Indigenous commons
There are an estimated 370 million Indigenous People (IP) across 70 countries worldwide. They retain social, cultural, economic and political characteristics that are distinct to other societies. Indigenous people can be defined as those people who inhabited a country or a geographical region at the time when dominant people from other countries, cultures or ethnic origins conquered, occupied or settled their country. Indigenous societies share the following common characteristics:
- Historical continuity with pre-colonial and/or pre-settler societies.
- Strong link to territories and surrounding natural resources (Ancestral Domains).
- Distinct social, economic or political systems.
- Distinct language, culture and beliefs.
- Form non-dominant groups of modern societies.
- Resolve to maintain and manage their ancestral domains and systems as distinctive peoples and communities.
Indigenous commons
Indigenous Peoples use unique languages and transfer knowledge, customs, traditions and laws from one generation to the next verbally. They are experienced in the sustainable management of natural resources because they are forestry and land dependent, for sustaining themselves. Their Ancestral Domains are for the benefit of the common collective and their cultural survival. Indigenous People maintain traditional values, visions, needs and priorities which are often distinct from Western societies. They have much in common with poor landowners, small-scale farmers and those living in poverty in that, they suffer from economic marginalisation and social exclusion. They often lack access to social services and experience discrimination. They share common difficulties in obtaining opportunities, employment, education and social services, usually due to remote living. CPRSX aims to overcome these adversities through our projects.
Indigenous People in the Philippines
There are around 11.5 million Indigenous Peoples (IPs) in the Philippines. Most lawfully recognised IPs groups have joined CPRSX as our JV partners because they recognise that The CPRSX Climate Change Action Plan will open new pathways to eliminate poverty. The plan will advance their local socioeconomic outlook through new and novel forms of employment and commercial opportunities. It advances climate change adaptation through education and training in areas of farming, food production, soil detoxification, Pyrolysis and BioChar, forestry and climate change adaptation.
Harnessing the power of Indigenous Peoples
The Philippines’ total land area is around 30 million hectares with around 7 million hectares of forests. The IP’s are among the poorest and most disadvantaged. Most live below the poverty line due to marginalisation, exclusion, lack of access to learning and technology and degraded resources. Indigenous people make up about 10-15 percent of the population, yet they occupy and care for an estimated 17 percent of Ancestral Domain land areas with secure tenure.
They are the custodians of the most important forests and environmental resources. In other words, they are the custodians of carbon sequestration ‘warehouses’ and ‘oxygen factories’. They harvest forests only for that which they need to survive; by fishing, hunting, shifting agriculture, gathering of wild forest products / herbs and medicines and food. Indigenous People in different countries do not share the same traditions, customs and spiritual beliefs but they do share a common bond and respect for the environment, forests and wildlife.
Some IPs groups continue to perform hunting ceremonies by asking the animal spirits for permission to kill animals for food. They also share common environmental protection and forestry management principles; such as never taking more from the forest than is needed. They see themselves as inseparably linked to the land, forests and everything in them including trees, plants, rivers, water, animals, rocks and mountains.
Their knowledge, customs, traditions and environmental management principles have been handed down to consecutive generations since time immemorial. Indigenous societies have customary laws which regulate their behaviour and interaction with each other and with other tribes; and with the environment.
The historical conflicts which arose through countries occupying or conquering other countries (for example the Spanish and American occupation of the Philippines) created confusion for Filipino Indigenous Peoples. The occupiers brought with them foreign laws, traditions and customs which were in conflict to those of the Filipino Indigenous Peoples. Foreign occupation and advancing civilisations marginalised remote living IP’s and tribes, thus keeping them in poverty. Today, faced with the climate change crisis they are ready, willing and able to adapt to urbanisation, modern technology and climate change while maintaining their traditions and identity; they only need the appropriate opportunity now available to them through the relationships that CPRSX has formed with the IPs.
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