Gratitude for Guardians: Celebrating Indigenous Roles in Protecting our Planet
Thanksgiving is upon us and it’s the perfect time to reflect on the importance of Indigenous communities across the world who have been gatekeeping our planet for centuries. Their ancestral knowledge and sustainable practices are deeply intertwined with the ecosystems they inhabit — from managing forests in the Amazon to conserving marine life in the Pacific. Indigenous communities live in harmony with nature, viewing land, water, and wildlife as interconnected rather than separate entities. By protecting their rights, lands, and traditions, we not only honor their cultural heritage but also boost global efforts to combat climate change, preserve specie variety, and ensure the planet’s future for generations to come.
Despite making up only about 5% of the global population, Indigenous peoples protect 80% of the world’s remaining biodiversity according to major conservation groups. But, there has been a dark history since the beginning of time in attempts to eradicate Indigenous populations throughout the world, including here in Northern America. The U.S. government deployed a strategy of extermination of bison in the 19th century in an effort to destroy the livelihood and survival of Indigenous tribes. From 50 million bison down to fewer than 1,000, the near-extinction had catastrophic effects on the Great Plains and its inhabitants — including starvation and displacement, cultural erosion, and the massive ecological impact of the loss of bison. Today, Indigenous-led movements are working to restore not only bison to tribal lands, but reconnecting all of us with our planet’s most valuable natural resources in a sustainable way. Here, we explore how Indigenous groups around the globe contribute to making Mother Earth livable for future generations.
Guardians of Biodiversity
One of the most striking examples of Indigenous environmental stewardship can be seen in the Amazon Rainforest, which is about the size of Australia. Often referred to as the "lungs of the Earth," this vital ecosystem provides 20% of the world’s oxygen as well as 10% of the entire Earth’s biodiversity. Communities such as the Yanomami and Kayapo play a crucial role in protecting the Amazon. Indigenous territories act as a barrier against illegal logging, mining, and agricultural expansion, which are leading drivers of deforestation. By protecting vast tracts of rainforest, Indigenous tribes help preserve the Amazon’s role as a critical carbon sink, mitigating global climate change. At its peak, the Amazon absorbs billions of tons of carbon dioxide annually, and its destruction would emit rather than absorb.
In other parts of the world, the Cree, Inuit, and other First Nations of Canada protect vast tracts of Boreal forest, which also serves as a critical carbon sink. By opposing large-scale logging and extractive industries, these communities safeguard an ecosystem that is essential not only for carbon storage but also for countless species that call it home. Without their critical involvement, there would be less oversight and valuable resources lost.
In April of this year, a historic Indigenous-led movement of tribal chiefs that sought to protect whales granted them personhood status by a treaty titled The Declaration for the Ocean. This treaty which was overwhelmingly signed by surrounding tribal leaders would allow the indigenous groups to start talks with governments in New Zealand, the Cook Islands, and other Polynesian countries to develop a legal framework to enforce protections around whales. This declaration doesn’t mean that whales are human — but they are granted legal person status, meaning you can endow them with certain rights and remedies if they are harmed. This is significant because whales help fight climate change by being at the top of the food chain, playing a key role in the balance of the ocean ecosystem. They also capture carbon from the atmosphere: a single great whale can sequester an estimated 33 tons of Co2.
Traditional Knowledge and Sustainable Practices
Amazon Rainforest
Indigenous communities’ spiritual connections to the Earth make them exceptional guardians because they see nature as interconnected and inseparable from their identity. By living within nature’s limits, they prioritize preservation over exploitation.
Indigenous peoples' understanding of their local environments often surpasses that of modern science. In the Arctic, the Inuit have for centuries used their deep knowledge of ice patterns and wildlife migration to maintain sustainable hunting practices. They have identified shifts in ice thickness, melting permafrost, and alterations in animal populations well before these trends were widely studied. As climate change accelerates, their insights are invaluable for understanding these rapid changes and developing adaptive strategies.
Similarly, in the Pacific Islands, Indigenous communities such as the Fijians have long practiced "tabu," a traditional form of marine conservation where certain areas are designated as off-limits to fishing. These no-take zones allow fish populations to recover, ensuring long-term food security. Fijians deep knowledge of the coral reef ecosystem allows them to understand seasonal cycles and maintain ecological balance.
Heading back to the Amazon, the Kayapo and the Ashaninka tribes have been practicing forms of regenerative agriculture for thousands of years — long before the term was coined. Their agricultural systems are deeply integrated with the rainforest's natural cycles, ensuring sustainable food production. By cultivating agroforests (crops that are grown alongside trees and native plants) and practicing polyculture (where multiple crops are grown together in the same area), the natural structure of the rainforest is mimicked, enhancing variety of species, preventing soil erosion and maintaining soil fertility.
Fighting for Climate Justice
Indigenous communities often bear the brunt of climate change despite contributing the least to its causes. Rising sea levels threaten Pacific Islanders' homelands, while desertification endangers pastoralist tribes in Africa such as the Maasai. Yet, these communities continue to advocate for climate justice, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all life and the need for global cooperation.
In Ecuador, the Waorani people successfully fought against oil drilling in their territory, preserving both their culture and the rainforest. This victory demonstrates the power of Indigenous-led movements to halt destructive industries and inspire broader environmental action.
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and allied organizations began resisting the Keystone pipeline's extension in 2014. The pipeline would run from western North Dakota to southern Illinois, crossing beneath the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, and near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. The tribe and surrounding communities were concerned that the pipeline would threaten drinking water and destroy sacred burial grounds and cultural sites. Through the successful use of social media, the hashtag #noDAPL (No Dakota Pipeline Campaign) allowed activists to bypass traditional media and share real-time updates, personal stories, and live streams from the protests. Social media gave Indigenous leaders and supporters a global platform to share the environmental and human rights implications of the pipeline, reaching millions. Effectively, the extension of the pipeline was abandoned in 2021.
#NoDAPL became a model for other environmental and Indigenous-led movements, demonstrating the power of digital activism combined with on-the-ground protests. Indigenous groups are at the forefront of the fight for climate justice, protecting the Earth's most critical ecosystems and advocating for a sustainable future.
Policy and Recognition
Despite their contributions, Indigenous communities often face marginalization and displacement. Because they are not tied to the land, they don’t have equal access to rights and therefore lack recognition and benefits that the rest of us enjoy. An Indigenous ethnic group near Malaysia, the Bajau (who are often referred to as “Sea Gypsies” for their nomadic seafaring lifestyle) live on houseboats, thereby presenting significant challenges due to not having a statehood, including limiting them to healthcare and education without proper documents. Culturally, the Bajau have a rich heritage that includes traditional boat-making, fishing techniques and deep knowledge of marine ecosystems as well as maritime navigation skills that have passed down through generations. So ingrained is their tie to the seas that they are renowned for their exceptional free-diving depths without equipment to gather marine resources. This unique adaptation included physiological traits such as larger spleens, which enhance their underwater endurance.
In other parts of the world, securing land rights is critical to indigenous group’s ability to protect ecosystems. Research shows that lands managed by Indigenous people have lower rates of deforestation and ecological diversity compared to protected areas overseen by governments or corporations.
With recognition comes power and the ability to have an impact in consequential policies. Standing alongside indigenous groups, measures must be followed by action, including enforcing land rights and amplifying Indigenous voices in environmental decision-making.
Conclusion
Indigenous worldviews often center around living in harmony with nature — a perspective that modern societies would do well to adopt. Unlike the extraction techniques many countries and industries have employed, Indigenous practices emphasize balance, respect, and giving back.
Supporting Indigenous communities (through policy, advocacy, and amplifying their voice) is not only an ethical responsibility, but also an essential step toward securing the future of our planet. Let’s honor the guardians of the Earth and learn from their wisdom. That is something to truly be thankful for.