.png)
Thanks to strong leadership and the recent settlement, Ngati Porou have been able to assert a measure of rangatiratanga over our whenua. Not all indigenous people are so fortunate. In Peru tribes struggle to maintain their ancient way of life in the face of colonisation.
After the arrival of the outside world to Aotearoa in the late eighteenth century the traditional lifestyles of our tipuna started to change dramatically. New technology, diseases, land loss and a changing environment led to population decline and new ways of living. While traditional ways of living off the land may seem far in the past, there are still those in other parts of the world who are living similar lifestyles and have never had any real contact with the outside world.
It is estimated that there are fifteen such tribes in Peru living in the Amazon rainforest who have no desire to be contacted. However these people are at serious risk of extinction if oil workers and loggers continue to be granted access to their lands. The land is being destroyed at an alarming rate. The people have no immunity to western diseases and are at serious risk of disease if they make any contact with outsiders.
The Peruvian government currently has an ‘open door’ policy toward international companies wanting to explore these areas. Although international law recognizes that the tribes have the right to the land, the Peruvian government refuses to acknowledge their existence despite irrefutable evidence that they exist and have been living in the rainforest for generations. They write this evidence off as being fabricated by environmentalists who are against oil exploration.
It is hard to believe that the awful treatment many indigenous groups have been subjected to in the past continues to this day. As we remember the challenges our tipuna faced to survive and adapt to a changing world we need to do everything we can to honour their lives by supporting our own people, keeping our traditions alive and connecting with our whanau, hapu and iwi. We can also think of our indigenous brothers and sisters across the globe who are facing similar challenges to us, and how we make the most of the opportunities in front of us.
Follow the link to read more about their story:
