Blog.Aug 15, 2023

The critical role of Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge for innovation

Interest in Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge has risen sharply in recent years. It is now seen as critical to science, conservation, and resilience. But in real life, many obstacles remain, and both the recent UN Water Conference and the upcoming World Water Week have sought new ways to amplify First Nation voices.

When the leading global water conference World Water Week opens on 20 August, it will be with a stronger presence and visibility of Indigenous Peoples representatives than in previous years.

The organizers at SIWI are proud to welcome Dr. Milika Sobey as keynote speaker in the Opening Ceremony where she will reflect on the importance of Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge for the year’s theme Seeds of Change: Innovative Solutions for a Water-Wise World. As an iTaukei from Fiji, her worldview is strongly influenced by the concept of vanua*, but also shaped by decades in the academic world focusing on both marine and freshwater science.

“For someone with my background, what you learn from academic studies complement what you have observed in nature and what you have been taught from indigenous knowledge. I see myself as a blended iTaukei as I combine two different ways of looking at the world, going back and forth between a traditional setting and a modern setting. And I am very grateful for that,” Milika Sobey says.

In Fiji, ancient wisdom is now being rediscovered, especially among young people, and is increasingly seen as an important part of innovation. “When we talk about innovation here, it doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with technology, it is about making changes that have an impact on the ground. It might even be bringing something back from the past that used to work in the past. Or reminding ourselves of values we were raised with that make it easier for the community to deal with whatever is being thrust upon us,” Sobey explains.

“When we talk about innovation here, it doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with technology, it is about making changes that have an impact on the ground.”

Dr. Milika Sobey, iTaukei from Fiji

She now works as a technical advisor on coastal ecosystems for GIZ Pacific. Indigenous communities are central to local marine area networks, an approach that has led to improved food security and the conservation of flora and fauna in the ocean. At the heart are the values of the community, including respect, responsibility, and reciprocity. A key concept is vanua, which means land – including flora, fauna, and rivers – but also all social groups living there and their traditions and values.

More and more people understand the strength of this relationship-oriented worldview

“There is a revival of interest in traditional knowledge that has to do with disaster risk reduction and resilience, which is important. But safeguarding it is really a race against time,” says Milika Sobey. “My main concern is that it is not being documented. We are an oral culture, so what we know for example about water management is not written down. So much of my knowledge has come from talking to older people, or people who have spoken to older people. They would for example know that where a certain plant is, there will be a water source. But much of that knowledge is now being lost.”

Matters are further complicated by the fact that fewer people speak the local language and its dialects

“I see it with my own extended family as well, many of the young ones prefer to speak in English rather than in their native language. But when we lose our language, we lose our identity, and the knowledge that has been passed on through generations. I am glad to see this growing interest in indigenous knowledge from the outside because that helps us cherish what we have and safeguard it,” Milika Sobey says.

First Nations and Indigenous water governance in focus at World Water Week

Dr Milika Sobey is being supported by the Australian Water Partnership to attend her first World Water Week in Stockholm, where she will participate in a range of sessions as part of the First Nation Focus, which is a coordinated effort from several organizations

Learn more about the First Nations and Indigenous water governance Focus

Another participant is Dr. Tania Eulalia Martínez-Cruz, an Ëyuujk Indigenous interdisciplinary researcher and expert in water management from Tamazulapam Mixe, Oaxaca, in Mexico. After she lost her grandmother seven years ago, she decided to refocus her academic interest to encompass her own Indigenous roots, with studies on food systems based on traditional knowledge. More and more people now understand the value of principles like “The three sisters” where beans, corn and squash are planted together since they nurture each other, which can drastically increase food security while respecting culture.

Tania Eulalia Martínez Cruz, Ëyuujk woman, Global Hub on Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems - Indigenous Peoples' food and knowledge systems - Stockhol+50 Side Event - 3 June 2022
Tania Eulalia Martínez Cruz at Global Hub on Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems - Indigenous Peoples' food and knowledge systems - Stockholm+50 Side Event - 3 June 2022 (Photo by IISD/ENB)

Tania Martínez has also strived to support Indigenous Peoples participation and voices into international water processes, partly working as a consultant for SIWI. “We really see a new interest in Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge. When the Water Action Decade was launched in 2018, the insights from Indigenous Peoples were not reflected, but much has happened since then. It is for example important that the 2019 IPBES report on biodiversity loss emphasizes Indigenous Peoples knowledge and that UNESCO has declared a Decade on Indigenous languages,” she says but still Indigenous Peoples should be acknowledged as right holders and the carriers of these through their languages.

“When the Water Action Decade was launched in 2018, the insights from Indigenous Peoples were not reflected, but much has happened since then.”

Dr. Tania Eulalia Martínez-Cruz, Ëyuujk Indigenous interdisciplinary researcher

Ahead of the UN 2023 Water Conference, Tania Martínez and others advocated for Indigenous Peoples to be invited into the preparatory processes, and she was encouraged to see the great interest from the two co-chairs of the conference, the governments of The Netherlands and Tajikistan.

“They listened, and I do see a much greater interest and understanding from different UN agencies. That is very important. But there are still many structural obstacles that people may not be aware of. In real life it is often difficult to invite Indigenous representatives to meetings like the UN Water Conference – travel is expensive, and it can be difficult to get visas. It is generally also assumed that Indigenous People should form part of their national delegations, but many countries will not do that since they don’t recognize their Indigenous Peoples. In many countries, especially in Latin America indigenous peoples and other environmental defenders are instead persecuted. Additionally understanding and the ways of engagement the UN processes is not straightforward”.

It is important that international agencies such as SIWI continue to support Indigenous Peoples in overcoming these obstacles

Tania Martínez hopes that the revived interest in Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge will also lead to more attention to these challenges. But she does see the UN 2023 Water Conference as a step forward, and appreciated the Pre-Summit on Indigenous Peoples organized by the International Indian Treaty Council.

“It was so valuable to meet and discuss with people from other First Nation communities and I am glad that these sorts of interactions will continue at World Water Week,” Tania Martínez says.

 

* Fijian term meaning land – including flora, fauna, and waters – but also all social groups living there and their traditions and values.

World Water Week

20-24 August 2023, join SIWI and partners for the leading conference on global water issues. Check out how you can engage with us for stronger, smarter water solutions.

Join us at World Water Week
Crowd seen from the back with people speaking on stage, blurred in the background. World Water Week logo on top of the image