Rallying Indigenous peoples’ knowledge systems towards sustainable development pathways

More than two decades ago, in 1999, the Indigenous communities of Guyana held their first National Toshaos Conference to discuss contemporary challenges and formulate a common position on critical issues that have devastating effects on livelihoods, environmental and natural resources sustainability and the well-being of Indigenous peoples. This conference has evolved into becoming an annual gathering, and today provides a vision of unity to many Indigenous peoples all around the world.

After an interruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Conference resumed functioning in mid-July 2022. It brought together Toshaos from over 212 indigenous communities, working with the administration to develop strategies and guidelines, as well as to elect a new executive committee of the Toshaos Council. From this policy dialogue comes the promise of a flourishing Amerindian Heritage Month in September of this year. The month will focus on Indigenous knowledge and languages, cultural expressions, intangible heritage, and the unique indigenous life and cosmogonic vision of Toshaos.

On the 9th of August, between the Toshaos Conference and the Amerindian Heritage Month, will be the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, where the United Nations will seize the opportunity to raise global awareness of Indigenous peoples and their knowledge systems. It will also promote Indigenous culture, languages and traditions, essential towards fostering sustainable and resilient societies, fostering global understanding and building peace among humans and with nature. Indigenous peoples are guardians of 80% of the world's biodiversity and ecosystems, which they often manage based on culturally specific world views, caring for the health of the environment and on reciprocal responsibility[1]. If the deforestation rate of Guyana is under 1% per year – remaining one of the most preserved and pristine rainforests in the world – it is largely due to the stewardship of indigenous communities who inhabit and protect this vast green cover.

The theme of this years’ International Day is “The Role of Indigenous Women in the Preservation and Transmission of Traditional Knowledge”. Indeed, Indigenous women play a vital role in their communities as knowledge holders on cultural norms and traditions, community histories, medical services and agriculture systems, while being agents of conflict prevention and resolution through community order and indigenous justice.

Jessica George-Joseph is from the Macushi Nation from the village of Moco Moco in the region of Central Rupununi in Guyana. She describes the role of Indigenous women in the preservation and transmission of traditional knowledge as irreplaceable. 

"As women, we work and observe what goes on around us and for us to pass this knowledge we need to be empowered to first believe in our worth, to be proud of who we are. When we as women realize our worth, we will then know the power of our actions and words.” 

She further addresses the need for Guyanese to value the natural beauty of their country and stop its destruction to create a balance.

“We need to be more responsible and respect each other and each other’s space,” urges Jessica George-Joseph.

Indigenous women also are the educators in many of their peoples, transmitting knowledge on the sustainable management of natural resources, cultural heritage and the languages.  Language is a key element when implementing literacy programs or designing educational curricula. We need to understand and expand our education system to include more Indigenous knowledge that cares for the planet.

We also need to invest more in the education of Indigenous communities by developing appropriate curricula and inclusive teaching methodologies that meet their specific needs. Indeed, there is a general lack of disaggregated data, admittedly, indigenous peoples, especially women, suffer the highest illiteracy rate[2] in the population. This has dramatic consequences, leading to a lack of opportunities in the labour market, limited personal development possibilities, and high levels of rural-urban shift, where they face low wages and discrimination.

One of the biggest challenges for indigenous communities is the migration of youth from communities to cities in search of work, said Jessica George-Joseph. "After completing secondary education, there are no jobs for the youth to stay in the communities.”

In most cases, indigenous women are the primary conduit through which the younger generation learns and perpetuates indigenous languages. Despite accounting for only 6.2 percent of the world’s population, indigenous peoples are the custodians of 4,000 languages. These languages are part of our common human heritage, which we must preserve and cherish. This is why UNESCO, as the lead agency of the United Nations International Decade of Indigenous Languages, which runs from 2022 to 2032, is working to address the critical status of many indigenous languages around the world, and encouraging their preservation, revitalization, transmission and promotion among youth.

On this year's International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, UNESCO is also committed to supporting indigenous youth, as exemplified by the indigenous drive launched by the Village Council of St. Cuthbert's Mission/Pakuri Village in Guyana. Indigenous youth are featured in this informative and educational parade supported by UNESCO, the United Nations in Guyana and the Canadian High Commission to highlight the indigenous cultural heritage and engage Guyanese decision-makers in the protection of indigenous peoples' heritage. Finally, it commemorates the milestone of the 15th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2007.

The link between Indigenous knowledge systems, natural sciences and social sciences, and policy making, is a key priority for UNESCO in Guyana, Suriname, Belize, and in the Caribbean’s indigenous people’s landscape. At UNESCO, we believe it is a driver for leveraging the value of indigenous knowledge in addressing environmental and societal issues, and in complementing the traditional scientific knowledge system. In Guyana, biodiversity and the related ecosystem services are important catalyzers for climate adaptation and regulation, land and forest preservation, provisioning of freshwater resources, disaster risk resilience and community-based sustainable green and blue economies in the hinterland and in the coastal areas. It is in this context that UNESCO and the United Nations Resident Coordinator Office in Guyana are developing a trialogue series to mobilize all relevant stakeholders and expand the Indigenous Knowledge-Environmental Sciences-Policy Making interface in the country.

Indigenous peoples' issues are an integral part of global concerns. Therefore, we must rally as one humanity for the full participation and enjoyment of Indigenous peoples' rights, their knowledge systems, languages and cultural riches in the global endeavor to find sustainable pathways for the living world, for society and for humanity as a whole.

Jean-Paul NGOME ABIAGA, Ph.D

Programme Coordinator, UNESCO Office in Kingston, Jamaica

Acting Head of UNESCO IOCARIBE Secretariat in Cartagena, Colombia

Natural Sciences & Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission

[1] https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000146004/PDF/146004eng.pdf.multi

[2] IPBES Global Report on Biodiversity