Anthropology 4
Economic development and environmentalism as vehicles for external regulation that threaten the subsistence patterns and way of life of indigenous people
Indigenous people account for a significant percentage of the world’s cultural diversity. Consequently, a point to note is that the settlements of these indigenous people are often integrated with the natural environment. Ultimately, with the changing world, there have always been increased practices of economic development and environmentalism that have significantly impacted the subsistence patterns of life of indigenous people trough external regulations. There are several ways in which economic development and environmentalism have to threaten the subsistence life of indigenous people. The major challenge is the crisis over land and natural resources, which significantly makes the issue both developmental and environmental. For instance, the onset of new technologies has essentially forced the resettlement of indigenous people. None the less, how do new technologies lead to resettlement? The development of large and extensive plantation schemes, among other aspects such as improved crop cultivation with the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, have contributed to environmental degradation. Ultimately, the environmental degradation destroys self-sustained ecosystems, which in turn negatively impact the living of indigenous people to the point of forcing them to resettle elsewhere.
Secondly, economic development and environmentalism have also driven the indigenous people to poverty. Moreover, the given poverty is as a result of globalization in which many markets globally significantly cultivate profits form indigenous people by putting price tags on everything. A point to note is that the same given things which are essential for the survival of indigenous people and available without any price on them now required them to purchase with increased prices with taxes on top. Furthermore, before the onset of globalization and interference from the outside world, indigenous people had significant control and prediction when it came to their resources leading to a sustainable economy. Therefore, all the given profits obtained from the given practices are taken by the big brands with indigenous people being forced to poverty.
Practices such as tourism, the construction of large dams, and mining activities, which are projects influenced by foreign countries, have led to the displacement of a significant number of indigenous people along with their families even without any form of compensation. For instance, a large group of indigenous people have been evacuated and moved out of the parks due to the development of tourism against their will because these parks have been their homes for a long time. Additionally, economic development and environmentalism have also contributed to corporate and state violence conducted against indigenous people, which has left many of them injured and harmed in many ways through forceful evictions and relocation. None the less, the given aspect has also led o some of the indigenous people being jailed for fighting for their land rights that the government fails to protect.
In conclusion, economic development and environmentalism have also led to the existence of climate change, which is essentially a potential threat to the very existence of indigenous people. None the less, to the indigenous people, the aspect of climate change also raises a significant issue of both human rights and equity. Moreover, climate change is not only an environmental aspect but also a socio-economic factor that may have very severe implications on the lifestyle of indigenous people.
Reference
Mowforth, M. (2014). Indigenous people and the crisis over land and resources. The Guardian, 23.
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (United Nations), & United Nations. Statistical Division. (2009). State of the world’s indigenous peoples (Vol. 9). United Nations Publications.
Department of economic and social affairs (United Nations). (2009). State of the world’s indigenous peoples. UN.