“This is the project that I have been waiting for so long!” Mrs. Peenee Moonkul, a Karen leader and Chairperson of a weaving group in Maewang district, Chiang Mai, Thailand expressed the sentiments of the participants in the project of the Indigenous Women’s Network in Thailand (IWNT) which aimed to highlight indigenous knowledge designed and …
Indigenous Knowledge is Woven by Women in Traditional Handicrafts Leer más »
«It is worth dreaming of,» were the thoughts of the Palotes of Quechua, Aymara and Shipibo indigenous groups and members of a network of Indigenous Youth. They had experienced and suffered discrimination for speaking, dressing, dancing, singing or eating differently. In one of the last meetings of the network, they had expressed, «Our vision, conviction …
The Buryats who number approximately half a million, are one of the largest indigenous peoples of Inner Asia. They have a rich and ancient culture with their history, spirituality, worldview, lifeways and a shared landscape. However, during the past century, the Buryats as a nation have experienced disturbances and disruptions that continue to threaten them …
Nomadic School of Traditional Knowledge and Creativity Leer más »
There is no better way to revitalize and promote cultural heritage and cultural rights; transmit indigenous knowledge and build peace than through innovative artistic expressions and explorations. The Guyasa CBO embarked on this endeavour and reaped valuable results in Isiolo, in northern Kenya, particularly in Kinna community which is mainly occupied by the pastoralist Waso …
The Mandaya tribe in Barangay Calapagan, Lupon, Davao Oriental in Southern Philippines noted that some of their indigenous ways and practices that are beneficial to their community have been lost with time, such as the ligad and pasoot, which ensure food security. Ligad means “on the side” where the farmer plants root crops or vegetables …
Blog by Lourdes Inga According to the United Nations there are an estimated 370 million indigenous people in the world, living across 90 countries. Indigenous communities are present in all geographic regions and represent 5,000 different cultures. There is a growing understanding by the global community that indigenous lands and waters represent 80 percent of the …
Bolstering Indigenous Philanthropy: The Responsible Way Forward Leer más »
By Rucha Chitnis Institutional philanthropy, in a nutshell, is a Western construct. Often it can seem transactional, likened to a business deal when funders strategize about returns on investment and the ever-present question of scale. Wealth remains in the hands of few, who are disconnected from the realities of Indigenous communities fighting oil pipelines, extracted …
Indigenous Funds Lead the Way to Decolonize Philanthropy Leer más »
The partners of Pawanka Fund have been doing inspiring work in promoting, protecting and enhancing traditional knowledge as integral to indigenous peoples’ culture, ways of life and innovations. Each partner has a story to tell. These include indigenous women who are struggling to keep their handicraft skills alive and vibrant, preserving seeds for food security; …
The 2018 Pawanka Calendar brings monthly Indigenous Images of Inspiration Leer más »
The jumia/jhumia are cultivators engaged in hillside agriculture which has been a traditional practice in Chittagong Hill Tracks in Bangladesh. Jum or shifting cultivation has been the only livelihood means for around 50% of the marginal and landless farmers living in the remote hills, which has been regarded by the government and some sectors as …
Traditional Knowledge is Tool for Resiliency and Food Security Leer más »
The Waiapu catchment is the sacred ancestral river of the Māori people. The symbiotic relationship of the catchment and the indigenous people’s cultural wellbeing is of primary concern. When the New Zealand government was established in 1853, and subsequent local governments were formed, the management and decision making for the freshwater and natural resources of …