By: Cristina Eghenter

Today we celebrate Indigenous Peoples, along with their cultural heritage, wisdom and knowledge, and territories. There is a strong and existential bond between Indigenous Peoples and their territories. And these territories can include a variety of ecosystems and habitats, and contain rich and unique biodiversity. A bond often indicates care and protection, nurturing and support, and a commitment to cherish what gives life and sustains the cycles of generations on this earth. This is perhaps one of the most important lessons about sustainability and conservation for us.

Celebrating Indigenous Peoples means respecting and recognizing their cultural heritage, knowledge and territories, and understanding that they are essential to the survival of life on our planet. Not only are their territories important areas for biodiversity of global significance, they help secure climate stability and mitigate the negative impacts of climate change, they hold cultural and sacred values for the people, and often comprise beautiful landscapes and seascapes.

Respecting and recognizing Indigenous Peoples is inseparable from respecting and recognizing their territories that sustain their livelihoods and identities, their 'territories of life', the sites of their heritage and indigenous cultural knowledge. This requires protecting the bonds between Indigenous Peoples and their territories to ensure that they are not severed or terminated. The risks are social and cultural deprivation, as well as emotional and economic losses.