Indigenous Stewardship for International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples

Across geographies, indigenous people, leaders, and communities are charting an informed path toward ocean and coastal health and restoration.?

Thanks to traditional ecological knowledge, indigenous peoples have unique, place-based insights into important indicators of ocean health: from currents and tides to species migration.

On International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples (August 9), I am honored to spotlight contemporary, indigenous stewardship initiatives that are (rightfully) supported by local governments and nonprofit organizations around the world through co-governance efforts.

Biodiversity Guardianship

Indigenous people represent 5% of the world’s population but safeguard 80% of our planet’s remaining biodiversity (much of which remains undiscovered to this day with 80% of the ocean still yet to be explored).?

Lau Seascape, Fiji Islands: Nestled within the South Pacific Ocean, this unique marine ecosystem is home to 60 islands, of which 13 are inhabited. Vanua o Lau, the Indigenous People of the area, are stewards of the region’s remarkable biodiversity. The reefs of Vanua o Lau are an essential breeding ground for endangered green and hawksbill sea turtles.?

Across 52 locally managed marine protected areas (MPAs), local communities leverage their local ecological knowledge to harvest resources responsibly, maintaining 80% live coral cover, 200 hard coral species, 527 fish species, and as of 2017, a handful of new to science species endemic to the region, like the coral dwarf goby.

Indigenous Aquaculture

According to NOAA, marine aquaculture is “the fastest growing form of agriculture in the world” and “a valuable tool to help rebuild protected species and habitats.”

Hawaiian Archipelago: Loko i‘a, or Hawaiian fishponds, are a unique aquaculture system developed to optimize natural patterns of watersheds, nutrient cycles, and fish biology. While they still feed and connect communities across the archipelago, of the 488 identified, many are now extremely degraded.?

Hui Mālama Loko I?a (Hui) is a growing network of 100+ indigenous practitioners and organizations restoring 38 partially intact fishponds. Together, they’re increasing sustainable protein availability, mitigating coral bleaching, and limiting beach erosion. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs and many nonprofits are supporting Hui’s capacity building.

Native Mariculture

Falling under the broader umbrella of aquaculture, mariculture is defined as the “cultivation of fish and other marine wildlife for food, also known as marine farming.”

Pacific Northwest: Clam Gardens date back to at least 3,500 years ago, but indigenous knowledge holders indicate they have existed “since the beginning of time.” Indigenous people in this region created these gardens by rolling rocks to coastal low tide lines. They then tilled the sediment, added shell hash and gravel, transplanted young clams, selectively harvested them, and monitored for predators and debris. This methodology increased clam habitats by as much as 33%.

Today, in the Southern Gulf Islands of British Columbia, Hul’q’umi’num’ & W?SáNE? Coast Salish communities are leading the first experimental restoration of clam gardens in cooperation with Parks Canada. In Washington State, the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community is constructing the first new clam garden as part of their climate change adaptation program.?

Coral Reef Governance

According to Economist Impact, coral reefs cover less than 1% of the earth’s surface but sustain 25% of marine life and directly support 500+ million people globally.?

Great Barrier Reef, Australia: In a mere handful of decades, 60% of the world’s largest reef system has undergone coral bleaching. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, or “Sea Country People,” of the Great Barrier Reef are the traditional owners and stewards of this natural wonder.?

The Great Barrier Reef Foundation is prioritizing the voices, knowledge, governance, and importance of these traditional owners in the largest-ever, co-designed reef protection effort in history. Meanwhile, the Queensland Indigenous Women Rangers Network has enlisted more than 80 Aboriginal female rangers and in 2022 was awarded the “Revive Our Oceans” Earthshot Prize.

Indigenous-led and co-governed projects in this region include sea turtle tagging and conservation, reef surveys, crown-of-thorns starfish outbreak prevention, and study of mussel population decline. The Australian government, NGOs, and indigenous people are increasingly cooperating to bring together 60,000 years of local ecological knowledge with modern science, technology, and policies.

Mangrove Stewardship

Mangroves remove carbon ten times faster than tropical forests, and store up to five times more carbon per acre, according to NOAA.

Busuanga, Philippines: Indigenous Cuyunon and Tagbanua groups of Quezon are leading mangrove forest restoration in their region. Where neighboring islands' restoration efforts have failed, their 80% success rate is attributed to the community’s appropriate selection of sites and species planted.

Southern Coast, Papua New Guinea: Asmat Indigenous people implement the cultural concepts of pisis, tetre, karu, and teser in their region to protect and conserve mangrove forests—which culturally they consider their “mothers.” They co-govern the land to ensure development does not threaten their way of life.

Additional Reading

In 2022 for International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, Sustainable Ocean Alliance spotlighted indigenous stewardship initiatives here. I encourage you to learn more about these initiatives and take it upon yourself to research what indigenous stewardship is being practiced and upheld in your community.

Not sure where to start? Begin by learning what native land you are living on or visiting by using this interactive map tool by Native Land Digital.