these beliefs bring about respect for nature, which in turn eventually leads to conservation of the land.