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Human Inhabitants Tropical rainforests have supported tribal groups since ancient times. Although forest life cannot be described as easy, these peoples have built their lives around the surrounding forest and its systems. Consequently, these people are a great storehouse of the knowledge about the forest. They know medicinal properties of plants and the value of the forest as an intact ecosystem.
These indigenous peoples lose their home and culture when forest lands are cut, and subsequently are threatened by development of their lands by colonists and large scale development corporations. Conflicts with settlers, who also bring disease and domestic animals, results in the decline of the native population. In the past commercial firms and governments developed forest lands without the permission of the original indigenous inhabitants. Even today, in countries like Brazil and Bolivia, private interests illegally encroach on the lands of native peoples. Sometimes, tribal groups are given the choice whether to allow their lands to be developed or leave it in a natural state. If developed, indigenous people expect that they will receive some of the benefits of "civilized" life including better education for their children, access to health care, and infrastructure like roads and electricity. Other times, the group will choose to keep their more familiar, natural lifestyle in the forest by rejecting the development firms. Often, an indigenous group is torn between the two choices, and a bitter rift forms within the group. Sometimes the development firm signs a contract with those natives who support development and ignore the demands of those natives who shun the loss of their lands. For example, in Papua New Guinea, the Bahineimo tribesmen chose the quick cash from liquidating their forests by logging firms over their traditional forest way of life. However, just after the deal was signed, many Bahineimo denounced the agreement and claimed their signatures were forged, so the government suspended the deal. Similarly, in oil-ravaged Ecuador, oil companies work to influence high-ranking members of indigenous organizations to permit oil development on native lands. Meanwhile other, less influential members, who value their culture, environment, and traditional homeland over exploitation, are largely ignored. Many firms have used techniques to factionalize such indigenous organizations ("divide and conquer" tactics) to weaken their power and capitalize on the traditional animosity between tribal groups. Thus indigenous groups end up battling one another instead of the oil giants.
Sometimes, indigenous elders are tricked into signing contracts that grant their lands as concessions to developers. It is sometimes difficult for native peoples to understand the "sale" of land since within their traditional community, land, along with other material objects are considered communal property and responsibility. Likewise, children who lose a parent or are abandoned are usually adopted and raised by the group as a communal responsibility. Traditionally, the governments of tropical countries, like the governments of temperate regions, side with rapid economic development over the interests of native peoples. The government often encourages native peoples to yield to firms, emphasizing the incentives that development will bring over the potential costs. Though less frequent in today's increasingly democratized society, some governments still grant indigenous lands to firms for development. Several countries still refuse to recognize indigenous land rights, no matter how small their lands claims are. Today many indigenous peoples choose to be slowly assimilated into the outside society. They seek the apparent conveniences of cotton t-shirts, metal pots, and tuperware. They are impressed with the dugouts fitted with outboard motors and the wrap-around sunglasses that so many tourists wear. As they turn towards this culture, elements of their own are lost. As youths increasingly leave the forest, native ways are forgotten and considerable knowledge about the interwoven fabric of complexity of the rainforest is lost forever. Gone is knowledge of medicinal plants. Gone are the unique methods of cultivation in the rainforest which could be useful today. Gone is the understanding of the ecological value of the rainforest along with the acknowledgement that forests can be sustained and used for human benefit. Gone are the unique cultures that have dwelled in the forest for thousands of generations. Whether these indigenous people find what they are seeking when they leave the forest can only be known to them. Sadly it seems that many indigenous people harbor misconceptions about life outside the rainforest. As the move into cities or government agricultural projects, they enter an unfamiliar environment where they are often shunned. Lacking the skills valued by society and adequate Western education, indigenous peoples are often destined for a life of poverty as part of the lowest rung of the wage-earning class. Very few people leaving the forest for the city successfully make the transition on their own and many finding themselves returning to their native lands in one capacity or another. Increasingly, instead of being encouraged to migrate into cities or agricultural plots, native peoples are being incorporated into community management schemes and multiple-use reserves. Under this system, tribal groups can remain living in a traditional manner should they desire, but still earn an income. Several NGOs have initiated projects that encourage native peoples to keep some ties to their past so that their knowledge of the forest ecosystem does not die along with their culture. |
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Forest People |
Indigenous Health Lessons from the Maya Forest people plant knowledge A Brief Social History of Borneo Forest people today Tri-country Amerindian summit Indigenous people estimates Varzea vs Terra settlements |
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Copyright Rhett Butler 1994-2005 |
