Indigenous Peoples and Conservation Organizations

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Conservation Partnerships 9 conservationists. Alan Durning (1992) notes that “the vast majority of the world’s biological diversity ... is in landscapes and seascapes inhabited and used by local peoples, mostly indigenous.” This is reflected in the correlation between linguistic diversity and biodiversity. Of the nine countries that account for 60 percent of all human languages, six are also centers of biodiversity that contain immense numbers of plant and animal species (see figure 2.1). Ten of the 12 megacenters for biodiversity listed in figure 2.1 can be found among the 25 countries containing the largest numbers of endemic languages (see lists 2.1 and 2.2). Bio-rich tropical rain forests are also culturally diverse, containing about 2,000 indigenous peoples, nearly half the world’s total. Indigenous peoples are linked with the land they occupy through highly sophisticated resource management practices. Most “wildernesses,” especially those that currently are sparsely populated, are not pristine (Gomez-Pompa and Kaus 1992). Many seemingly untouched landscapes are actually cultural landscapes, either created or modified by humans through natural forest management, cultivation, or the use of fire. According to a Canadian indigenous peoples’ organization, the Four Directions Council (1996), “the territories in which indigenous peoples traditionally live are shaped environments, with biodiversity as a priority goal, notwithstanding the fact that the modifications may be subtle and can be confused with the natural evolution of the landscape.” WWF International’s People and Conservation Unit has conducted an analysis that supports these views. It superimposed maps of WWF’s 200 priority ecoregions around the world onto maps showing the distribution of indigenous cultures. The results show a significant overlap of cultural and biological diversity (see table 2.1). Although the analysis is not yet complete, preliminary results confirm the importance of indigenous peoples and their issues for scaling up conservation efforts. 1.3 Threats, Vulnerability, and Marginalization Tragically, and despite their contributions to biodiversity conservation and to human culture, indigenous societies are disappearing at an unprecedented pace. Approximately 10 percent of existing indigenous languages are nearly extinct, endangering the cultures of hundreds of peoples. Among countries facing the highest rates of language extinction are Australia with 138 and the United States with 67. During the next century, at least half the existing indigenous languages are projected to disappear, erasing the ecological knowledge accumulated by countless generations. Indigenous cultures face threats from many directions. Often they are direct targets of hatred and Figure 2.1 Countries with Cultural and Biological Megadiversity Highest Cultural Diversity 1 Highest Biological Diversity 2 Papua New Guinea Nigeria Cameroon Indonesia India Australia Mexico Zaire Brazil Colombia China Peru Malaysia Ecuador Madagascar 1 Countries where more than 200 languages are spoken 2 Countries listed by biologists as ‘megadiversity’ countries for their exceptional numbers of unique species Source: Worldwatch Institute, cited in Durning (1992:16)
10 Conservation Partnerships hostility from the groups that dominate mainstream national societies. Other times they are victimized by policies and actions that are well intentioned but harmful. The imposition of alien land tenure, religions, and educational systems may be motivated by the desire to “advance,” “integrate,” or help indigenous peoples “progress” in the modern world, yet these efforts often are self-defeating because they undermine the identity and values systems of the people being “helped.” Until recently the conventional wisdom of modernity held that the rural poor, including indigenous populations, were part of the problem of “underdevelopment,” sometimes even the main problem, rather than part of the solution. Blinded by cultural arrogance, too many conservation and development projects have gone awry or done more harm than good because they did not tap the resourcefulness of local communities. The accelerating integration of the global economy now touches indigenous people living in the remotest corners of the planet. Technological change and consumerism introduced by the public and private sectors have undermined traditional value systems as the conversion from a subsistence economy to a cash economy follows in the wake of large-scale efforts to extract mineral, timber, and other natural resources. The result in many places has been a loss of social cohesion, displacement from traditional territories, dependency, impoverishment, and disease. List 2.1 Top 25 Countries by Number of Endemic Languages 1. Papua New Guinea (847) 2. Indonesia (655) 3. Nigeria (376) 4. India (309) 5. Australia (261) 6. Mexico (230) 7. Cameroon (201) 8. Brazil (185) 9. Zaire (158) 10. Philippines (153) 11. USA (143) 12. Vanuatu (105) 13. Tanzania (101) 14. Sudan (97) 15. Malaysia (92) 16. Ethiopia (90) 17. China (77) 18. Peru ( 75) 19. Chad (74) 20. Russia (71) 21. Solomon Islands (69) 22. Nepal (68) 23. Colombia (55) 24. Côte d’Ivoire (51) 25. Canada (47) List 2.2 Megadiversity Countries: Concurrence with Endemic Languages (Countries in top 25 for endemic languages in bold) Countries listed alphabetically (rank in “Top 25,” list 2.1, in parentheses) Australia (5) Brazil (8) China (17) Colombia (23) Ecuador— India (4) Indonesia (2) Madagascar— Malaysia (15) Mexico (6) Peru (18) Zaire (9) Source: Maffi 1999.
Page 1 and 2: Indigenous Peoples and Conservation
Page 3 and 4: Support for this publication was pr
Page 5 and 6: iv Acknowledgments The editors woul
Page 8: PART ONE: INTRODUCTION
Page 11 and 12: 4 Conservation and Indigenous Peopl
Page 13 and 14: 6 Conservation and Indigenous Peopl
Page 15: 8 Conservation Partnerships populat
Page 19 and 20: 12 Conservation Partnerships Partic
Page 21 and 22: 14 Conservation Partnerships indige
Page 23 and 24: 16 Conservation Partnerships compat
Page 25 and 26: 18 Conservation Partnerships Refere
Page 28 and 29: CHAPTER 3 Indigenous Federations an
Page 30 and 31: The Runa in Ecuador 23 Loreto Chont
Page 32 and 33: The Runa in Ecuador 25 Lower elevat
Page 34 and 35: The Runa in Ecuador 27 Figure 3.1 I
Page 36 and 37: The Runa in Ecuador 29 game animals
Page 38 and 39: The Runa in Ecuador 31 Table 3.2 Pr
Page 40 and 41: The Runa in Ecuador 33 Pacto Sumaco
Page 42 and 43: The Runa in Ecuador 35 DINAF and it
Page 44 and 45: The Runa in Ecuador 37 agement cost
Page 46 and 47: The Runa in Ecuador 39 Ultimately t
Page 48 and 49: The Runa in Ecuador 41 small or lar
Page 50 and 51: The Runa in Ecuador 43 However, it
Page 52 and 53: The Runa in Ecuador 45 References B
Page 54 and 55: CHAPTER 4 Lessons in Collaboration:
Page 56 and 57: The Xavante in Central Brazil 49 a
Page 58 and 59: The Xavante in Central Brazil 51 pe
Page 60 and 61: The Xavante in Central Brazil 53 Be
Page 62 and 63: The Xavante in Central Brazil 55 ac
Page 64 and 65: The Xavante in Central Brazil 57 Wi
Page 66 and 67:
The Xavante in Central Brazil 59 af
Page 68 and 69:
The Xavante in Central Brazil 61 19
Page 70 and 71:
The Xavante in Central Brazil 63 mu
Page 72 and 73:
The Xavante in Central Brazil 65 Fi
Page 74 and 75:
The Xavante in Central Brazil 67 Th
Page 76 and 77:
The Xavante in Central Brazil 69 27
Page 78:
The Xavante in Central Brazil 71 Ra
Page 81 and 82:
74 The Sirionó in Bolivia seemed t
Page 83 and 84:
76 The Sirionó in Bolivia more tha
Page 85 and 86:
78 The Sirionó in Bolivia With the
Page 87 and 88:
80 The Sirionó in Bolivia barterin
Page 89 and 90:
82 The Sirionó in Bolivia research
Page 91 and 92:
84 The Sirionó in Bolivia by IWGIA
Page 93 and 94:
86 The Sirionó in Bolivia these to
Page 95 and 96:
88 The Sirionó in Bolivia The main
Page 98 and 99:
CHAPTER 6 WWF’s Partnership with
Page 100 and 101:
The Foi in Papua New Guinea 93 Some
Page 102 and 103:
The Foi in Papua New Guinea 95 was
Page 104 and 105:
The Foi in Papua New Guinea 97 a pa
Page 106 and 107:
The Foi in Papua New Guinea 99 hete
Page 108 and 109:
The Foi in Papua New Guinea 101 hav
Page 110 and 111:
The Foi in Papua New Guinea 103 A p
Page 112 and 113:
The Foi in Papua New Guinea 105 vil
Page 114 and 115:
The Foi in Papua New Guinea 107 Yet
Page 116 and 117:
The Foi in Papua New Guinea 109 inv
Page 118:
The Foi in Papua New Guinea 111 Lea
Page 121 and 122:
114 The Ju/’hoan in Namibia mal s
Page 123 and 124:
116 The Ju/’hoan in Namibia Map 7
Page 125 and 126:
118 The Ju/’hoan in Namibia Figur
Page 127 and 128:
120 The Ju/’hoan in Namibia local
Page 129 and 130:
122 The Ju/’hoan in Namibia (LIFE
Page 131 and 132:
124 The Ju/’hoan in Namibia the e
Page 133 and 134:
126 The Ju/’hoan in Namibia board
Page 135 and 136:
128 The Ju/’hoan in Namibia way,
Page 137 and 138:
130 The Ju/’hoan in Namibia 5.1 L
Page 139 and 140:
132 The Ju/’hoan in Namibia group
Page 141 and 142:
134 The Ju/’hoan in Namibia Endno
Page 144:
PART THREE: CONCLUSIONS
Page 147 and 148:
140 Signposts for the Road Ahead we
Page 149 and 150:
142 Signposts for the Road Ahead ad
Page 151 and 152:
144 Signposts for the Road Ahead tu
Page 154 and 155:
Contributors JOHN BUTLER holds a Ph
Page 156 and 157:
Indigenous Peoples and Conservation
Page 158 and 159:
Annex 151 Indigenous Peoples 1 and
Page 160 and 161:
Annex 153 19. WWF seeks out partner
Page 162 and 163:
Annex 155 31. WWF commits itself to
Page 164:
World Wildlife Fund 1250 24th Stree
show all

Indigenous Peoples and Conservation Organizations

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?