In 1986 IUCN organised a major international conference in Ottawa, Canada to review progress in achieving the objectives of the World Conservation Strategy, and to incorporate the human aspects of conservation into that Strategy. The Conference on Conservation and Development was attended by major international development organisations, aid agencies and leading conservation organisations from all over the world. Unfortunately, however, indigenous groups have often been perceived as being on the receiving end of the development process. Their values and territorial integrity are seldom considered by those in development planning offices, although native peoples are potentially important shapers of local development programs.
Indigenous groups are potentially important shapers of local development programs.
Indigenous groups are often well-suited to analyse new development initiatives as they generally have a more fundamental understanding of complex local environmental interrelationships and a deep commitment to preserving the resources base. This paper briefly reviews the current international debate on native populations, provided examples of how indigenous knowledge in the Americas has contributed to environmentally-sound development approaches, and sets forth additional principles about how to best incorporate native groups into the local development process. The paper is intended to provoke thought among rural planners, extension officers, policy makers and all those involved in sustainable development. It contains Case Studies in ethnodevelopment in Peru, Panama, the US and Canada.