African Honey Trail and the Call of the Bee
Bees, like farmers all over the planet, are struggling with the onslaught of drought and extreme climatic changes. Additionally, deforestation, use of agricultural pesticides, pests, and diseases have contributed to an alarming decrease in the bee population that discourages beekeepers from pursuing this occupation. In Kenya, Africa, communities of the Borana, Gabra, Samburu, Ameru, and …
Threat to Customary Land Use Curtails Saami Rights
The Deatnu River flows between Finland and Norway and into the Atlantic Ocean. Alongside it lies Veahčak, a small Saami village. Fishing for North Atlantic salmon in the Deatnu River is the core of Saami culture in the Deatnu Valley and it has provided a livelihood for local Saamis since time immemorial. Fish define their …
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A Language Names a People
The Nuba people in Sudan inhabit the Nuba Mountains which have been ravaged with war and political issues in recent times. Against this backdrop, the Delibaya Nuba Women Development Organization (DNWDO) initiated a project to ensure the retention of their language that would be passed on to future generations. Their main mode of learning is …
Mt. Kinabalu: Sacred Site for Indigenous Healing
Mt. Kinabalu is held sacred by the indigenous peoples of Sabah in Malaysia. They believe the mountain is where the souls of their departed rest before ascending to higher realms. The mountain was also the epicentre of an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.0 in June 2015. Aside from the physical damage, the earthquake caused …
Indigenous Institutions as Pillars for Leadership and Self-Determination
“I was part of the Chico Dams struggle from the 1970s to the 1980s. The mighty river would not be flowing freely today had we not opposed the project. The communities and farmlands would have been inundated without our fierce opposition. Today, the Chico River is still targeted for a series of hydropower projects. We …
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The Boran Waso Traditional Healing Revives a Culture
The Boran Waso peoples live in Northern Kenya. Traditional healing is one facet of their culture and medicinal plants abound in their pastoralist communities. To revitalize this tradition and sustain the environment from which they derive their healing resources, the Faiya Women’s Group embarked on a project that mapped the whereabouts of their healers and …
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Revisiting the Chin Customary Law
The Chin Hills Regulation (1896) was the basis of the enactment of the Chin Act in 1948 which was also the year of Burma’s Independence. The enactment was to recognize and promote the Chin traditional customs and culture. After 65 years, the State Assembly of Chin State (Union of Burma) initiated a review of the …
The miskitus’ celebration of life and death
The Miskitu people’s ancestral territory in the North Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua is a site of magic and wisdom. Here, Avelino Cox, a native of the Wangky or Coco River, was born. As a boy, he accompanied his grandparents all over the territory where he heard stories and learned about the life and traditions of …
Education Through Action
To sow the seeds of cultural awareness among the children is to prepare them to stand firmly on their tradition and indigenous identity. This is what the Partnership for Culture-creating Schools of Altai in Russia embarked on with their Education Through Action project which focused on the sacred Karakol Valley. Through a film showing (“Standing …