Indigenous people often suffer the worst effects of social problems, a direct consequence of their marginalisation and displacement during the process of colonisation. For example, indigenous people are three times more likely to find themselves in extreme poverty and 47% of indigenous people who are in employment possess no formal education.
The passing down, from generation to generation, of traditional knowledge is often an important characteristic of indigenous cultures. In many cases, this process has not only facilitated the survival of indigenous communities, it has also fostered an awareness of, and a harmonious relationship with, their immediate environment. Traditional knowledge incorporates techniques including plant medicine, shelter construction, and hunting skills.
Much of this knowledge is learned through everyday activities. More specialised knowledge is usually held by “gatekeepers” who have developed expertise and who are therefore entrusted to develop and maintain cultural coherence and stability. For many matriarchal indigenous tribes, such as the Minangkabau of Indonesia or the Khasi of India, women perform crucial roles as “gatekeepers” of traditional knowledge.
Climate change is one of the biggest threats to traditional knowledge—temperature changes in the Andes has disrupted crop systems and hunting methods, causing food insecurity and energy problems. Global warming has likewise resulted in the increasing destruction of indigenous people’s ancestral environments. At the same time, there has been a renewed interest in, and a consequent drive to highlight and learn from, the typically sustainable relationships that indigenous people have had with their environments for generations. Understanding and prioritising traditional knowledge could prove key to preventing the worst effects of climate change.
British Online Archives invites everyone to take a moment today in order to further their knowledge and understanding of indigenous people, and to appreciate their importance to contemporary society.