Indigenous vs. Western Worldviews

Differences Between Indigenous and Western Worldviews

• Indigenous and Western worldviews differ significantly regarding land stewardship.
• Indigenous worldviews entail that Traditional Ecological Knowledge is knowledge shared by Indigenous knowledge keepers, it is sacred, and comes from deep relationships with places.
• Indigenous knowledge is intergenerational and is passed down through lineages about plants, animals, and how to care for them.
• Indigenous peoples worldview includes knowledge acquired in ways beyond the physical, is practiced, is gained, builds upon ancestral understanding, and is guided by community values and needs
• The trend to incorporate Indigenous traditional knowledge into ecology can limit Indigenous contributions by colonizing their knowledges through power imbalances and simply adding them to colonial ways of knowing
• Western science is often referred to as an objective form of knowledge, meaning it investigates a problem without personal feelings influencing the outcome.
• Traditional Ecological Knowledge is more profound since those who use this scientific approach are conscious of their living and breathing within the same ecosystem that is being investigated and used
• Traditional Ecological Knowledge carries a deep emotional connection to what is being studied, developed, or consumed, whether it be land, animal, or water.
• The interconnected relationship produces a great sense of responsibility within Indigenous Peoples, obligating them to choose technologies and practices that are beneficial to the well-being of all their relations.
• Choosing a relationship-based approach to STEM is a sophisticated worldview that Indigenous Peoples have favored for thousands of years.

Core Themes of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)

• UNDRIP is a declaration containing an agreement among governments on how Indigenous peoples should be treated.
• The Working Group on Indigenous Populations began drafting UNDRIP in 1985, and the UN General Assembly adopted it on 13 September 2007.
• Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States originally voted against UNDRIP.
• Eventually, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States decided to support the declaration, due to Indigenous peoples' advocacy for their rights in their countries.
• UNDRIP sets out how governments should respect the human rights of Indigenous peoples and is an important guide for implementing other human rights agreements or conventions affecting Indigenous peoples.
• UNDRIP consists of 46 articles that describe specific rights and actions that governments must take to protect these rights.
• Key themes of UNDRIP include:
  • The right to self-determination, where indigenous peoples have the right to decide what is best for them and their communities.
  • The right to be recognized as distinct peoples.
  • The right to free, prior, and informed consent, meaning that indigenous peoples have the right to be consulted and make decisions on any matter that may affect their rights freely and with all the information before anything happens.
  • The right to be free from discrimination, ensuring Indigenous peoples and individuals are treated the same way as other people.
• Additional key rights outlined in UNDRIP include:
  • The right to life, liberty, and security
  • The right not to be subjected to assimilation or destruction of culture
  • The right to belong to an Indigenous community or nation
  • The right not to be forcefully removed and relocated
  • The right to practice and revive culture and traditions
  • The right to spiritual and religious traditions and customs
  • The right to know and use their own languages, oral traditions, and histories
  • The right to establish educational systems and access to culturally sensitive education
  • The right to have their cultures accurately reflected in education and public information
  • The right to create their own media in their own languages
  • The right to be treated fairly in matters relating to work and employment
  • The right to participate in decision-making processes that affect them
  • The right to free, prior, and informed consent for laws and policies
  • The right to their own political, economic, and social systems
  • The right to improve their economic and social well-being
  • The rights of Indigenous elders, women, youth, children, and persons with disabilities to be respected
  • The right to set their own priorities and strategies for development
  • The right to use traditional medicines and health practices
  • The right to their spiritual relationship with traditional lands and resources
  • The right to own, use, develop, and control traditional land and resources
  • The right to have Indigenous laws and traditions respected in non-Indigenous legal systems
  • The right to have lands and resources that were wrongly taken away returned or compensated
  • The right to conservation and protection of the environment, lands, and resources
  • The right to Free, prior, and informed consent, is needed unless it is necessary for the well-being of all of society and it takes place through consultations with Indigenous peoples' representatives for military activities
  • The right to cultural and intellectual property
  • The right to decide how they wish to develop their lands and resources
  • The right to decide their identity, membership, and citizenship
  • The right to distinctive institutional structures and customs
  • The right to decide individual responsibilities within their community
  • The right to maintain and develop contacts, relations, and cooperation with other Indigenous peoples
  • The right to recognition, observance, and enforcement of treaties and agreements

Reasons for Countries Not Signing or Later Joining UNDRIP

• UNDRIP took a long time to be adopted because it was difficult for some governments to agree on some parts of its content.
• Some countries initially voted against or abstained from the Declaration but later decided to support it due to advocacy for Indigenous rights in their countries.

Contribution of Land-Based Learning and Traditional Knowledge Systems

• Land-based learning and Traditional Knowledge systems can contribute to improved land use.
• Indigenous Knowledge are being sought with the detachment of a consumer coveting the latest fad
• Land-based learning and Traditional Knowledge systems can contribute to forest management.
• Land-based learning and Traditional Knowledge systems can contribute to mitigation strategies.
• Indigenous Peoples managed and manipulated the ecosystems of Turtle Island for thousands of years
• Indigenous nations are now working to reclaim and steward traditional territories in order to restore ecosystems that have been depleted or damaged; see the Yurok Tribe and the Seminole Tribe

Indigenous Stewardship and Traditional Ecological Knowledge for Global Conservation Goals

• Indigenous stewardship and traditional ecological knowledge can help meet global conservation goals such as Indigenous-led wildlife conservation initiatives.
• Indigenous Peoples lead the way in protecting wildlife and restoring their habitat by using Indigenous Knowledge and traditional stewardship values
• According to climate scientist Walter Andreef, Indigenous knowledge is not the same across Indigenous populations and cannot be separated from the people
• According to climate scientist Leroy Little Bear Indigenous and Western science should be combined for a holistic approach
• The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) acknowledges that Indigenous Peoples have protected and cared for natural areas for millennia and envision building meaningful relationships that are grounded in mutual respect and a desire to achieve significant and lasting conservation outcomes.
• Land guardians oversee natural resource extraction, manage, and restore ecosystems. They are trained specialists, guided by Indigenous law, traditional knowledge, modern science, and a deep sense of responsibility to ensure traditional lands will continue to sustain life.