Our Lifeways, Our Survival: Indigenous Peoples Rights to Lands, Territories and Resources

For indigenous peoples, lands, territories and resources are fundamental to their existence not only because those are the basis for their livelihoods but also are related to their culture, identity, traditional knowledge, customary laws and spiritual belief.

This relationship has existed since time immemorial. Because of the interdependent relationship between indigenous peoples and their surround nature, indigenous peoples developed ways of life and customary practices of land and resources uses that are environmental friendly and sustainable.

This is already proven by the fact that 80% of the planet’s biodiversity are in the indigenous peoples’ territories. This immense contribution of indigenous peoples to the environment are often neglected; their subsistence way of living are often misunderstood; and their relationship with the land, territories and resources are often overlooked by both governments and other advocates.

In light of the situation, AIPP produced the comic book to raise public awareness about what lands, territories and resources mean to indigenous peoples. The story of the comic book illustrates the indigenous elders in “Pana Nong Village” transferring their indigenous way of life and their customary land and resources management system to indigenous children and youth, and instilling the significance of their lands and territories to their indigenous identity to the children and youths.

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