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Indigenous People that Matter

Updated: Jul 10, 2023

by Dr. Solot Sirisai


Indigenous people refer to social and cultural distinct groups with ties to the land and natural resources and who share the same ancestral spirit. Their population is estimated at more than 400 million worldwide. Indigenous mean people native to a place who has lived in a specific regional ecosystem for a long period of time. Indigenous peoples have an unique identity distinctive from mainstream society. Their ways of life are differentiated by their functional adaptions develop through their interaction with their natural resources in the ecosystem over generations. Many indigenous groups still maintain their language. It is estimated that there are more than 4000 indigenous languages worldwide, but more than half of them are at risk of becoming extinct by the end of this century. Indigenous people are often deprived of formal recognition over their land, natural resources and their territories. They are also marginalized to receive fully participation and decision making in development. These exclusions have made indigenous people more vulnerable to the impact of climate change and disease outbreaks.


Some questions have been raised. Why indigenous people are important to the modern world? Why shouldn’t we let them be assimilated to continually and permanently change their ways of life and cultural identity? Assimilation is often justified as a way to give them access to modern education, get paid jobs and the consume, material culture of the mainstream people. By doing so, they will improve their quality of life and turn away from poverty. But a proper response to these questions, need of more thoughtful reasons.


Photo by Charana Sapsuwan


The RISE project does not view indigenous people as an under-privileged group. Indigenous people are the latest world population group who are capable of living in harmony with nature. They are safeguarding 80 percent of the world’s remaining biodiversity. They also belong to vital ancestral human knowledge and local wisdom on how to adapt, mitigate and reduce risk of climate disaster.


Amid the upcoming environmental crisis caused by climate change, indigenous knowledge of living with nature maybe useful for the world.


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