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At first thought, one would not suspect environmental conservation as a threat to indigenous communities but, indeed it often is. "Fortress conservation" has been a failure around the world so why do we insist that is it the best path towards the preservation of biodiversity?

Conservation Refugees by  Mark Dowie - International conservation NGOs often prioritize rights of the environment over rights of indigenous communities to their native land and traditional land management practices, often to the detriment of both man and nature.  Present interesting case studies from around the world.

"Slow Death by Carbon Credits" - The reason biodiverse environments still exist today is because of the careful stewardship practiced by indigenous communities in preserving these ecosystems. Now, international organizations with the agenda of 'environmental conservation' are replacing traditional methods with newer 'more modern' methods, displacing indigenous communities and ultimately increasing poverty and environmental degradation.

As a citizen of the United States, a place were we allowed biodiversity to deteriorate rapidly in the matter of decades, I have to wonder why U.S. practitioners feel they can better preserve ecosystems in developing countries than the indigenous communities that have been doing so successfully for 1,000s of years. When will we get over our arrogance and recognize the success of indigenous communities? Why do we believe that we gain more wisdom about these precious ecosystems in a few years of schooling than indigenous peoples gather in a lifetime? We cannot move forward until we admit that we have a lot to learn from indigenous peoples with regards to human-environment interaction.

To find out more about indigenous rights and how you can help - Survival International