From pdh@u.washington.edu Wed Jan 4 03:57:45 PST 1995 >From pdh@u.washington.edu Wed Jan 4 03:57:44 1995 Return-Path: Received: from stein3.u.washington.edu by lists.u.washington.edu (5.65+UW94.10/UW-NDC Revision: 2.32 ) id AA25555; Wed, 4 Jan 95 03:57:44 -0800 Received: by stein3.u.washington.edu (5.65+UW94.10/UW-NDC Revision: 2.32 ) id AA21426; Wed, 4 Jan 95 03:57:44 -0800 X-Sender: pdh@stein3.u.washington.edu Date: Wed, 4 Jan 1995 03:57:43 -0800 (PST) From: Preston Hardison To: indknow@u.washington.edu Subject: CBD COP1: Creation, Biodiversity, Sustainable Development Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII The following message comes from the biodiversity conference on EcoNet. For more information on Econet, PeaceNet or the Institute for Global Communication, send a blank e-mail message to: econet-info@igc.apc.org, peacenet-info@igc.apc.org, or igc-info@igc.apc.org. Written 3:46 PM Dec 30, 1994 by jacses in igc:biodiversity CAUCUS OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES' PREPARATORY COMMITTEE The Relationship Between Creation, Biological Diversity, Sustainable Development and Indigenous Peoples December 8, 1994 There is a sacred, interdependent relationship between Mother Earth, Creation and Indigenous Peoples. Our oral knowledge is an antiguous system of knowledge to scientific understanding of evolution and sustainable development. Indigenous Peoples' currently inhabit many of the worldUs mega-biological centres of biological and cultural creation. These centres of creation from the four directions are sanctified in the creation stories of Hopi, Mayan and other Indigenous Peoples. The Mayan meaning the Corn People creation story is an excellent example of the relationship between mega-biodiversity regimes or germplasm creation zones and the cultural/intellectual development of Indigenous Peoples. Wherever you identify these areas of mega-biodiversity in the world you will find Indigenous Peoples. Since the EuropeanUs arrival in the Americas, insufficient efforts to understand Indigenous Peoples resulted in a complete misreading of what they observed. The Houdonausonee meaning People of the Longhouse (Iroquois) creation story shows the diffusion of creation from the centre of mega-diversity. The story tells of the Sky Women creating plants, insects, birds and animals as she walked in an ever widening spiral to create the Great Turtle Island known as North America. Oral history brings culture alive and is a direct link with creation. The Anishinabeg meaning the People (Algonkian speakers) say that the Elk created the universe by baying. The Kitigan Zibi AnishinabegUs universe emerged from new biological diversity created in the wake of receding glaciers. Indigenous technology, science and knowledge differ from that of its European cousins. Indigenous Peoples live within the natural order, continue to respect creation, through ceremonies and offerings of thanks, and live and walk in balance with nature. For as much as Indigenous Peoples domesticated nature, Europeans domesticated the land and animals. Both cultures have their own cultural history and environmental conditions to explain the difference. The challenge facing both cultural systems is to study both systems, to develop respect for each system and to develop new institutions that honour and respect not only biological diversity, but also cultural diversity. This is a most important priority of our time. Indigenous Peoples developed food plants, medicines and sacred plants from gifts of creation. The creatorUs original instruction was for Indigenous Peoples to sustain creation, which includes plants, the four- legged, fish, birds and the two-legged (people). These are the original instructions, they guide the way-of-life of traditional and spiritual Indigenous Peoples of the world. Indigenous Peoples maintain ways of life according to these instructions and in the process maintain what is termed "biological diversity". It is Indigenous Peoples that assure the survival of creation and hence the future of the world. These plants, medicines and sacred plants are truly gifts of creation and the creator and are respected as such. Indigenous Peoples received these gifts and in so doing took on the responsibility of maintaining the sacred relationship between the environment, and sustainable human development. Indigenous Peoples are surprised that industrialized societies have not connected the urgent need to save cultural diversity with the need to save the environment. It must be that western attitudes are still biased against Indigenous Peoples. We have witnessed the unbridled growth of technology, leading to unquestioned assumptions that somehow humanity has conquered nature and no longer needs creation to survive. Industrialized societies are only now making the connection between exploitative development and the degradation of air, water and the natural world. The industrialized world has forgotten how to maintain and preserve biological diversity. Indigenous Peoples still have that knowledge. Principles for the protection of biological and cultural diversity are: 1. The protection of biological diversity and Indigenous Peoples are inseparable and you cannot protect one without protecting the other. 2. Indigenous knowledge of plants, medicines and environments is complete and this knowledge can only be protected within a cultural context. 3. Cultural diversity is as important as biological diversity because the two are mutually inclusive, inseparable and immutable. 4. The idea that by protecting biological diversity without protecting Indigenous Peoples' rights is shortsighted and will result in loss of knowledge, biological diversity and cultural diversity. 5. The strategy to simply collect and document biological diversity as a memory of creation is folly because without cultural and biological diversity we just will not survive. This applies to other strategies that do not have as their goal the maintenance of the whole of creation. The entering into force of the Convention on Biological Diversity is an opportunity for building bridges between nation states and Indigenous Peoples to develop respect and communication. It is very clear that existing and historical approaches to bridge Indigenous and occidental culture have not worked. The present concern over the environment and the necessity to preserve biological diversity has come closest to linking Indigenous Peoples and biological diversity. The following are some modest proposals to begin a dialogue between the COP and Indigenous Peoples on concrete issues of concern to all stakeholders. Recommendations to increase Indigenous Peoples' participation in the COP and the Convention on Sustainable Development (CSD) 1. That the COP and the CSD encourage and support national consultations with Indigenous Peoples on sustainable development and biological diversity. * For national governments to consult with Indigenous Peoples on sustainable development and biological diversity. * To include Indigenous Peoples' approaches to development in national plans and legislation. * To support Indigenous Peoples' approaches to biological diversity and sustainable development. 2. That the COP and the CSD support the establishment of an Indigenous Peoples' fund for research and an Indigenous knowledge clearing house. * To support the development of Indigenous Peoples' research on sustainable development and biological diversity. * To support research that incorporates Indigenous knowledge and western science/technology with Indigenous sustainable development strategies. * To provide a data base and information sharing mechanism for Indigenous Peoples and scientific and academic institutions, nation states, international agencies and NGOs. 3. That a fund be established to support the ongoing work of Indigenous Peoples to the COP and the CSD: * To support Indigenous Peoples' participation at the COP and the CSD. * To provide secretariat and support services to Indigenous Peoples. * To prepare, circulate and publish Indigenous expert papers on the CBD, and Agenda 21. 4. That an Indigenous Peoples' unit be established within the secretariat of the COP: * To liaise with Indigenous Peoples on biological diversity conservation and sustainable use of its components. * To provide very senior liaison with the COP. * To facilitate implementation of Article 8 (j). * To coordinate with other agencies (UNDP, FAO, ILO, World Bank, etc.). Caucus of the Indigenous Peoples' Preparatory Committee Members Apikan Indigenous Network Consejo Aguaruna y Huambisa Cultural Survival (Canada) Indigenous Peoples'Biodiversity Network International Indian Treaty Council Inuit Circumpolar Conference Maori Congress Nordic Sami Institute South and Meso American Indian Rights Center, SAIIC United Nations Environment and Development UK Committee .