Those who consider themselves to be a part of civilization, the
general approach or view (if any) towards native peoples is at best
facile. The disappearance of indigenous peoples is extremely complex
and the ramifications widespread; beyond the emic. A vast majority of
humans today are disconnected from the natural world, but there are
still those who have profound ecological knowledge and display a
collective stewardship towards the earth. That stewardship comes from
deep attachment with the spiritual realm; everything is connected and
there is no taking without giving. For good reason, “…ideas from
indigenous, or native peoples-communities whose relations to nature
originated before the current mode of the domination of the earth…”
(Gottlieb, ¶ 15, pg.11, 2004). With the Industrial Revolution and
subsequent technology, humans are now global. The present paradigm is
the development of many indigenous people’s land and the result is loss
of livelihoods, loss of ecosystems and subsequently loss of species;
many of which have yet to be discovered, displacement and in many cases
acculturation. Along with acculturation comes the forfeiture of vast
ecological knowledge and the remaining few who hold a deep sacred
connection to the earth and its inhabitants.
Whether residing
in an affluent or developing nation, indigenous people, also called
natives which are “distinct from their country‘s dominant language,
culture, religion and racial communities” are the least influential
politically and economically as well as the most neglected. Far too
often the descendants of the original inhabitants of an area are
dominated by outsiders. The disregard of indigenous people would be
better than fine as they are more affluent than all other societies.
Monetarily speaking, these peoples want not and have all they need with a
straightforward ecological approach and simple functionalism. An
example of this simplicity is displayed with the most threatened tribe
of recent, “If my children are hungry, I just go into the forest and I
can find them food” states Peccary Awa and yet another from Survival
International, “The forest provides its bounty, but not everything is
taken. Some animals, such as the capybara and the harpy eagle, are taboo
and no Awá will eat them. Eating a bat is said to cause a headache. The
large opossum? Bad-smelling. Hummingbirds? Just too small. Other
animals are hunted only at certain times of the year. In this way the
Awá ensure the survival of the entire forest, themselves included” (
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.survivalinternational.org/awa,
2012). Their simple functionalism and the interdependentness of
indigenous with their natural surroundings, however effective in their
survival, is futile when it comes to defense against more powerful
societies who would exploit the native’s way of life as well as the
surrounding lands. By comparison, many people do not know nor care
where and how needs and wants are obtained, yet there remains that
innate curiosity of the natural world within all humans. What survival
has come down to for most is “no longer dependent on the forest, but
simply cashing a paycheck” (Gupta & Madhusudan, n.d.).
There are around 6,000 recognized cultures in the world. Of these,
5,000 are indigenous, but this only makes up for about 10% of the
world’s population. Indigenous peoples generally do not follow a state
system which is the current dominant paradigm today and because of this,
they are repressed and their unique way of life is being destroyed. A
great deal of the destruction is due to Western culture’s influence. As
modern society moves forward, the native’s language is not being passed
on to future generations. Within that language is an irreplaceable
ecological knowledge that most, if not all, of the remaining 90% of the
population does not hold. Only 12 countries account for 60% of all
human language and seven of those comprise countries that have “mega
diversity” or biodiversity (Cunningham & Cunningham, 2009). We can
ask why it is important to save these people and their way of life and
the answer is simple. As with all else, cultural diversity and
biological diversity are connected. Those countries with the highest
amount of cultural diversity are those with the highest amount of rare
biological organisms (Cunningham & Cunningham, 2009). Biodiversity
is the mainstay for all of life and ensures ecosystems bounce back from
disturbance which today is mostly development. There is also the ever
important intrinsic value of the diversity nature holds. E.O. Wilson in
his book The Future of Life, insists rightly so “that the cheapest and
most effective way to preserve species is to protect the natural
ecosystems in which they now live” (Cunningham & Cunningham, 2009).
What is to become of indigenous peoples who were once
marginalized, but now are in contact with influential societies many of
which are only looking to profit from exploitation of the land and its
people? The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
(UNPFII) mandate is to provide expert advice and recommendations on
indigenous issues to the council, as well as to programmes, funds and
agencies of the United Nations and through the council, raise awareness,
promote the integration and coordination of activities related to
indigenous issues within the UN system and prepare and disseminate
information on indigenous issues (UNPFII, 2011).
The UNPFII
convene yearly. In 2007, the United Nation’s general assembly adopted
the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People
(UNPFII, 2011). However profound in declaration, actual practice of and
enforcement of is subject to individual states in relation to
international laws. In addition to the UNPFII, there are many
non-governmental organizations which work tirelessly to promote public
awareness. It is paramount to acknowledge native land rights and
facilitate political pluralism in order to save ecological processes,
endangered species, and life as we know it. Unfortunately, in many of
the cultural and biological diverse countries, this is not the case.
Pressure, in whatever form, must be placed to ensure the protection of
indigenous cultures.
http://www.culturalsurvival.org/
http://www.survivalinternational.org/awa
~Written by RMOG Manager, Jessica Nuckles-Wright
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