Safeguarding Indigenous Cultural Landscapes

At a UNPFII side event, Indigenous leaders and partners discuss an Indigenous-led strategy to protect Mother Earth guided by Indigenous vision, practices, and ancestral knowledge.

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The FSC Indigenous Foundation (FSC-IF) and USAID hosted the event: Safeguarding Indigenous Cultural Landscapes: An Indigenous-led Strategy for Actions to Protect Mother Earth to discuss how Indigenous-based solutions, Indigenous rights-based approaches, and Indigenous culture, values, and principles are key to achieving Indigenous self-development, self-governance, and self-reliance within their Indigenous Cultural Landscapes and territories.

This rich discussion took place on Tuesday, April 18th in the framework of the 22nd session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) held in New York City.

Speakers included: Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, FSC-IF Council Vice Chair, Stephanie Conduff, USAID Senior Indigenous Peoples Advisor, Francisco Souza, FSC-IF Managing Director, Sara Omi, President of the Coordinator of Women Territorial Leaders of the Mesoamerican Alliance for Peoples and Forests (AMPB), Rodion Sulyandziga, Chairperson of the Forest Stewardship Council Permanent Indigenous Peoples Committee (PIPC), Gideon Abraham Ole Sanago, Coordinator for Climate Change Pastoralists Indigenous Non-Governmental Organizations (PINGO’s Forum), Daniel Kobei, Executive Director of the Ogiek Peoples’ Development Program and Anders Blom, FSC-IF Council Chair.

Sara Omi, Anders Blom, and Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim opened the event.

Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim discussed the need for Indigenous Peoples to have access to finance for climate action and biodiversity conservation. “In order to protect the forest, we need to have access to finance to build a better future together,” she said. “This panel is a great way for us Indigenous Peoples to share and construct the future together.”

USAID and the FSC-IF have a common goal: to provide support for Indigenous Peoples and to protect nature. The FSC-IF is an Indigenous-led global organization, and our work is driven to serve Indigenous Peoples’ communities and partners to achieve their long-term goal of promoting sustainable self-development of their forests and landscapes in line with their knowledge, ancestral rights, and cosmovision as traditional pillars for their self-governance and self-reliance objectives. The FSC-IF Global Strategy 2023-2027 was designed to reflect the aspirations of Indigenous Peoples as the drivers of our organization. It provides guidance to the governance, decision-making process, management, and operations toward achieving our mission and strategic objectives.

Francisco Souza presented the FSC Indigenous Foundation Strategic Plan. “For us to be successful, we need to be led by, for, and with Indigenous Peoples.”

He also spoke about the core of the Strategy: Indigenous Cultural Landscapes. “Indigenous Cultural Landscapes for us are to recognize and acknowledge the cultural and traditional way Indigenous Peoples manage their territories on the ground.”

USAID’s PRO-IP policy guides development practitioners to strengthen the design and management of programs that affect Indigenous Peoples. These efforts should contribute to deepening the impact of activities and creating more sustainable outcomes by effectively and appropriately partnering with Indigenous Peoples and addressing their challenges throughout the program cycle.

Stephanie Conduff reaffirmed the commitment of USAID to support Indigenous Peoples and help them implement their nature-based solutions. She said, “For us, it is very important to be here, the solutions are here.”

Next, a panel discussed Indigenous Cultural Landscapes.

Sara Omi emphasized the role of Indigenous women in nature-based solutions and highlighted the urgent need for them to be fully included at all levels. “Women have our own vision of how to repair our Mother Earth who is sick.”

Rodion Sulyandziga spoke about Indigenous Cultural Landscapes and how they embody Indigenous Peoples’ relationship with nature. “Our planet knows how to heal itself. It does not need saving – we do. We must change our minds and our approach,” he said.

Next, Gideon Abraham Ole Sanago spoke about environmental defenders, and their challenges to defend nature in Africa. “Where the forest is intact is where others want to do business and hunting, this is a big challenge we are facing.”

Daniel Kobei discussed a rights-based approach to Indigenous Cultural Landscapes, providing the example of the Ogiek Peoples. He talked about the two court cases they won for their land rights. “Let us understand the issues of Indigenous Peoples, they are very unique, they are cross-cutting,” he said. “We [Indigenous Peoples] are dealing with landscapes.”

Participants had the opportunity to engage with the panel and ask questions. Salina Sanou, IPARD Program Deputy Director and Regional Director for Africa and Asia for the FSC-IF, moderated the panel. “We are a very unique as a Foundation because we have that capacity to be able to work with Indigenous Peoples globally,” she added.

All speakers agreed on the interconnectivity of Indigenous Peoples with their land, and the key role they must play in protecting this land for the benefit of us all.

Anders Blom closed the event, “Land is a fundamental asset for the sustainable economic development of Indigenous Peoples.”

View a recording of the event here.

Launching the FSC Indigenous Foundation Global Strategy 2023-2027

Our Strategy was developed by, with, and for Indigenous Peoples to promote and support Indigenous-led actions and solutions.

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We are Indigenous Peoples; our strategies and our future actions are shaped by ancestral knowledge, practices, cosmovision, values, and respect for Mother Earth and our past.

We are Indigenous Peoples; we are ancestral guardians of Indigenous-based solutions to global challenges. We are part of the 500 million brothers and sisters who live, populate, and safeguard Mother Earth.

The FSC Indigenous Foundation is the global vehicle to design, manage, facilitate, and scale up Indigenous-led solutions through multi-sectoral partnerships.

The FSC Indigenous Foundation presents its Global Strategy 2023-2027, designed to reflect the aspirations of Indigenous Peoples as drivers of our organization.

The Strategy envisions to contribute to a future where Indigenous Peoples are recognized as providers, agents, guardians, and partners in solutions to global challenges including climate change, biodiversity loss, natural ecosystem degradation, desertification, and deforestation.

It was developed following an Indigenous perspective driven by Indigenous values, vision, principles, ancestral knowledge, and traditional practices connected to Mother Earth. It was shaped to respond to key challenges and opportunities faced by Indigenous Peoples to achieve their self-development, self-governance, and self-reliance.

The core action area of our strategy is Indigenous Cultural Landscapes, which guide and incorporate a holistic territorial perspective into all our programmatic areas of work.

Learn more and read our Global Strategy 2023 – 2027 here.

We look forward to working with you to support and promote Indigenous Peoples as key actors and providers of solutions to fight global challenges and promote inclusive and rights-based development for everyone.

Indigenous women’s ancestral knowledge and technology

On International Women's Day, we share the words of Indigenous Women about the importance of this knowledge for the rights and self-determination of Indigenous Peoples.

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Indigenous Women are guardians of ancestral knowledge, protecting forests, water resources, and biodiversity, and are responsible for transmitting this knowledge from generation to generation.

International Women’s Day is commemorated each year on March 8^th to recognize the struggle and achievements of women for social, economic, cultural, and political rights all around the world. This year’s theme is Innovation and technology for gender equality.

Technology is the application of knowledge. That is why, this year on International Women’s Day, we are sharing the words of Indigenous Women around the world on their ancestral knowledge and technology, and how this contributes to the promotion of Indigenous Peoples’ rights and self-determination.

The FSC Indigenous Foundation is committed to the empowerment of Indigenous Women as leaders, providers of solutions, and an integral part of holistic self-development. A future without Indigenous Women will be a future where Mother Earth is at risk.

We invite you to share your video selfies with us, tagging us @fscindigenousfoundation on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn and @fsc_if on Twitter and the hashtags #IWD2023 #DigitALL, answering the following questions:

What is Indigenous technology?

How can technology improve the lives of Indigenous Women and contribute to their communities?

How do you see the importance of technology for Indigenous Peoples’ rights and Indigenous self-determination?

Protected: Launching the Indigenous Learning Platform

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