Indigenous people represent 5% of the world's population, yet live in 85% of the proposed areas for biodiversity conservation
As the Global Climate Pledge, we aim to uplift Indigenous voices in environmental action. There are a total of 476 million known Indigenous people across 90 countries [World Bank]. This amounts to a total of 5,000 unique cultures [Amnesty]. As observers of the environment for thousands of years, Indigenous people know how to properly care for the regions. However, systemic inequities and a lack of access to proper resources decrease the reach of Indigenous voices. Climate change impacts these communities first, so we must include them in environmental action.
The Kuntanawa Nation
- The Kuntanawa reside in the State of Acre in the Brazilian Amazon. They are the first Indigenous nation partnered with the Global Climate Pledge
- Leaders Haru (right) and Hayra Kuntanawa (left) oversee their “Transform and Illuminate” sustainable horticulture project that will involve 31 Indigenous rainforest communities
- The Kuntanawa Nation faces droughts, food insecurity, deforestation, and pressure from slash-and-burn farming methods
Watch the video leader Haru Kuntanawa recorded for the Global Climate Pledge:
TreeSisters
- Clare Dubois (pictured here) and Bernadette Ryder co-founded TreeSisters in 2010
- Since its founding, the organization has funded the planting of 14.7 million trees to date
- They dedicate a series, “Indigenous Wisdom for the Earth,” to feature Indigenous speakers on webinars made accessible to all TreeSisters on their website
- Their aim includes reforesting areas in the Amazon with the collaboration of the Indigenous people who reside there
