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Giving Indigenous communities greater control over their lands significantly improves conservation results, according to a new study in One Earth. Anita Hofschneider reports for Grist. In short:Researchers analyzed 648 studies of conservation areas, comparing the ecological and social outcomes based on the degree of Indigenous involvement.The study found that recognizing Indigenous autonomy leads to significantly better environmental and social results than merely treating them as stakeholders.Examples include successful conservation in Chile’s Los Lagos Indigenous Marine Areas and ineffective efforts in China’s Hainan province due to lack of Indigenous involvement. Key quote: “The findings reveal that more equitable governance, based on equal partnership or primary control for [Indigenous peoples and local communities], are associated with significantly more positive ecological outcomes.” — Study authors Why this matters: Indigenous communities have long been the stewards of vast tracts of land, preserving biodiversity and maintaining ecological balance through traditional knowledge and sustainable practices. Studies indicate that these lands support healthier ecosystems and store more carbon, an important factor in mitigating climate change. However, these benefits are jeopardized when Indigenous land rights are overlooked or violated. Related EHN coverage: Opinion: Protecting Indigenous children means protecting water Colonialism, the climate crisis, and the need to center Indigenous voices Hands on the land, heart in community: Returning cultural fires

March 25, 2024 After years of sustained resistance against Harvard University’s controversial Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment, known as SCoPEx, the Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN), Saami Council, and Tonatierra Nahuacalli welcome the news of Harvard University announcing its cancellation of SCoPEx.  SCoPEx, is a geoengineering technique called Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI), that has consistently targeted Indigenous […] The post Indigenous Peoples Celebrate End of Harvard’s Geoengineering Experiment SCoPEx first appeared on Indigenous Environmental Network.

Indigenous Peoples Denounce Whale Offsets at UN Biodiversity Summit Cali, Colombia – Indigenous Peoples at the United Nations biodiversity summit denounced the International Monetary Fund’s plans to commodify sacred whales for biodiversity and carbon offsets. Such perverse proposals have prompted many delegates to wonder if the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the Convention […] The post Indigenous Peoples Denounce Whale Offsets at UN Biodiversity Summit first appeared on Indigenous Environmental Network.

Environmental organizations filed a claim before the Ministry of the Environment and Energy (MINAE) due to illegal logging and the invasion of the Kéköldi indigenous territory in the town of Cocles de Puerto Viejo, Talamanca. On March 9, several officials of Sinac La Amistad Caribe Conservation Area visited the area and filed a complaint with […] The post Illegal Logging Threaten Costa Rica’s Kéköldi Indigenous Territory in Talamanca appeared first on The Tico Times | Costa Rica News | Travel | Real Estate.

Efforts to restore the Everglades can be enhanced by incorporating Indigenous tribes’ ecological knowledge, a new report says.Amy Green reports for Inside Climate News.In short:The National Academies recommend deeper collaboration with Florida's Miccosukee and Seminole tribes in the $21 billion Everglades restoration project, emphasizing their role as environmental stewards.The report calls for consideration and application of Indigenous knowledge "even when it does not conform to western scientific norms."Indigenous knowledge offers insights into historical ecosystem conditions, providing a critical perspective for restoration planning.The report also calls for integrating climate change projections and improving water quality regulations alongside restoration funding.Key quote:“I think it can help us from veering into over-engineered solutions that we’ve found ourselves in in the Everglades over the decades. It’s about living in harmony with the Everglades, not trying to over-engineer the Everglades.”— Eve Samples, executive director of the nonprofit advocacy group Friends of the Everglades.Why this matters:The Everglades provide freshwater to 12 million Floridians and sustain unique ecosystems. Incorporating tribal knowledge and addressing climate change impacts can improve restoration outcomes and foster sustainable water management practices.Related:LISTEN: Simple experiences in the EvergladesTribal plan aims to phase out Everglades oil drillingFreshwater diverted from Florida's coast could help Everglades

When Governor Tim Walz was announced as Kamala Harris’ running mate, Ben Jealous, the Sierra Club’s executive director, released a statement hailing him as someone who “has worked to protect clean air and water, grow our clean energy economy, and see to it that we do all we can to avoid the very worst of […]

Beneath Brazil’s Amazon rainforest, one of the planet’s largest potassium reserves is fueling tensions between industrial ambitions and Indigenous rights

Advocates fear situation could escalate in Javari valley, a region plagued by violence and poor healthcareMore than 100 Indigenous people in Brazil’s Javari valley have been diagnosed with flu-like symptoms, raising fears that the situation could escalate into an epidemic.The valley, where Indigenous advocate Bruno Pereira and journalist Dom Phillips were killed in 2022, is home to the largest population of Indigenous people in voluntary isolation and of recent contact worldwide. The Korubo people were first contacted by government officials in 1996, and they continue to live with little interaction with other Indigenous groups and local authorities. Continue reading...

Most were Black or Indigenous

New export terminals on Indigenous land have reignited a generations-old debate over identity and environmental stewardship.

In La Guajira, Colombia, the Wayuu people face worsening climate impacts, with droughts and intense rains causing food insecurity, flooding, and displacement

Most were Black or Indigenous.

The Métis have always played a pivotal role in land protection and conservation. They're not about to slow down now.

A new study warns that the push for renewable energy could exacerbate socioeconomic disparities among Indigenous communities.

Shadow minister for Indigenous Australians says Albanese government ‘turning a blind eye’ to alleged ‘weaponisation’ of identityFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastJacinta Nampijinpa Price has claimed “opportunists” are making “false claims” to membership of Indigenous groups to scuttle resource projects seeking environmental approval.The shadow minister for Indigenous Australians made the claim on Wednesday while defending a Coalition plan to designate which Indigenous groups would need to be consulted by project proponents, as revealed by the shadow resources minister, Susan McDonald, at a Minerals Week event.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...

Footprints, droppings, diggings and other signs left behind by animals reveal a lot to a skilled observer. Indigenous knowledge feeds into one of Australia’s largest wildlife monitoring endeavours.

Hundreds of Indigenous people were marching Wednesday in Brazil’s capital, urging Congress to drop a proposed constitutional amendment that has the potential to paralyze and even reverse land allocations

Indigenous fire management shaped Australian tropical savannas over millennia, until the arrival of Europeans pushed the landscape back into a dangerous, unmanaged state.

As world delegates prepare for a crucial U.N. meeting in Canada, Arctic Indigenous communities emphasize the urgent need to address plastic pollution impacting their health and environment. James Bruggers reports for Inside Climate News.In short:Delegates from nearly 180 countries will meet in Ottawa on April 23 to progress a treaty aimed at curbing plastic pollution, considering the lifecycle of plastics from production to disposal.Arctic Indigenous representatives will present new scientific findings on the presence of harmful plastics in traditional foods like walruses and seals, highlighting the risks to their communities.The negotiations, which have previously stalled, are seen as a critical opportunity to establish a comprehensive global agreement by year's end.Key quote: "To learn that these microplastics are ending up in our main foods, but also in our bodies, is yet another alarm for the decision makers." — Vi Waghiyi, environmental health and justice director, Alaska Community Action on ToxicsWhy this matters: The outcome of these talks is important not only for global environmental health but also for the health outcomes of Arctic populations, who are disproportionately affected by pollution due to their subsistence lifestyles. Read more: “Plastic will overwhelm us:” Scientists say health should be the core of global plastic treaty.

By Oliver GriffinCALI, Colombia (Reuters) -Indigenous environmental defenders in Ecuador are suffering an increasing number of threats and...

The La Guajira region in northern Colombia, home to the Indigenous Wayuu community, holds vast potential for renewable energy, especially wind power, but projects have faced resistance

Indigenous leaders from the Peruvian Amazon have urged the government to halt oil and gas projects that threaten their lands, presenting their case before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR)

A new conservation study carries important implications for global climate targets.

Their message isn't new, but it is gaining urgency as funding for green energy projects grows.

An Indigenous community in Peru has won the latest stage of a legal battle to reclaim lost rainforests

Ailton Krenak was a child when his family was forced to leave their land in Brazil. Now, as a writer, he advocates for a path forward that looks to nature and inherited wisdom.

In Western legal systems, arguments against pollution or the destruction of the environment tend to focus exclusively on people: It’s wrong to contaminate a river, for example, because certain humans depend on the river for drinking water. But what if the river had an inherent right to be protected from pollution, regardless of its utility […]

Past Presentation | The last indigenous people of Mentawai, a small archipelago south-west of Sumatra, are fighting with creative resistance to preserve their ancient culture and rainforest. A culture on the verge of extinction - with the latest geopolitical developments, the destruction of their habitat reaches the point of no return. Smashing the hopes of thirty years of democratization in Indonesia, Jakarta in relapse to authoritarian rule is enforcing deforestation in Mentawai. In collaboration with investigative journalist Febrianti and indigenous foundations, our film portrays indigenous culture, history and resistance up to the most recent developments in geopolitical of Indonesia's growing environmental degradation. Connect with all your heart and senses: see, feel, touch, smell life in the jungle. The cinematic and compassionate camera conveys an intimate and sensual experience of the indigenous life on Mentawai with its beauty and vulnerability. Three shamans are the main characters in the film, hunter-gatherers in a culture predating even traditions of weaving or pottery, archaic traditions with their own complexity. The film portrays daily life of the indigenous tribe, their spiritual cosmos and their commitment to preserving their own culture and natural habitat. Logging companies threaten the fragile eco-system of the islands. Rare historic footage and archive materials tell the story of decades of oppression of the indigenous culture – but also of the resilience of our main characters and the last tribes living in the jungle. The main character, Father Laulau had been a leader in this struggle for decades, meeting the governor on Sumatra in a key point of history. The latter part of the film explores the geopolitical context and shows a new generation joining our main characters in the fight for the preservation of both their environment and culture – as part of a larger movement in Indonesia. The project started by indigenous initiative: Martison Siritoitet from Indigenous foundation Suku Mentawai (http:/sukumentawai.org) invited director Joo Peter to Mentawai and a long-term collaboration started including also Mentawai Indigenous Education Program (http://IEFprograms.org) The film is one of a planned series of films celebrating the diversity and richness of the Indonesian indigenous culture.

Many Indigenous people want to help protect their traditional lands. That requires deciding which species and habitat matter most to them.

Standing Rock Youth Council Delivers Recommendations at the 23rd Session of the UNPFII  ‘Enhancing Indigenous Peoples’ Right to Self-determination in the Context of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: Emphasizing the Voices of Indigenous Youth’ We, the Standing Rock Youth Council, members of the Standing Rock sovereign Lakota/Nakota/Dakota Indigenous nation, are here […] The post Standing Rock Youth Council Delivers Right to Self-determination in the Context UNDRIP at the 23rd Session of UNPFII first appeared on Indigenous Environmental Network.

Indigenous bands have always been part of metal, creating a place for musicians and fans to channel anger and find community.

Human Rights Watch alleges Indigenous peoples were thrown off their land in name of conservation.

The Ashaninka of the Amonia River, inhabitants of the western Amazon, reclaimed their land from cattle ranchers 30 years ago

For the Kamilaroi of north-western New South Wales, the brolga and bittern are vital to culture. But conservation often doesn’t account for cultural knowledge or significance.

COP29 could make carbon markets permanent. Indigenous leaders are calling for a moratorium before it's too late.

Growing up on Guam, Julian Aguon saw the law used against Indigenous peoples. Now he's fighting back.

Corporations must be accountable for attacks that advance their business interests, researchers say.

Tribunal judges found the industry guilty of “ongoing ecocide.”

Letter urges environment minister to investigate alleged breaches at Doongmabulla SpringsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastThere is growing concern that a culturally significant and nationally important wetland is under threat from Adani’s controversial coalmine in Queensland, with an Indigenous group demanding the government investigate alleged breaches of the conditions that protect the site.Scientists say drops in water levels in bores around the Doongmabulla Springs have been detected hundreds of times since mining started, and allege hydrocarbons associated with coal have been found in bores and the springs themselves. Continue reading...

Two loggers have been killed by the reclusive Mashco Piro Indigenous tribe deep in Peru's Amazon

Brazil’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office is suing the giant mining company Vale, the Brazilian government and the Amazon state of Para over heavy metal contamination found in the bodies of Xikrin Indigenous people

A federal court in Brazil has dismissed charges against one of three men arrested in the killings of an Indigenous peoples expert and a British journalist in the Amazon, ruling there wasn’t sufficient evidence to try him

"If I don't do it, who will?"

SFU professor Chelsey Geralda Armstrong’s research on beaked hazelnut DNA reveals Indigenous peoples in British Columbia cultivated and traded the plant 7,000 years ago, shaping the land sustainably. The study challenges colonial misconceptions of untouched landscapes and emphasizes Indigenous environmental expertise. By decoding the DNA of the beaked hazelnut (Corylus cornuta), a native plant that [...]

Now Playing | Bread for Tomorrow is a short film about the Indigenous Wicungo community’s struggle to gain legal ownership of their ancestral territory in Peru and how Rainforest Trust’s partner, Center for the Development of an Indigenous Amazon, has helped them to reclaim the rights to their homes and livelihoods.

After almost two centuries, the Indigenous Nation is reestablishing the only reservation in Illinois.

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Staff Spotlight: Mona Pollaca  The positive role and the wisdom of grandmothers is revered among Indigenous Peoples. IEN Indigenous Water Ethics Organizer Mona Pollaca is a Havasupai, Hopi, and Tewa member of the Colorado River Indian Tribes from Arizona is an example of the kind of grandmother who is held in high esteem, even beyond […] The post Staff Spotlight – Mona Pollaca first appeared on Indigenous Environmental Network.

From dismantling dams to restoring land rights, The Yurok tribe are better able to protect their environment

The Ashaninka of the Amonia River, inhabitants of the western Amazon, reclaimed their land from cattle ranchers more than 30 years ago

The forced removal of Indigenous people from the Rogue River Valley still resonates in Oregon.

With PKN, America's only indigenous commercial tree nut could shake up the non-dairy industry

A partnership that combines Western science and Traditional Owners’ ecological knowledge is restoring the seagrass meadows of Gathaagudu/Shark Bay.

Seven guest collaborators bring new eyes to a Smithsonian museum founder’s collection of American art

Now Playing | On the banks of Louisiana, fierce Indigenous women are ready to fight—to stop the corporate blacksnake and preserve their way of life. They are risking everything to protect Mother Earth from the predatory fossil fuel companies that seek to poison it. The film follows water protector Cherri Foytlin in the swamps of Louisiana as she leads us on a no-nonsense journey of indigenous resistance to the Bayou Bridge Pipeline (BBP), which is an extension of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). The pipelines are part of an ongoing legacy of colonization and slow genocide. At the heart of the struggle is a battle between people and profit.

The power imbalance in Brazil's government that keeps environmental protections and Indigenous rights under threat.

As the world grapples with plummeting levels of biodiversity, Colombia is hosting two weeks of meetings for the United Nations Biodiversity Conference

The factoid about biodiversity and Indigenous peoples spread around the world, but scientists say bad data can undermine the very causes it claims to supportThe statistic seemed to crop up everywhere. Versions were cited at UN negotiations, on protest banners, in 186 peer-reviewed scientific papers – even by the film-maker James Cameron, while promoting his Avatar films. Exact wording varied, but the claim was this: that 80% of the world’s remaining biodiversity is protected by Indigenous peoples.When scientists investigated its origins, however, they found nothing. In September, the scientific journal Nature reported that the much-cited claim was “a baseless statistic”, not supported by any real data, and could jeopardise the very Indigenous-led conservation efforts it was cited in support of. Indigenous communities play “essential roles” in conserving biodiversity, the comment says, but the 80% claim is simply “wrong” and risks undermining their credibility. Continue reading...

Goldman Prize Winner Murrawah Maroochy Johnson talks climate justice and inheriting a legacy of Indigenous resistance.

Urgent action is now needed to protect these vulnerable populations and ensure the night parrot doesn’t become extinct.