Conservation beliefs and practices of indigenous people in Northwestern Cagayan, Philippines: implications for environmental promotion and education
Paper Details
Conservation beliefs and practices of indigenous people in Northwestern Cagayan, Philippines: implications for environmental promotion and education
Abstract
This study investigated how the indigenous people of North-western, Cagayan, Philippines conserve and utilize natural resources in their communities. The study employed ethnographic qualitative and descriptive survey research designs to the twenty-four informants purposively selected in the three Agay-communities. The research techniques used were a structured interview, participant observation and focus group discussion to support the process of data gathering. Findings revealed that majority of the informants are male, with the age bracket of 21 to 30 years old, and did not attend formal schooling. Their economic survival activities are dependent on natural resources in their communities. Further, it was revealed that the indigenous people have their own framework of conservation beliefs and practices along forest and wildlife resources, water resources, plants and trees, and on their land farming practices which are reflective of their indigenous knowledge and belief system. Furthermore, the indigenous people worldview considers the conservation and protection of natural resources such as plants, animals, forest and water which are part of Mother Earth where human beings are the stewards and trustee of the land and other natural resources and they have the responsibility for its preservation. Their process of utilizing and conserving these natural resources is a manifestation that they have an eco-friendly indigenous belief system. Hence, recognizing and understanding their role in environmental conservation and protection can be a converging point for environmental adaptation and promotion and at the same time incorporation in education curriculum to foster acceptance and consciousness of the younger generations on indigenous ecological knowledge.
Ashoori D, Bagheri A, Allahyari M, Al-Rimawi A. 2015. An Examination of Soil and Water Conservation Practices in the Paddy Fields of Guiana Province, Iran. Annals of the Brazillian Academy of Sciences 88(2) pp 959-971. Retrieved from
Borras P. 2000. Indigenous Participation in the Convention on Biological Diversity Process, Edition.
Cobbinah J. 2011. Forest and Cultures.
Dove MR. 2006. Indigenous People and Environmental Politics. Annual Review of Anthropology vol. 35, pp. 191-208
Fongod AG, Ngoh LM, Yale F, Veranso MC. 2014. Ethnobotany, Indigenous knowledge and Unconscious Preservation of the Environment: An evaluation of Indigenous Knowledge in South and Southwest Regions of Cameroon, Int. J. Biodiversity and Conservation 6(1) pp 85-99.
Fraenkel JR, Wallen NE. 2006. How to design and evaluate research in education. Sixth Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill
Getahun MJ. 2016. Oromo Indigenous Knowledge and Practices in Natural Resources Management: Land, Forest, and Water in Focus. Journal of Ecosystem & Ecography, Volume 6, Issue 2. Open Access. Retrieved from www.omicsonline.org/open-access/natural-resources-and-environmental-issues 2157 -7625-1000196.pdf
Grolink. 2005. Organic Agriculture Development Training Materials. Norfolk, Sweden pp. 228.
Hasan R, Othman N, Ahmad R. 2016. Tree Preservation Order and Its Role in Enhancing the Quality of Life. Procedia- Social and Behavioral Sciences 222(2016) pp. 493-501.
Lawton JH, May RM. 1995. Extinction Rates, OUP, Oxford.
Piras G. 2011. When we Care for It Preserving Cultural and Spiritual Values of Forests.
Suria S, Nik Hanita NM, Sabrina I. 2013. The contribution of Vegetation in Urban Parks as Habitat for Selective Bird Community. Procedia- Social & Behavioral Sciences 85, pp. 267-281.
Tanalgo KC, Baleva RE. 2015. Wildlife Hunting, Use, and Beliefs of Indigenous People in Mt. Apo National Park, Mindanao Island Philippines. Interim Report. Retrieved from www.threatenedtaxa.org/ index.php/JoTT/article/view/2967/4073
US-Environmental Protection Agency. 2012. The Economic Benefits of Protecting Healthy Watersheds.
Gilbert C, Magulod Jr (2018), Conservation beliefs and practices of indigenous people in Northwestern Cagayan, Philippines: implications for environmental promotion and education; JBES, V12, N6, June, P186-194
https://innspub.net/conservation-beliefs-and-practices-of-indigenous-people-in-northwestern-cagayan-philippines-implications-for-environmental-promotion-and-education/
Copyright © 2018
By Authors and International
Network for Natural Sciences
(INNSPUB) https://innspub.net
This article is published under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0