Sustainability - A Matter of Choice

Knowing what the natural world is worth



The Innu live in villages in Canada, returning to Nutshimit - now a province in northern Canada - only periodically, to hunt, trap, and fish the way they used to. Tanien Ashini, Director of Innu Rights and Environment for the Innu Nation, writes: "When we are in the country we are healthier, happier, and stronger - physically and spiritually. We escape the terrible problems of alcohol abuse, family violence, and attempted suicides that are making our lives in the village complete and utter hell. In the country we do things that are meaningful, that enrich us, that give us pride, and enhance our self-esteem. Our children respect us there. We work hard in the country and are extremely productive. Life there contrasts greatly with the misery of life in our villages".

Most indigenous people know what the natural world is worth to them. Living within their means, for them, is to live within the means of their environment, with which they have a close relationship. Their way of life is self-sustaining. But more and more indigenous peoples can no longer live in isolation from other peoples and cultures. And because the demands of the modern world are incompatible with their traditions, parents can no longer pass on to their children a sustainable lifestyle.

We in the modern world have still not discovered how to live sustainably. By imposing our "civilization" on indigenous peoples, we instill in them our bad habits. Instead of dominating them, we should share our experiences, and learn from, rather than limit, one another. If we fail to recognize what the natural world is worth to us, we lose an essential element in our lives.


A " sustainable society " aim to




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Copyright 1996, The World Wide Fund For Nature