There is a war being waged on the planet—and indigenous cultures are among the greatest casualties of that war.
In North America, we often think that the genocide of indigenous cultures is a thing of the past. Unfortunately, it continues wherever wild earth remains—in the Amazon rainforest, the Kalahari Desert, the jungles of Indonesia. And it also continues among Native Americans who struggle to recreate cultural identities when their traditional way of life is no longer viable.
The loss of ancient cultures is a loss for humanity. There is wisdom in the languages, art, stories and songs of the tribal people who once lived freely in nature and whose societies endured for literally thousands of years.
A soul vanishing from the rainforest is a lost opportunity for us to find the medicines, the wisdom, and the wealth of knowledge they hold in their hearts and minds. What magic do we lose when we lose an ancient culture? What would we be without the Mbuti who have lived sustainably in the rainforest for over ten thousand years, or the Chumash grandmothers who are holding the traditions for the seventh generation? Our lives are enriched by the ancient wisdom and beauty of people who inhabit the earth with minimal impact one the environment. What can we learn that we haven’t yet been taught?
The Tribal Trust Foundation (TTF) is dedicated to helping indigenous people survive the irony of the modern age—when cultures that have sustained themselves through millennia now face extinction in a matter of decades. The Tribal Trust Foundation responds to the multifaceted needs of indigenous people, ranging from the preservation of tribal customs to reinstating ancestral land rights. When the projects are in politically hostile environments, the TTF partners with local organizations whose experience and existing relationships help sustain these joint initiatives. Indigenous people are at risk throughout the globe—and we work with many of them: in the Kalahari, Mayaland, Nepal, East Timor, Australia, New Guinea, the Arctic, among the Forest People of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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