Why Indigenous Peoples Should be Centered in the Climate Change Conversation

3 minute read

• Indigenous groups possess generations of traditional knowledge on how to responsibly utilize the resources from their ancestral lands while keeping future generations in mind

• Since these groups are also vulnerable to climate change and environmental degradation, their ideas and voices should be centered in the conversation

• Many Indigenous peoples have already started successfully adapting to climate change, showing the world that their traditional knowledge should be a centerpiece to our response to the climate crisis

Indigenous peoples often possess generations of community knowledge about the responsible use and maintenance of their ancestral lands. Many attempts to manage natural resources – while well intentioned – have excluded indigenous people and their knowledge from the conversation. While indigenous communities have this vast body of knowledge, they are also often some of the most vulnerable people to the effects of climate change and environmental degradation. Their ways of life rely on the health of their land and ecosystems.

Indigenous tribes often hold cultural values that pre-date the term “sustainability” but entirely encapsulate its principles. Sustainability is the responsible use of resources that ensures that generations to come will have adequate access to those same resources. Most tribes have that concept ingrained into their community values. Let’s explore examples of how indigenous peoples have adapted to the effects of climate change.

Swinomish Indian Tribal Community

The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community represents four aboriginal bands: Swinomish, Samish, Lower Skagit, and Kikiallus in what is now Northwest Washington. This community, along with many other native communities, aims to protect their traditional way of life for generations to come. 

The tribe is in the process of constructing the first modern clam garden – a concept stemming from their traditional practice that increased shellfish numbers and provided them food security in the past – in the U.S. They also were one of the first communities in the U.S. to make climate adaptation a major priority. The community put out a climate proclamation in 2007 and published their action plan in 2010. 

In order to protect salmon runs, the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community plants trees along rivers to reduce water temperatures. Their use of natural processes to push back against the negative effects of climate change is a great example of ingenious adaptation that we can all learn from. 

Il Ngwesi in Kenya

Il Ngwesi, an Indigenous-owned eco-lodge in Kenya has been resilient, even in the face of a pandemic that severely limited international travel. The local Maasai tribe that runs the lodge aims to integrate people and wildlife into one landscape. Even with a downturn in tourism, the wildlife and cattle around the lodge are maintaining healthy numbers and there has not been an increased incidence of poaching. This success is credited to the fact that the Maasai tribe’s ancient pastoralist lifestyle depends on good management of grasslands for cattle and wildlife. 

Indigenous Peoples' Alliance of the Archipelago

A group representing more than 2,000 indigenous communities in Indonesia – the Indigenous Peoples' Alliance of the Archipelago – is using maps to outline their ancestral lands. This process is to show the government where the indigenous groups live and that they want to protect their land. About 50-70 million indigenous people live in Indonesia’s forests, along with 10% of all plant species. 

The indigenous people of Indonesia are hoping to regain their rights to the land, in order to slow deforestation, secure their community livelihoods, and create a stable food supply for themselves. These groups have a stake in protecting the biodiversity of their forests because they rely on that biodiversity to survive – hunting wildlife and gathering edible plants. They understand the limits of the forests through their generations of experience, making them excellent stewards of the land. 

One Last Thing

Without the meaningful participation of indigenous people, sufficient climate action, conservation, and sustainable development are impossible. Indigenous people must be included in the conversation and encouraged and allowed to use their traditional knowledge to fight climate change. To quote Kip Ole Polos, the Il Ngwesi lodge’s chairman, “I want to bring nature back to how it was, with people living in it, benefiting from it, and with wildlife happy and big numbers coming back.”