This WORLD RAINFOREST DAY – let’s honor the indigenous communities that have led rainforest conservation efforts for thousands of years.
When we think of the rainforest, we often imagine a lush environment filled with unfamiliar creatures and trees as far as the eye can see. This environment might seem inhospitable to humanity, but did you know that indigenous communities continue to call the rainforest home?
Indigenous people live in rainforests across the world, including South and Central America, Asia, India, and Australia. The most well-known indigenous tribe is the Yanomami tribe in the Amazon rainforest. Living in symbiosis with the rainforest, the 35,000 people in the Yanomami tribe have continued to call the Amazon home for 8,000 years. And the Yanomami are not alone — it’s estimated that over 50 million people live amongst the trees of the rainforest, including:
- The Mbati, Batwa, and Baka: These three distinct tribes have lived in the Congo rainforest for an estimated 50,000 years. Each tribe still adheres to a hunter-gatherer lifestyle; sustainably using the rainforest’s natural resources. Despite their respect for the land, these Congolese tribes have been under attack for their practices — facing oppression from the government.
- Kayapo: These indigenous people are native to central Brazil; living in regions near rivers in the Amazon. The first documentation of these people occurred in the 19th century — but it is assumed they have lived in their rainforest homes for thousands of years. They adopted a rotational system (occupying one village at a time) in order to adapt to the available resources of the land.
- Penan: The Penan people live deep in the Borneo rainforest and function as a hunter-gatherer society. The origins and history of these people are not well known — but they became internationally recognized for their efforts to stop logging in the 1980s-1990s.
From the Amazon to Borneo, the rainforest is the rightful ancestral home of indigenous people globally. Thanks to the inherited environmental wisdom of indigenous groups, the rainforest is able to thrive even with human occupation. With sustainable farming practices and strict guidelines prioritizing the natural function of the ecosystem; learning the practices of indigenous groups are considered fundamental for the future of our rainforests. The ongoing threat of climate change and urbanization can be countered by adapting indigenous approaches to the environment. Funding conservation projects that allow us to adapt to indigenous practices will preserve RAINFORESTS for generations to come.
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