By: Bernice Deng
Photo credit: @FAO/Emah Madegwa
“The connection we as Indigenous peoples have with nature is far greater than the Western way of thinking can ever explain. This is the spiritual connection that makes us mourn when our environment is destroyed as parts of our spirits are also destroyed with our environment.” - Jessica Hernandez in Fresh Banana Leaves: Healing Indigenous Landscapes through Indigenous Science
Indigenous people have always asked questions about the world around us. They ask questions such as: Why is the sky blue? Why are plants green? What will the world look like in 2050? Questions like this always ponder in their head which allows them to become a more knowledgeable and better individual. As they continue to formulate questions, they find answers to the mysteries that lie within our universe. Expertise is something that they seek to enhance relationships with our environments and enrich the holistic way of thinking. This way of thinking allows Indigenous people to become open to questions and thoughts.
Indigenous Thinking
As shown in the quote above, Indigenous thinking and science are different from the Western way of movement. For example, as Indigenous people take care of nature, nature takes care of them as a return. Western science fails to understand or explain why nature helps us meet our needs, without requiring us to protect it as well.
This is also called Environmental Degradation, which is the destruction that continues to occur in our environment. Environmental disasters such as severe droughts, wildfires, and others are reasons why we continue to face them again and again.
Biodiversity
Indigenous land rights are essential for protecting the world’s biodiversity – they protect 80% of the Earth’s biodiversity. Indigenous peoples are fighting to save the planet by fighting for their lands which include the forests, deserts, grasslands, and marine environments in which they have lived for centuries.
Indigenous people do not just advocate for their rights and natural resources – they also advocate for their language, gender, spirituality, and everything else that is part of the identity of Indigenous peoples.
“While the world’s 370 million Indigenous peoples make up less than five percent of the total human population, they manage or hold tenure over 25 percent of the world’s land surface and support about 80 percent of the global biodiversity.”
Relations to Business/Finance
There is no doubt sustainability and environmentalism will dominate in each area - from businesses and economics to everyday life. Sustainability will dominate each area- from society to environment and economics. It is important to sustain indigenous communities in order to continue this way of life. If we do not take action, climate change will only get worse. It will impact our everyday life, cause extreme weather, and many more. When we harm indigenous people, we harm the environment.
Businesses are major consumers of natural resources, and their activities can have significant impacts on the environment. Businesses must consider the environmental impacts of their activities and take steps to reduce their environmental footprint, while also adapting to the changing environmental landscape. In short, the environment is closely linked to business and finance, and companies that prioritize sustainability are more likely to succeed in the long term.
By understanding Indigenous science and being in their shoes, we can serve many more solutions to the environmental degradation and crisis we are currently facing in a changing climate.
I hope you learned something about this urging topic and be sure to follow @girlscanfinance on Instagram if you haven’t already! Thank you! :)
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