INDIGENOUS PEOPLE AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT

TEPACE, RONALD G.

BS-Fisheries III

EP Lopez

Subject Professor

Republic of the Philippines

University of Eastern Philippines

College of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Resources

Fisheries Department

2021
 ABSTRACT

Title: Indigenous People and their environment

Researcher: Glen Morillo

Class: Bachelor of Science in Fisheries III

Subject: Indigenous People

Subject Professor: EP Lopez

Summary:

The world’s biological, cultural and linguistic diversity are imperiled. While the nature and

extent of the threat to the Earth’s biological richness is much debated, there is no doubt about

what is happening to humanity’s cultural and linguistic diversity. peoples account for most of

the world’s cultural diversity. Their distinct ways of life vary considerably from one location to

another. Of the estimated 6,000 cultures in the world, between 4,000 and 5,000 are

indigenous. Approximately three-quarters of the world’s 6,000 languages are spoken by

indigenous peoples. Many of the areas of highest biological diversity on the planet are

inhabited by indigenous peoples. The “Biological 17”, the 17 nations that are home to more

than two-thirds of the Earth’s biological resources, are also the traditional territories of most of

the world’s indigenous peoples. (The countries that comprise the “Biological 17” are: Australia,

Brazil, China, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, India, Indonesia,

Madagascar, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, the Philippines, South Africa, Papua New Guinea, the

United States of America, and Venezuela). When looking at the global distribution of indigenous
peoples, there is a marked correlation between areas of high biological diversity and areas of

high cultural diversity. This link is particularly significant in rainforest areas, such as those found

along the Amazon, and in Central America, Africa, Southeast Asia, the Philippines, New Guinea

and Indonesia. Of the nine countries in which 60 per cent of human languages are spoken, six

also host exceptional numbers of plant and animal species unique to those locations.

This paper aims to distinguish what is the connection and relationship of indigenous people to

the environment. This tries to understand the bond tgat exist between the indigenous people

and the environment they lived in and what is its effact to the life of the indigenous people

given that we are experiencing many environmental hazards abd problems and issues. This will

focus on creating an avenue where people will be able to understand the bond that these two

variables have to each ither. In addition, this will also explore tge coping mechanism of tge

indigenous people with all tgese problems in the environment that we all are suffering from.

This paper however, is still important since this will spread awareness to the people how

important the environment is and that it should ne taken care because it imoacys not just in

thelives ofthose in cities but as well those who settle in country side such as the indigenous

people. They are the most vulnerable when it comes to these hazardsin the environment.

INTRODUCTION

The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro,

Brazil, in June 1992, was an important development for indigenous peoples and their rights
related to the environment. The Conference, or Earth Summit as it is called, recognized that

indigenous peoples and their communities have a critical role to play in managing and

developing the environment. The importance of indigenous peoples’ traditional knowledge and

practices was acknowledged, and the international community committed itself to promoting,

strengthening and protecting the rights, knowledge and practices of indigenous peoples and

their communities.During the Earth Summit, indigenous peoples and NGOs gathered in Kari-

Oca, Brazil, to share their concerns about the environment. The Kari-Oca Declaration and the

Indigenous Peoples’ Earth Charter adopted at this meeting expressed the values of the world’s

indigenous peoples and recognized their distinct relationship with the Earth. The united voice

of indigenous peoples helped influence the outcome of the Earth Summit. Another important

result of the Earth Summit was the adoption of the Convention on Biological Diversity. The

Convention recognizes the close dependence of many indigenous communities on biological

resources and the desirability of sharing the benefits that come from using traditional

knowledge, innovations and practices to conserve biological diversity, including species

diversity.

Diversity of species is important to the natural functioning of ecosystems, and the survival of

species is an indicator of the health of the environment. Indigenous peoples have already lost,

or risk losing, ancestral lands and sacred sites, many of which contain the world’s richest

biodiversity. Governments that have adopted the Convention on Biological Diversity are obliged

to introduce domestic legislation, or amend their constitutions, to ensure the participation of

indigenous peoples in the conservation and sustainable use of their environment.

The right of indigenous peoples to participate in the use, management and conservation of
natural resources is also recognized in the International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention

No. 169 Concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries, and the UN draft

Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The draft Declaration provides for the right of

indigenous peoples to own traditional lands and manage their environment and its resources.

Since the Earth Summit in 1992, interest in the rights of indigenous peoples and the

environment has continued to grow. Indigenous and non-indigenous peoples are increasingly

aware that traditional lands and natural resources are essential to the economic and cultural

survival of indigenous peoples. Some countries, such as Canada, Australia, Finland, Brazil and

the Philippines, have adopted legal measures that acknowledge indigenous land rights or have

established legal procedures for indigenous participation in land-related issues.

A growing number of governments have amended their national Constitutions to recognize the

ancestral rights of indigenous peoples to occupy, own and manage their traditional lands and

territories. Many countries have established Environment Ministries and developed national

Environment Policy Statements and Strategies. Even though some governments now consult

with indigenous peoples on land rights and the environment, many States still have not

introduced laws or policies that provide for indigenous land claims or promote participation of

indigenous peoples.
 METHODOLOGY

The researcher of this paper have use the unstructured interview in order to gather information

about the tooic being conducted. The researcher also maximize the information that can be

found in the internet to cater the needs of information fir the completion of this paper.

Due to lack of printed and tangible source of information, the researcher utilize the internet

from different sources necessary for the completion of this paper.

 RESULTS AND FINDINGS

In the Philippines, conserving unique biodiversity relies on the knowledge, innovations, and

practices of indigenous and local communities who live in direct contact with nature.

Indigenous leadership

An estimated 85% of the country’s key biodiversity areas are within ancestral domains. In 2017,

Philippine Association for Inter-Cultural Development, Inc. (PAFID) came up with this figure by

comparing the data from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) on approved

Certificate of Ancestral Domain Titles (CADTs) and existing claims from Indigenous Peoples (IP)
communities with the remaining forest cover data of the Forest Management Bureau of the

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (FMB-DENR).

This figure suggests that governance by IP communities is instrumental in protecting and

conserving the remaining natural forests of the Philippines.

These areas are Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Conserved Areas and Territories

(ICCAs). ICCAs may be sacred spaces or ritual grounds (such as sacred forests and mountains,

indigenous territories, and cultural landscapes or seascapes).

The primary factors that threaten these areas and erode the role of indigenous leadership in

conservation, are habitat loss and degradation; erosion of traditional governance – including

loss of cultural links, traditional knowledge, and/or management practices; unsustainable

tourism; and poorly planned infrastructure development.

Ancestral domain

Indigenous Peoples’ rights have frequently been overlooked in conservation efforts, but since

2010 UNDP has been working with 16 indigenous communities in the Philippines to delineate

boundaries and map precious ecosystems, inventory resources, and document indigenous

knowledge, systems, and practices.

In 2016, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), in partnership with the

National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), launched the UNDP-supported, and GEF-
financed Philippine ICCA Project. The Project is working to strengthen the conservation,

protection, and management of key biodiversity sites by institutionalising ICCAs.

Building momentum

The DENR through the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) has been implementing projects

to support and recognize the governance and management of ICCAs in partnership with the

UNDP-GEF. This is consonant with the DENR’s vision of inclusive conservation to protect the

country’s biodiversity.

The Philippine ICCA Project is building on progress made in an earlier UNDP-supported, GEF-

financed project called New Conservation Areas in the Philippines Project (NewCAPP) which laid

the foundations for recognition of ICCAs as part of the expanded protected area system.

NewCAPP worked with six IP communities on the documentation and recognition of their

ICCAs, including, the Maeng and Banao in Abra, the Agta of General Nakar in Quezon, the Ayta

of Maporac in Zamables, the Buhid Mangyan in Mts. Iglit-Baco in Mindoro and the Menuvu of

Pangantucan in Mt. Kalatungan.

In addition to paving the way for the Philippine ICCA Project, the NewCAPP project triggered

adoption of ICCA work by other NGOs and funding agencies such as USAID.

The Philippine ICCA Project focuses on 10 areas that have been identified as high in species

richness or otherwise key in biodiversity.

These areas can be found in Mount Taungay in Tinglayan, Kalinga, Mount Polis in Tinoc, Ifugao,

Imugan in Sta. Fe, Nueva Vizcaya, Kanawan in Morong, Bataan, Engongot CADT in Aurora,

Balabac in Palawan, Mount Kimangkil in Impasug-ong, Bukidnon, Mount Apo in Magpet, North

Cotabato, Mount Diwata in Agusan del Sur, and South Diwata-Bislig KBA in Surigao del Sur.

The Importance of Environment to the Indigenous People

Given that indigenous people ate the first hand people that connect to the environment, they

have a very strong connection to it. The bond they created with the environment is said to be

very deep and unmeasurable. This relationship makes one rely to the environment, they have

their ancestral lands and their daily supply mostly are coming from the environment,therefore,

these people are barely surviving as their environment struggles. The hazards that is prevalent

to the environment imoactedthe indigenous people so hard.

Hazards such as climate change which affects tgeharvestibg and planting season of their crops

hugely affected their daily living. There are many thing that also impacted their living such as

drought, and La Niña, these two are results of global warming- too hot and it is not good for

their planting. As well as the rampant landslide are affecting them in a way that it tear down

their properties such as their lands and because of this they lost their livelihood.
 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

Conclusion

It is very important for us people to protect and take care of our environment, not just because

this is where we lived in, but rather this is also the best source of life. Environment is the source

of living. Indigenous People as they are living in far-fkung areas, they rely in their environment

for their foods and even for their daily activities and not taking care of them means destroying

them that could kead into some serious problems inthe environment such as flooding,

landslide, storms , El Niño, La Niña, Global Warming and Climate change.

These are not jokes, they are serious issues- environmental issues that should be addressed

because these will slowly tear people down. Environment is very important for they hugged and

let us live in their laps, and as a payment we should take care of them not destroy them. In the

Philippines, as we all are suffering from Covid-19, the most vulnerable and yet suffering nore

than the viris are the indigenous people, they are experiencing not just pandemic but as well,

they barely survived because of the dameged that the environment has. And since they are

people that rely very closely to their environment these issues affect them so much and their

life.
Recommendation

The environment is very important to all the people, mostly to the indigenous people. After the

thorough research, the researcher have come up to tgese following recommendation to

address the problems and issues on environment and the indigenous people:

1. The Government should address issues on the environment and what they can do to solve

these problems.

2. Department of Environment and Natural Resources as ther prime department of the

government that should address such issues, should implement the rules very strictly for the

causes of these hazards in the environment are as well made by humans.

3. Deforestation is one of the causes of these hazards, the government agencies and

departments concerned should make their eay in answering these issues and solvi g them.

4. The rules and regulations in businesses like mining and quarrying whose activities affdt the

bakance of the environment should be strictly observed so that it is sure that they are following

the rules and guides and the law regarding their business.

5. The people, should think of their own ways to help the environment for everyone, not just

the indigenous people are affeted to all these problems that we all have from the environment.
6. Educating the people how to perform small Little ways to help the environment is a great

deal and solution to cater and address these issues in our environment.

7. Projects that helps in preserving the environment should be made possible and should gain

support from the government.

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