The following papers provide background and other sources, not only regarding indigenous knowledge but also in terms of combining knowledge forms for dealing with the environment, in these cases, specifically disasters involving environmental hazards including climate change:

1. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1016/j.envhaz.2006.11.001

2. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-0467.2009.00312.x/abstract

3. http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/4/8/1908

4. http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/6/9/5566

5. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-7717.2009.01126.x

Indigenous people are those who inhabited a country or a geographical region at the time when people of different cultures or ethnic origins arrived. The new arrivals later became dominant through conquest, occupation, settlement or other means. Practicing unique traditions indigenous people retain social, cultural, economical and political characteristics that are distinct from those of the dominant societies in which they live. It is estimated that there are more than 370 million indigenous people spread across 70 countries worldwide. Indigenous people play important role in resource conservation. Please have a look at these useful links.

Article Indigenous Peoples and Biodiversity

Article Role of indigenous knowledge system in conservation of fores...

Article Indigenous Knowledge of Minangkabau Community in the Conserv...

Book Indigenous Peoples and Conservation: From Rights to Resource...

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323879487_Use_and_Conservation_of_Medicinal_Plants_by_Indigenous_People_of_Gozamin_Wereda_East_Gojjam_Zone_of_Amhara_Region_Ethiopia_An_Ethnobotanical_Approach

Conference Paper Indigenous Knowledge, the Environment and Natural Resource M...

https://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTBIODIVERSITY/Resources/RoleofIndigenousPeoplesinBiodiversityConservation.pdf

https://www.thegef.org/sites/default/files/publications/indigenous-community-biodiversity_0.pdf

https://www.macfound.org/media/files/CSD_Indigenous_Peoples_White_Paper.pdf

Make a survey of the area and identify the different groups of people living around the area. Find what connects them together and what separates them. You may find same people with different dialects

The word "indigenous" implies being native to a place and it may be challenging (unless you consult with cultural anthropologists) to define. However, Agroecology can assist you answering this question because it relies on indigenous peoples' knowledge for an agriculture that is more sustainable. Authors/researchers like: Miguel Altieri, Peter Rosset, Clara Nichols, Stephen Gliessman, Ernest Mendez are just a sample. Check out their publications on ResearchGate.

The terms Indigenous and Aboriginal are colonial terms that are often used to subjugate peoples and cultures to maintain colonial rule. In Australia an increasing number of people are choosing to revert back to the original names from our first languages as a form of empowerment. I like the definition provided by Arvind Singh. The issue of engagement with regard to resources conservation should start with a process of empowerment as many colonised people have internalised oppression and may find it difficult to assert a meaningful position. Thank you to those who have generously provided scholarly articles i look foward to reading them.

Thank you Jillian Marsh for interest and such encouraging big commitment.

I am working on mobile pastoralists, a wonderful community. But they are not part of decision making process and are the affected most society.

Regards

Hi,

Indigenous peoples have been responsible stewards of their lands

and resources for thousands of years. Relying on traditional knowl-

edge and sustainable resource management practices, indigenous

cultures have survived and thrived in all corners of the world.

However, neither their communities nor our industrialized societies

are immune to a globalized economy whose side effects, when left

unchecked, threaten the environmental public goods that indigenous

peoples so vitally depend upon for their cultural, spiritual, and phys-

ical sustenance.

In many regions, the plight of biodiversity is closely intertwined with

that of indigenous cultures. For example, a significant fraction of the

world’s protected areas, the principal tool for biodiversity conserva-

tion, is found within or overlaps with indigenous lands, territories

and resources. This remarkable spatial convergence presents both

an enormous opportunity as well as a challenge for both conserving

biodiversity and supporting Indigenous Peoples’ livelihoods.

It is precisely around these strong connections between conserva-

tion and local economic development that GEF’s approach with

indigenous communities and biodiversity conservation is being

built, so far through more than 100 projects worldwide. This publi-

cation provides an account and a first analysis of the scope, con-

tent and depth of indigenous communities’ involvement with GEF

projects. To the reader, it will become clear that, while much

remains to be done, GEF is evolving rapidly to promote the partici-

pation of indigenous communities at all stages of project design,

implementation and monitoring. We are pleased to have been

able to adopt, since the early days of the GEF, a public participa-

tion policy which has provisions specifically designed to include

indigenous and local communities. The present assessment and

other related studies will form the basis to enhance the existing pol-

icy and the introduction of additional elements, all relying on the

key lessons presented in the report.

We remain open to receive feedback and guidance from constituen-

cies of all sectors, and we invite indigenous groups and community

organizations to help the GEF continue to evolve as an effective

mechanism that supports stewardship of global public goods.

Thanks

https://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/conservation-and-indigenous-peoples

Dear Nafees, not all countries are signatory to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People thus making it difficult to identify and protect indigenous utilities through conservation. Hence, I think a more precise question is what indigenous rights do the country recognize.

Of course, to overcome such situation, the level of appreciation to the the concept of contemporary hospitality and indigenous hospitality need to be determined. This is because hospitality facilitates the creation and transfer of knowledge insofar that contemporary hospitality is essential to contemporary knowledge or indigenous hospitality to indigenous knowledge; and if the type and degree of hospitality is not identified (which eventually leads to the lack of indigenous empowerment), then there is no assurance that knowledge e.g. scientific knowledge is the driver of conservation management. Thus, we can only conclude that resource conservation is politically driven; and no matter how we identify indigeneity or the role that the people play, it has no standing in conservation.

Hi,

I read some of the earlier comments which I believe you might have found useful.

Since you are considering pastoralists and possibly their decision making paradigms, I will like to add a specific case of the indigenous Maldharis people in India for your consideration. The Maldharis are mobile pastoralists within the Banni region, where they are known for centuries to conserve especially, the grassland.

This attached document about the rights of the Maldharis gives some insights into how decisions on resource conservation and management are made, who implements such decisions and how, and who may be left out in a certain scenario.

The UN report "State of the World's Indigenous Peoples" might be a useful read:

https://www.iucn.org/content/state-worlds-indigenous-peoples

Hi,

In Asia, the term remain controversial and contested but the role of the IPs in conservation is indispensable. Recently, I wrote a review paper about this topic. Hope it's useful

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/s42215-018-00010-0

Dave Buenavista

Yes, it is a good and informative paper. Excellent job 👍

Indigenous people can help preserve natural resources by preventing damage to the environment and protecting traditional buildings , along with the creation of handicrafts to attract tourists and create economic conditions in their own environment.