The top 5 innovations for Indigenous peoples

For International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, we dive into solutions created by and for these communities

“On this day, let us remember that Indigenous peoples are actors of change, guardians of natural resources and carriers of unique worldviews, knowledge and skills. We must protect their traditions and ways of life – while respecting their rights.” – Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO.

Who are Indigenous Peoples?

Today, 9th August, marks the UN’s International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. It’s estimated that there are 476 million Indigenous Peoples living around the world, belonging to 5,000 different unique cultures across 90 different countries, including the Aborigines of Australia, the Maori of New Zealand, and Native Americans of the USA.

Although each of these cultures will have their own unique beliefs, practices, and often languages (with these communities speaking some 4,000 of the world’s 7,000 languages), even Indigenous groups on opposite sides of the globe will share key similarities. For one, Indigenous Peoples are considered descendants of those who inhabited a land when people of other ethnic origins or cultures arrived, and who have since become a minority population because of the often violent conquest, occupation, and settlement of these later arrivals. Because Indigenous groups have long-standing, ancestral ties to their land, this land and its natural resources are strongly linked to their “identities, cultures, livelihoods, as well as their physical and spiritual well-being”, as the World Bank highlights.

But just like other minority groups, Indigenous communities face unique injustices, pressures, and human rights abuses. For instance, even though Indigenous Peoples make up only six per cent of the entire global population, they constitute almost 20 per cent of the world’s extreme poor. And, their life expectancy is estimated to be 20 years shorter, on average, than non-Indigenous counterparts. Social stigma and aggression from dominant populations are also suppressing these cultures, with over half the world’s languages (mostly those belonging to Indigenous Peoples) under threat of extinction by 2100.

The suppression and mistreatment of these Indigenous groups isn’t just a direct threat to the communities themselves, it also presents an enormous threat to the health of our planet. These individuals own, live on, or use a quarter of the world’s surface area and are currently responsible for protecting 80 per cent of our world’s remaining biodiversity, using essential ancestral knowledge and practices to do so.

The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples was created to raise awareness of the essential work that these communities carry out, as well as stimulate change to help protect and better serve these groups. We’ve compiled five of our favourite solutions created by and for Indigenous Peoples to mark the occasion – take a look.

Solutions by and for indigenous populations

Ocean protection with Indigenous knowledge

According to archaeologists, Indigenous people have inhabited Australia for at least 65,000 years, building up a body of knowledge that amounts to one of the oldest continuous civilisations on earth. The Yuku Baja Muliku people are the Traditional Custodians of Archer Point in North Queensland, Australia and their lands border one of the world’s most important ecosystems: the Great Barrier Reef. Larissa Hale, a Yuku Baja Muliku woman, leads The Queensland Indigenous Womens Ranger Network, which empowers indigenous women to use their traditional knowledge to protect the Great Barrier Reef. Read more

Funding for Indigenous forest stewardship

Despite the fact that Indigenous communities play a huge role in protecting the environment, they are often forcibly removed from ancestral lands because of logging, oil extraction, mining, and agriculture. One Tribe puts Indigenous people back in the driving seat of rainforest protection by providing native communities and smallholders with funding for their stewardship and protection of forests through nature-based offsets and removal. After a purchase is made on a One Tribe partner store, the company makes a donation to its connected rainforest protection charities on the buyer’s behalf. Read more

A clean energy project led by First Nations

Reaching net zero likely includes the use of hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuels in heavy industry and long-distance transportation, and a First Nations-led project in northern Australia is building the capacity to become a significant contributor. The Aboriginal Clean Energy (ACE) Partnership brings together the MG Corporation, Balanggarra Ventures, Kimberley Land Council, and Pollination to build the first green energy export project with a majority stake held by traditional owners. The large-scale green hydrogen and ammonia export business could become Australia’s largest producer of green hydrogen. Read more

Empowering Indigenous voices in media

The 2024 Hollywood Diversity Report found that films with the most diverse casts had the highest median global box-office earnings among the top films of the year. Despite this, people of colour and women are still significantly underrepresented both in front of and behind the camera. Indigenous people are even less seen, but racial and social justice organisation IllumiNative is working to change that. Led by Native women, the US-based organisation supports Native American creatives in finding platforms for their work and correcting damaging narratives. Read more

A lip gloss raising awareness of the clean water crisis

During 2022’s Indigenous History Month, Canadian, Indigenous-owned beauty brand Cheekbone Beauty launched a social-driven ‘#GlossedOver’ campaign. The campaign recognised the struggles First Nations and Indigenous communities have faced for access to clean drinking water. As part of the campaign, Cheekbone Beauty released a line of lip gloss made using water from Indigenous communities in Canada. The twist? The lipglosses, with impactful names like ‘Luscious Lead’ and ‘E.Coli Kiss’, could not actually be sold because the water was so contaminated. Read more

Words: Matilda Cox