Traditional Livelihoods and Indigenous Peoples

Most indigenous peoples have developed highly specialized livelihood strategies and occupations which include hunting, fishing, trapping, shifting cultivation or gathering food and forest products, handicrafts such as weaving, basketry, woodcarving among others, and rural and community based industries. In Asia, most indigenous peoples are primarily involved in small scale agriculture, fishing, hunting and gathering from nearby forests. Traditional occupations of indigenous peoples though, such as shifting cultivation, fishing and pastoralism are often not recognized by governments who regard these sustainable practices as outdated and anti-ethical to “development”.

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