Ecocolonialism and indigenous knowledge systems: village controlled rainforest preserves in Samoa

Abstract

Ecocolonialism, the imposition of European conservation paradigms and power structures on indigenous villagers, is incompatible with the principles of indigenous control of village rainforest preserves. Since 1988, four rainforest reserves in Western Samoa and one US National Park in American Samoa have been created on communal lands using the principles of indigenous control, preserving a total of 30 000 hectares of lowland rainforest and associated coral reef. The reserves in Western Samoa are owned, controlled, administered and managed by the villagers. While these reserves appear to be robust approaches to preserve establishment within the communal land tenure system of Samoa, the concept of indigenous control appears to conflict with ecocolonialist attitudes that disparage the traditional knowledge, culture, political systems, and integrity of indigenous peoples. We discuss problems that have occurred in the Samoan village preserves and offer suggestions for the establishment of future village-controlled preserves in other areas of the South Pacific.