Respecting Diversity! Indigenous participants support the launch of the Sacred Natural Sites; Guidelines for Protected Area Managers.
Spain, Barcelona, 8th of October 2008, IUCN World Conservation Congress
Soaring spirits of those attending the launch of the guidelines in the evening of October the 8th as Aboriginal people from Dhimurru and Laynhapuy Indigenous Protected Areas in Australia opened the event with traditional Yidaki (didjeridoo), Bilma (clapsticks) and Manikay (Song). The group processed into the venue and came to a halt at the table of IUCN’s Director General Julia Marton-Lefèvre and WCPA Chair Nik Lopoukhine.
Using the sacred paintings on the Yidaki, Djawa Yunupingu, Director of Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation explained how the Yolngu people of North East Arnhem Land belong to the land and how they are connected to sacred sites, in spirit and through nature.
The Director General was moved when presented the Yidaki as a gift and symbol of the importance of sacred sites to the work of the World Conservation Union. “It is very important to us to see that people are coming together and that through this project, in which IUCN is actually moving out of its comfort zone, we are showing respect to all cultures around the world. This way we can help bridging the gap between conventional conservation management and traditional approaches, a process, which just as the development of the guidelines has received ongoing support from IUCN’s senior policy officer Gonzalo Oviedo.
Part of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas Best Practice Series, the sacred natural sites guidelines are breaking ground for protected area managers and the recognition of the importance of cultural and spiritual values in nature conservation in general” says Nick Lophoukine. “They signify the importance between people and place, the sacred is important in ensuring that those places are protected, not only today or tomorrow but forever”.
The guidelines are the outcome of a seven year process initiated by IUCN Task Force on Cultural and Spiritual values of protected Areas (CSVPA) and UNESCO´s Man and the Biosphere Program says author and CSVPA leader Robert Wild. The 44 guidelines are based on 6 key principles which have been shaped and consulted with many guardians of sacred sites and local communities, they contain 16 case studies. In addition, international conservation organizations and policy makers have delivered input over an increasing amount of international events taking place in China, Greece, Mongolia, UK, Japan and Spain testifying a growing awareness of the importance of the sacredness of nature.
Christopher McLeod, co-author and Director of the Sacred Lands Film Project stresses the importance of the process of developing recognition and protection for sacred natural sites and suggests field testing with different custodians and communities around the world before the revised edition is going to come out in 4 years time. In synergy with this Christopher is working on a series called “Losing sacred ground” which documents the need for protecting sacred sites around the world.
“Supporting the guidelines through the CSVPA Task Force was a lengthy but remarkable experience” said Bas Verschuuren, CSVPA Task Force Deputy leader. As coordinator of the Cultural Values and Nature Initiative (CVNI; www.culturalvalues.org) which is a CSVPA project I was able to bring the experience of Dhimurru in northern Australia into the process and a s a result of that they are here today to support the launch”.
In the presence of indigenous custodians of sacred sites from 8 different countries and 4 different continents; Asia, South America, Africa, Australia and the Pacific, Ken Wilson, Director of the Christensen Fund marked that indigenous people and guardians of the site do not feel like they are the owners but rather people drawn to these sites, they feel responsible. Ken looks at sacred sites in terms of the relationships and processes that take place there; “Your energy changes when you visit a site like that, you will never forget such a place”.
Ken also talked about ants. In many cultures ants are held sacred because although they are small, they are essential to ecosystem functioning and the health of our planet. In reality Ken was drawing an analogy with those people around the world that are working hard, often without recognition, to conserve the earth’s bio-cultural values that underpin human wellbeing and all life on earth. “This book is a victory for the ants” he said.
Rogelio Mejia, an indigenous Tayrona leader from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Martha in Colombia, is very happy with the book and proud to have been able to share his knowledge of management of sacred natural sites with others. Through the words of Sheikh Choongmurunova Chachykei of Chynar Terek Mazar it became clear that many different cultures feel the same way about protecting their natural world.
These guidelines are comprehensive but at the same time complicated because they deal with diversity and respect for the earth as our mother, respect for the guardians and for rich cultural traditions. Again the key word is respect, respect for the fact that a lot will never be known and respect for what we don’t understand.
More information on The Guidelines can be found here
The Guidelines can be downloaded here
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