indigenous culture
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The Ashaninka’s cultural revival is reshaping the Amazon region
The Ashaninka tribe, once displaced by deforestation and cattle farming, has restored its territory and is now leading efforts to expand its land management strategies across 12 Indigenous territories in the Amazon.
Fabiano Maisonnave and Jorge Saenz report for the Associated Press.
In short:
- The Ashaninka people are using their successful reforestation and self-sufficiency model to help 12 Indigenous territories across 1.6 million acres of Amazon rainforest.
- Supported by $6.8 million from the Amazon Fund, their efforts focus on food production, cultural preservation and forest surveillance.
- The project emphasizes working with neighboring Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities to create regional cooperation for forest protection.
Key quote:
“The culprits for this live far from us. But if we start pointing fingers, we’ll waste a lot of energy and solve nothing. Instead, we’re focusing on adaptation.”
— Francisco Piyãko, OPIRJ leader
Why this matters:
As deforestation drives climate change, the Ashaninka are showing the world that preserving biodiversity isn’t just possible—it’s essential. This effort isn't only about the trees; it's about cultural survival, feeding their people and using their deep connection to the land to ensure its future. Read more: The planet’s largest ecosystems could collapse faster than we thought.
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Credit: 12º CBA ABA-Agroecologia/Isis Medeiros/CBA/Flickr
Indigenous author Ailton Krenak advocates for a future rooted in Indigenous wisdom
Brazilian Indigenous author Ailton Krenak argues that society must reconnect with nature and ancestral knowledge to address today’s environmental crises.
In short:
- Krenak’s book, Ancestral Future, criticizes the over-reliance on technology and calls for a worldview centered on nature.
- He emphasizes that Indigenous ways of living, which prioritize the environment, offer crucial insights for addressing climate change.
- Krenak’s experiences, including the displacement of his family in rural Brazil, fuel his advocacy for strengthening humanity's connection to the natural world.
Key quote:
“He almost literally comes from a different world, and so provides an extraordinarily useful testimony. There are very few human beings in quite that same position, very few writers.”
— Bill McKibben, environmental author and activist.
Why this matters:
In a world obsessed with quick fixes and innovation, Krenak’s message is a reminder that the answers might just be simpler—and closer to home—than we think. His work challenges us to rethink our relationship with the Earth and to see environmental stewardship not as a new-age trend but as a return to a more balanced way of living. Read more: Colonialism, the climate crisis, and the need to center Indigenous voices.
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Newsletter
Credit: Rafael Estrella/Flickr
Lake Titicaca dries up, threatening Indigenous communities
Persistent drought has brought Lake Titicaca to historic lows, endangering the livelihoods and cultures of the Indigenous Uros people who live on its floating islands.
In short:
- The ongoing drought, exacerbated by El Niño, has significantly reduced water levels in Lake Titicaca, threatening the Uros' traditional way of life.
- Essential resources, like the totora reeds used to build their floating islands, are becoming scarce, impacting the Uros' ability to maintain their homes and crafts.
- The drought is also devastating local agriculture and fisheries, further isolating the Uros and other communities from their primary food sources and income.
Key quote:
"The reeds that we use to build our islands aren’t growing. The lake is drying up and we can’t move."
— Nelson Coila Lujando, member of the Uros community
Why this matters:
This crisis underscores the immediate human impacts of climate change, particularly on vulnerable Indigenous communities whose cultures and livelihoods are directly tied to the environment. Read more: Colonialism, the climate crisis and the need to center Indigenous voices.Keep reading...Show less
Credit: UNDP Climate/Flickr
Climate change is erasing crucial Indigenous languages
A recent report highlights how climate change is accelerating the loss of Indigenous languages, which hold vital ecological knowledge.
In short:
- Indigenous languages, which encompass crucial environmental knowledge, are disappearing due to climate-induced migrations and environmental changes.
- Extreme weather and rising sea levels are forcing Indigenous communities to abandon their homelands, taking their languages with them.
- Efforts are underway to document and preserve these languages, as they offer unique insights into environmental conservation, but hampered by climate impacts and historical colonialism.
Key quote:
"Indigenous languages contain inventories of species, classification systems, etiological narratives, and, above all, ways of managing diversity, a fundamental technology for the preservation and biorestoration of the environment."
— Altaci Corrêa Rubim/Tataiya Kokama, University of Brasília
Why this matters:
The loss of Indigenous languages means losing critical environmental knowledge that can aid in combating climate change. Read more: Feeling “invisible”: How language barriers worsen environmental injustice.
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Newsletter
Credit: David Niddrie/Flickr
Pipeline project impacts Indigenous sacred site, fueling legal battle
The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project through British Columbia's sacred Pípsell region sparked opposition from the Stk’emlúpsemc te Secwépemc Nation over violation of Indigenous Rights and sacred spaces.
In short:
- Despite previous agreements, the Stk’emlúpsemc te Secwépemc Nation claims the project violates Secwépemc law and infringes on Aboriginal Title.
- The nation argues the approval to trench through Pípsell bypasses proper consultation and disrupts cultural and spiritual practices.
- The case could set a precedent on Indigenous land rights versus industrial projects.
Key quote:
"They dug through the medicines. They made roads over it. They parked all their stuff on it."
— Mike McKenzie, Secwépemc Knowledge Keeper
Why this matters:
The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion highlights the tension between government and Indigenous land rights, potentially impacting future projects and influencing how nations protect their sacred spaces. Read more: Why Indigenous women are risking arrest to fight Enbridge’s Line 3 pipeline through Minnesota.
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Credit: Larry Lamsa/Flickr
The struggle to preserve North Sami language amid climate change
In a warming Arctic, the North Sami language, rich in specialized terms for snow, reindeer and fishing, faces the loss of words and knowledge integral to the Sami people's heritage.
In short:
- The North Sami language, vital to traditional Sami activities, is at risk due to the changing Arctic environment and declining salmon stocks.
- Climate change is altering the Arctic's ecosystems, impacting Sami livelihoods like reindeer herding and fishing, leading to the loss of specific linguistic terms.
- As traditional activities and environmental conditions change, unique words and knowledge integral to Sami culture are disappearing.
Key quote:
"It's likely that the North Sami term ealát will disappear. It refers to conditions where reindeer find nutrition easily underneath the snow. It's disappearing because we haven't had such conditions in the 21st century."
— Klemetti Näkkäläjärvi, president of Sami Climate Council
Why this matters:
The survival of the Sami language reflects broader concerns about the impact of climate change on Indigenous cultures and their traditional ways of life. Yet climate policy has historically excluded Indigenous populations, even though Indigenous communities across the globe have been some of the most impacted by global warming.
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Credit: Markus Trienke/Flickr
Inuit app SIKU blends traditional knowledge with tech for environmental tracking
An innovative app developed by Inuit communities, SIKU, is redefining the integration of traditional knowledge and scientific data to empower Indigenous groups across the Arctic in environmental monitoring and decision-making.
In short:
- SIKU, meaning "sea ice" in Inuktitut, is a social network that enables users to document and share observations on wildlife, sea ice conditions, and local foods, fostering a unique blend of traditional and scientific knowledge.
- The platform, developed with the Arctic Eider Society, has gained traction since 2015, now boasting more than 25,000 users from at least 120 communities, who have made more than 75,000 posts.
- It supports crucial community-driven decisions and research, with features like GPS tracking for safety on the ice, and data collection on environmental changes and wildlife management.
Key quote:
“It’s part science and part Inuit knowledge. It can work both ways, instead of one dominating the other.”
— Lucassie Arragutainaq, cofounder of the Arctic Eider Society
Why this matters:
SIKU is more than an app; it's a testament to the power of Indigenous knowledge in shaping environmental policy and research. Learning from Indigenous people may be vital to meeting the existential challenge of the climate crisis.
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