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For centuries, Indigenous peoples around the world have fostered a deep connection with nature, rooted in their respect for the land, water, and biodiversity. Their knowledge, passed down through countless generations, offers sustainable methods for restoring ecosystems and mitigating the impacts of climate change. As we celebrate Indigenous People’s Day, Aclymate encourages you to turn to these time-tested strategies that champions humans living in harmony with the Earth.
Today, we want to bring your attention to three powerful Indigenous strategies around the world that we think are inspirational to modern climate action.
The Tanesha people live in the headwaters of the Amazon basin in central Peru, one of the most diverse tropical rainforests in the world.
They have extensive knowledge in maintaining and increasing biodiversity in this environment. Specifically, they boosted genetic diversity of one species called cocona – a nutritiously-rich fruit native to the upper Amazon. Cocona fruits, similar to tomatoes but with fragrant aroma, are known to come in all different shapes and sizes. This genetic diversity made them well-adjusted to different environments.
How did the Tanesha people do it? By selection of novel fruit types. Instead of only cultivating cocona fruits that look one certain way, they made sure to grow them in a way that’s consistent with the plant’s breeding systems to sustain them.
The Tanesha people’s legacy in contributing to Amazon’s biodiversity extends beyond cocona fruit domestication. They plant 75+ species of crops in home gardens and 125+ in swidden fields, making the environment especially resilient to pest destruction and extreme weather. Through sustaining biodiversity in the Amazon forest, the Tanesha people play a huge role in protecting the largest carbon sink on the planet.
The indigenous effort to restore our planet extends beyond the Amazon forest.
The two tribes indigenous to California, Yurok and Karuk tribe, have taken steps to decrease the negative environmental impacts of wildfires in the state. Specifically, they adopt a traditional practice called prescribed burning, which refers to intentionally setting out fire in a controlled and small-scale fashion. It involves cutting hazelnut shrub stems and burning them. This is effective in environmental restoration in two ways: it increases the production quality of hazelnut shrubs, and reduces fuel for wildfires, thus their intensity and scale.
By strategically planning reasonable burns, the amount of carbon emission is significantly reduced, studies find. The tribes’ traditional wisdom leveraged the good use of fire towards the goal of higher plant production while also reducing their carbon footprint.
As opposed to commercial fishing practices, which result in massive carbon emissions from trawlers, native Hawaiians make use of the natural landscape to fish without any feed input or greenhouse gas producing practices.
The secret lies in building semi-enclosed fish ponds. Native Hawaiians establish rock walls that enclose a part of the ocean that contains nutrient-rich water. In this way, microscopic plants grow, serving as natural bait for fish, allowing them to thrive.
Through manipulating pre-existing natural conditions, native Hawaiians fish responsibly and sustainably. They’re healing their community and also the environment by living in peace with the original aquaculture.
At Aclymate, we believe in net-zero for all – removing the same amount of greenhouse gas as what we emit. These highlighted strategies of coping with climate change are valuable ways we can make that happen: through practicing biodiversity, taking strategic actions for carbon reduction, and creating carbon-free ways to support livelihood. We hope these native voices are inspirations for modern businesses as we envision a greener future for all.
Want to learn more about evaluating and offsetting your business’s carbon emissions? Book a free 30-minute consultation call with our sustainability expert now!