Introduction

One third of the Earth’s surface is in the care of Indigenous Peoples and local communities – and that third is in better environmental shape than most of the rest of the world. Maybe we could learn something from Indigenous Peoples about how to care for our world?

Indigenous Peoples have been given unique rights to help ensure that their cultures — including their right to speak and teach their native languages and customs, live on their ancestors’ land and look after sacred sites — continue to exist into the future.

Indigenous Peoples around the world have called for their land rights to be recognised and respected because their lands define them — their knowledge systems, culture and governance systems are all defined by the land. Without their land, they are no longer Indigenous.

Adapted from: Velde, B. V. (2016, 6 September). Why Indigenous rights matter. https://www.conservation.org/blog/why-indigenous-rights-matter.

Outcomes

On completion of this unit, you will:

• value and respect Indigenous rights and how such rights can improve the health of the planet.

Terminology

Governance:  The structure and processes used for decision-making and managing the behaviour of people in a certain group.

Cultural legacy:  Cultural practices dating back centuries that have been passed down through the generations.

Custom:  An activity, a way of behaving or an event that is usual or traditional in a particular society.

Custodian:  A person who has responsibility for taking care of or protecting something.

Millennium:  One thousand years.

Resilient:  Able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions.

Agro-ecological:  Relating to the application of conservation principles to farming systems.

Biodiversity:  The variety of all living organisms from microbes to mammals.