Indigenous respect for nature as a necessity for climate action

The Maori — also spelled Māori — are the Indigenous community of New Zealand. “Their traditions and belief systems often mean that they regard nature with deep respect, and they have a strong sense of place and belonging. This sustains knowledge and ways of life that match up well with modern notions of nature conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources” (UNEP, 2017, paragraph 4).

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

Nature provides humans with food and materials to build homes and shelters. Respect for nature means that humans should take from nature only what they need for the current period. If they take more than they need, they reduce what nature can provide for future generations. Indigenous communities throughout the world respect nature in this way and practise traditional methods of farming.

Some people “think of nature as our supermarket: it produces the grass we use to feed livestock, the food we eat, the water we drink, and also the medicine we need. But nature is more than that: it inspires our culture, our traditions, our science and our identity. For instance, traditional knowledge based on observing nature, such as birds, bugs and trees, helps nomad communities to define their seasonal migration. . . . This is why we indigenous people are on the frontline of nature conservation. Preserving the balance of the ecosystem has always been the indigenous way of life. Even in the tropical forests of Africa, where some communities use wood products to build settlements, they do so without negatively affecting the nature around them” (Ibrahim, 2016, paragraphs 1–3).

Source: Ibrahim H.O. (2016). Why indigenous people are key to protecting our forests. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/03/indigenous-people-forest-preservation/

“Scientists say that restoring the world’s forests by planting a trillion trees is by far the most promising — and cost-effective — means of tackling climate change. But this has to be done right, with the right trees and the right place and time. Beyond sequestering [capturing and storing] carbon, these trees can guard against extreme weather events; protect endangered species; and bring shelter, food, money and cultural preservation to communities around the world” (UNEP, 2019).

Source: UNEP. (2019). When we protect nature, nature protects us. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/when-we-protect-nature-nature-protects-us

Planting trees is the simplest way to mitigate climate change and is often seen as a community activity. For example, communities can plant native fruit trees to provide fruits and berries or shrubs to stabilise river banks and slopes.

Watch the video Respecting the Land – Indigenous Teachings by Cheyenne Tehkummah. It discusses a number of Indigenous cultural teachings that foster good relations with Mother Earth and provides examples of how these teachings have been turned into laws in some countries. These laws will be crucial to helping us deal with climate change and stop the destruction of the environment.

Group activity

Formative assessment 5: 

Ask a village leader to facilitate this activity. Organise groups of four community members to walk around different areas of your village or the surrounding area. Try to include different parts of the village — for example, areas where people live, farm areas where livestock is kept, ponds, rivers or streams. Ask the group members to identify the tree species they see and to count how many trees are in each location that they visit. Afterwards, bring everyone together to discuss what type of trees could be planted, as well as how many could be planted and where they could be planted. Ask the village leader to ask the local government agency to buy the seeds or young seedlings of the tree species that you have decided to plant.