Deusdedit Ruhangariyo
Special to ICT
Around the world: Indigenous women in Colombia preserve their traditional knowledge of bees, First Nations leaders slam prime minister for cutting them out of health care discussions, an ‘extraordinary’ landscape in Australia gets nominated as a World Heritage Site, and Māori research gets a multimillion-dollar boost.
COLOMBIA: Preserving traditional knowledge about bees
A group of Yucuna women in the Colombian Amazon documenting the oral history of bees and their roles in the ecosystem in an effort to preserve traditional knowledge, Mongabay.com reported on Feb. 8.
With help from nine elders, they are recording and documenting tales and songs with bee names, characteristics and behaviors. They are comparing their research with other findings in the Indigenous territory, where bees are better protected than in other areas of Colombia.
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The Yucuna Indigenous peoples of Colombia believe that Je’chu, a god, first created bees so that their wax would cure the world, Mongabay.com reported.
“He is our god and creator — our grandfather,” said Carmenza Yucuna Rivas, leader of the Miriti-Parana Indigenous Reserve in Colombia’s Amazon Rainforest. “And he created bees because there had to be a species protecting life…
“For thousands of years, they’ve been sacred species in our culture but no one had done this exploration,” Rivas said. “We got interested in investigating the biodiversity, we have as the bee species provide many ecosystem services and help conserve biodiversity.”
CANADA: First Nations leaders slam Trudeau for snub
First Nations leaders in Canada are slamming Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for failing to invite Indigenous leaders to join health care discussions with the nation’s premiers, CBC News reported on Feb. 7.
National Chief RoseAnne Archibald of the Assembly of First Nations exchanged letters with Trudeau in recent weeks, asking him to invite Indigenous leaders to the discussions in Ottawa.
The premiers are looking for a multibillion-dollar boost to health-care funding for provinces and territories, but the Canadian government said the new funding must include restrictions on how it can be spent, CBC News reported.
Having First Nations representatives at the meetings is “imperative to ensuring First Nations are no longer an afterthought in Canada’s health-care system,” Archibald said in a Jan. 27 letter, CBC News reported.
First Nations people face substantial health disparities for a variety of reasons, she said, “all of which have been, and continue to be, aggravated by years of policy inequity and government abandonment.”
Trudeau has vowed to advocate for Indigenous peoples but did not issue the invitation.
AUSTRALIA: Cultural landscape vies for World Heritage list
The Australian government has nominated the Murujuga Cultural Landscape for consideration as a UNESCO World Heritage site, National Indigenous Times reported on Feb. 10.
If approved, Mujujuga would be only the second site in Australia listed for World Heritage Status for First Nations cultural heritage, National Indigenous Times reported.
“Murujuga is a natural wonder of the world – a place for all Australians to reflect on years of continuous living culture,” said Tanya Plibersek, Australia’s minister for the environment and water. “The cultural attributes attest to a long and continuing presence, and rich cultural connections between people, beliefs, and landscape.”
The nomination, submitted in January, describes Murujuga as a living cultural landscape, with “outstanding universal value” exhibited through an extensive collection of petroglyphs, cultural traditions, and a long history with land and sea.
Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation Chief Executive Peter Jeffries said the corporation prepared the nomination, on behalf of the Traditional Owners and Custodians for Murujuga, and in partnership with the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
“For more than two decades, the Ngarda-Ngarli have aspired for World Heritage listing of Murujuga and for our traditional knowledge and lore to be at the center of decision-making, governance and management of this land and sea country,” he said, according to National Indigenous Times.
UNESCO’s appraisal process takes at least 18 months. The earliest the nomination is likely to be considered by the World Heritage Committee would be in mid-2024.
NEW ZEALAND: Māori research gets $10 million boost
Māori research is set to get almost $10 million boost from two new government funds, Te Ao Maori News reported on Feb. 10.
The programs, which will open in coming months, will build Māori research capacity, capability and aspirations within organizations, Te Ao Maori News.
“We know Māori and Pacific Peoples are underrepresented in our research workforce,” said Dr Ayesha Verrall, minister for research, science and innovation. “We also know that diversity is vital for our science system to realize its full potential.”
Verrall also unveiled a fellowship program for early- to mid-career Māori and Pacific scholars, and an internship program for young Māori innovators.
My final thoughts
My final thoughts are in Australia about the “extraordinary” Murujuga Cultural Landscape that was nominated for the UNESCO World Heritage List. The world over, there are many extraordinary cultural landscapes that need to be nominated. The earlier this is done the better for humanity.
Global Indigenous is a weekly news roundup published every Wednesday by ICT (formerly Indian Country Today) with some of the key stories about Indigenous peoples around the world.
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