Indigenous Land Stewardship and Social Ecology: The Landscapes We All Share (Blog Series)

In our previous blog, we explored social ecology: a way of understanding how ecological crises are deeply interconnected with systems of power and inequality. We looked at justice and the emancipation of marginalized communities, to better understand what is happening in and to our natural landscapes. The baseline? Environmental degradation, climate change, and biodiversity loss are not just technical or scientific challenges – they are rooted in how societies are organized and who holds power.

As the first blog stated: Nature holds up a mirror to us, reflecting back our social being and behavior. And there may be no lens more attuned to that mirror than Indigenous cosmologies and their lived experiences. This International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples (August 9), we continue the conversation on social ecology, this time highlighting Indigenous lenses and perspectives. As a non-Indigenous team and organization, though recognizing we are only scratching the surface, we want to share why this perspective matters deeply to social ecology. And beyond that, to environmental justice, imagining new leadership, and ways of governing in reciprocity with the land – and of course, to our work at Greenseed as well.

First things first, what do we mean by “Indigenous”?

Sami Herder with Reindeer in Arctic Norway Winter

There is no single definition of Indigenous peoples – understandably so, given the vast cultural, linguistic, and spiritual diversity across regions and continents. Admittedly, I sometimes feel there is a dominant, Western-normative gaze hidden in this term (that many proudly carry, of course, as they should), because it juxtaposes with being non-Indigenous – a term often used for people considered outsiders somewhere, with a history of colonialism, or “not being from the land itself.”

Thinking in this dualistic way can help us get to the root of Indigeneity faster though: Indigenous peoples generally have a deep, ancestral connection to specific lands and waters, a continuity of culture from pre-colonial times, and a desire to preserve these relationships for future generations.

In a few bullet points, according to the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Indigenous peoples usually:

• Self-identify as Indigenous and are recognized by their communities

• Maintain historical continuity with pre-colonial or pre-settler societies

• Hold strong ties to land, territory, and natural resources

• Have distinct political, social, and cultural systems

• Are often non-dominant in wider society

• Aim to preserve their environments and identities as distinct peoples

  
  

Indigenous, First Nations, Aboriginal, and Tribal – many terms exist, but what unites them is often a worldview grounded in interdependence and reciprocity with the Earth. However, despite stewarding over 80% of the world’s remaining biodiversity, Indigenous peoples have long been consistently left out of decision-making and governance processes. As with our previous blog on social ecology, we see here how historical harm, structural exclusion, and ecological destruction go hand in hand – holding both the root causes of our shared challenges, as well as possible solutions to them.

Lessons from Indigenous Leadership and Cosmologies

There is much to learn from the many Indigenous perspectives that exist and their traditional knowledge systems. When discussing social ecology, we cannot overlook the cultural and spiritual views, value systems, and ways of governing that Indigenous peoples have practiced.

As the Institute of Natural Law [1] puts it:  “Long before modern states, Indigenous nations governed in deep relationship with land, community, spirit, and time. Despite attempts to erase these ways of life, they remain—upheld through kinship, ceremony, and responsibility across generations.”

Indigenous ways of governance are not just historical curiosities: some offer living, breathing blueprints for leading with care, reciprocity, and long-term vision.

For example, I am also deeply moved by the language that exist in traditional Māori governance, which I think reflect well their inherent values related to relationship and responsibility. In Aotearoa (New Zealand), Māori frameworks of governance arise from whakapapa (genealogy), tikanga (customs of right relationship), and kaitiakitanga (guardianship). Tribal collectives co-manage resources through relational, holistic models, and today they are global leaders in the Rights of Nature movement. The lesson? Land is sacred kin, not a commodity, and governance must reflect that – not just through spreadsheets, but through spiritual and emotional recognition of the important role nature plays in and for our lives.

Or take the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (Iroquois). As one of the world’s oldest participatory democracies, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy includes governance practices shaped by clan mothers and a powerful ethic of intergenerational responsibility, decisions made with the “seventh generation” in mind. This reflects social ecology in the form of collective responsibility, listening, and leading with respect.

For Aboriginal communities in Australia, Country is not just land, but a living entity encompassing land, water, sky, people, and spirit (kin, even). From this deep sense of belonging, the laws of care, reciprocity, and protection flow naturally, and governance systems are often grounded in relationship, not control. 

Other examples we find in Colombia and Peru, Indigenous Nations such as the Kamentsá and Asháninka peoples govern their territories through cosmologies that honor water, plant medicines, and forest spirits. Their stewardship carries both legal and spiritual authority, recognizing ecosystems as more than natural assets: they are sacred spaces of life, to be treated as such.

Finally, I want to mention the Sámi people from the northern parts of Europe and the Arctic, and the Sámi Parliaments. In Norway, Sweden, Finland, and parts of Russia, Sámi parliaments protect land rights, language, and cultural sovereignty. Their authority is rooted in ancestral herding practices and a worldview of care and reciprocity with the reindeer. For the Sámi, sovereignty includes the right to define their lifeways and landscapes, each deeply shaping the other. 

Though we do not need to idealize all Indigenous governance frameworks and knowledge systems (they are vast and varied), many may help us reimagine social ecology not as an abstract theory, but as a living, relational practice. Just as social ecology invites us to imagine what consensus-based, participatory governance could do for our relationship with the natural world, we can take inspiration from Indigenous wisdom: responsibility for future generations so that our actions are sustainable; restorative, relational justice that includes people, animals, and other life forms; and deeper intimacy with the natural world – perhaps even seeing land and water as relatives, not resources.

Most importantly, there is value in honoring sacred laws rooted in reciprocity, lived collectively, and not imposed through force or control. These are not just moral aspirations; they are tested, embodied practices for social ecology and for thriving in balance. And let us face it – balance is something we could all use more of in today’s world, regardless of whether we consider ourselves Indigenous or not. 

This means that beyond being inspired and informed by Indigenous perspectives and traditional knowledge, our focus should should also be on social justice for Indigenous peoples and land-defenders; having more Indigenous voices in spaces of leadership and decision-making; and by taking Indigenous land-rights and self-determination seriously in our projects, for example.

Conclusion: Building a Just and Green Future

“We are an integral part of the ecosystems in which we live.” 

— Joan Carling, Indigenous rights advocate

Moving toward a more just, inclusive, and ecologically balanced future – something we hope to contribute to through Greenseed – requires us to look beyond isolated problems and dominant ways of thinking (ways of thinking that may have gotten us in trouble int he first place). Looking beyond individualism, beyond our own time, and beyond our own lived experiences can be confronting because it shows us the work that needs to be done, but it also points us toward solutions. Trying on the lens of social ecology and walking alongside related Indigenous perspectives may help us see the world’s social and ecological challenges differently: systemically, intimately, and with a sense of collective responsibility. 

Please join us in learning, listening, sharing, and connecting about this topic. In the next blog post of this series, we will continue the conversation on social ecology from a feminist perspective, including a section on the rights and roles of Indigenous women in social ecology. We hope you tune in with us again!

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Sources

[1] Institute of Natural Law