A Dayak woman unleashes the power of song in defense of Borneo’s forest. WORDS Pinarsita Juliana | IMAGES AND VIDEO Save Our Borneo   . “What is the purpose of the invitation for the Dayak to stand united? What is the purpose of loving the forest? As an inheritance for posterity, it is,” sang Rani

Village women succeed where the men had failed in restoring the community’s fisheries. WORDS Kanna K. Siripurapu and Aniket Bambole | IMAGES Kanna K. Siripurapu . On the northeastern side of Maharashtra State, India, lies Gadchiroli district, an area endowed with rich natural resources (about seventy percent of the land area is under forest cover)

Indigenous Newah farming communities reaffirm their identity and protect the land by rekindling ancestral artisanal skills. Sheetal Vaidya, Manju Maharjan, Samjhana Dahal, Yuvash Vaidya, and Prakash Khadgi   . Indigenous people make up a total of 35.8% of Nepal’s population. The country has ratified both the ILO (International Labor Union) Convention No. 169 and the

Indigenous Peoples have a right to draw resources from the local environment and an obligation to follow traditional practices to protect it. WORDS Saw Moe Aung | IMAGES Karen Environmental and Social Action Network   Among the many crises that keep unfolding around the world, the climate crisis is one of the main global concerns.

Water patterns and an ancient human–elephant social contract hold important lessons for eco-justice. WORDS AND IMAGES Elizabeth Oriel     A brief walk by three water bodies in rural southern Sri Lanka is a tour through history and through different ways of relating to landscapes and to other beings. Amid teak and jackfruit trees sits

Embracing his mixed Indigenous identity helps a young Singaporean embark on a healing journey. WORDS, MUSIC, AND IMAGES Kevin Martens Wong     . Little Lion Boy Little lion boy Come sing of the night with me And we’ll curl up beside the fire And you’ll forget your misery Let their memory fade Let their

Reviving traditional crops and food culture is vital to repairing people’s relationship with the land. Kana Koa Weaver Okada   Nna-ma-matsu Tani-nu-du-yo The seed that we sow now Ju-gatsu-matsu Awa-nu-do-yo The awa seed we sow in the tenth month (chant) Yo-ya-te-ba Yu-ya-na-u-re If they grow well, we will have a good harvest Sa sa Hou-nen

A young Sikka Indigenous woman models garments made from natural materials, proud to look modern while helping to preserve her heritage. Tytin Mariyati Suhartini Tius     Hello, I am Maria (Tytin) Mariyati Suhartini Tius, a young Indigenous woman from Maumere, a small city in the Sikka Regency of Flores Island, Indonesia. In this region,

China’s diverse cultures and ancient wisdom offer lessons of reverence and respect for nature. Thomas Hou   China is a land of rich biological, cultural, and linguistic diversity. Although fifty-six ethnic groups are officially recognized, there are many more groups both beyond and within the official fifty-six, characterized by ancestry, language, religion, and culture. These

Against the odds, a tribal farmer in southern India strives to conserve and share dozens of indigenous rice varieties. WORDS AND VIDEO  G. S. Unnikrishnan Nair | IMAGES  Anvar     It is widely known that rice is the staple food for half the people on earth. In Asia, it lies at the very heart of the