Reshaping conservation incorporating Indigenous perspectives

Abstract

Typically, conservation is achieved by excluding, evacuating, or legally dismissing the rights of local/native people from using protected areas, resulting in evictions, ongoing distress, and dejection among many Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) worldwide. However, the Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary (BRTWS) in the Western Ghats offers a unique example of conservation where local tribal people, Soligas, have persisted and been living with tigers, elephants, bears, leopards, and other wild animals for millennia. In the past, they managed the forest which, under the colonial and later modern conservation policies, has been restricted and penalised. However, Soligas’ continuous existence in the Sanctuary suggests that people’s knowledge and skills must be contributing to enable them to co-exist with wild animals. Our integrated analysis of ecological, socio-cultural, and policy aspects and experience of working with Soligas in the BRT landscape typifies the importance of locals’ knowledge in managing the forest — urging the need to recognise and support IPLCs’ work for achieving conservation as well as socio-economic outcomes. This Note highlights the necessity to understand, recognise, and embrace IPLCs’ knowledge systems from a conservation context. Emerging future economic opportunities through Nature-based Solutions, if developed equitably, sustainably, and in culturally appropriate ways in line with IPLCs' aspirations and responsibilities, can benefit both wildlife and people, while reducing wildlife conflicts and delivering multiple-faceted conservation outcomes globally.