Indigenous groups are small and marginalized communities. The field of anthropology views indigenous people as isolated communities located in a multilayered and complex environment. Indigenous people have been viewed as lesser humans whose actions have resulted in environmental degradation. However, most indigenous groups have started to get attention from different groups.
It is important to include cultural diversity while managing the environment. Cultural diversity plays a major role in environmental management. There are good practices that the author feels indigenous people have contributed to the environment, such as the tenure system. Another example is the indigenous people and oil exploration in Ecuador, where there is a relationship between indigenous people and the protection of the environment. However, it’s evident that indigenous people have not done much to protect the environment (Haenn & Wilk 373).
A case where they were denied the right to kill a whale by the Whaling Commission. The indigenous people have rituals that can have an adverse impact on the environment. The shared property among indigenous people has contributed to environmental degradation. There is a need for privatization (Haenn & Wilk 387). Both the environment and indigenous people are endangered. Some groups have acted fast to ensure that endangered communities are protected. Tribal people have decided to live differently from other modern people. There is a difference between tribes and the modern world. The modern world sees things as valuable, whereas tribal societies view people as valuable. Civilization has resulted in a major conflict that has resulted in environmental degradation. There is a strong relationship between human existence and the environment. The environment is experienced differently by different people in different regions. The social inequalities have generated competing environmental narratives. The readings emphasize the indigenous people and how the environment has been managed through cultural diversity. Both the environment and rights groups that advocate for the protection of the environment have a role to play in environmental management.
Works Cited
Haenn & Wilk. The Environment in Anthropology: A Reader in Ecology, Culture, and Sustainable Living. , 2014. Print.
