<
https://news.mongabay.com/2022/07/indigenous-shuar-community-in-ecuador-wins-decades-long-battle-to-protect-land/>
"An Indigenous community in Ecuador has finally obtained national protections
for part of its territory after decades of fighting off deforestation and
pollution in its mega-diverse rainforests.
Ecuador’s National System of Protected Areas now includes the 5,497-hectare
(13,583-acre) ancestral Tiwi Nunka Forest, which the Shuar Indigenous community
of El Kiim lives in and relies on for sustenance and many cultural practices.
The decision means that the land should be safe from future exploitation,
including mining, cattle ranching and agricultural encroachment — activities
that have worried the community’s 35 Shuar families for decades. It also means
that the community is free to sustainably manage the local natural resources as
it sees fit.
The area is not only home to many of the community’s ancestral traditions, such
as collecting and making medicines and performing ritualistic waterfall baths,
but also important biodiversity like the mountain tapir (
Tapirus pinchaque)
and spectacled bear (
Tremarctos ornatus). The forest is also a source of
clean water for the community.
“We’re protecting the forest because these are the last trees we have for wood
and medicine,” said Washington Tiwi, a resident of El Kiim and former head of
the community. “Some species, such as bears, howler monkeys and tapirs, are
protected from disappearing. Our children and future generations can see them
and know that these species exist and are protected.”"
Via
Future Crunch issue 190:
https://futurecrunch.com/
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
