Discovering my Bubu: Indigenous perspectives of Climate Change
Wednesday, February 18th, 2009Have been working in Australia of late, on the makings of a global portfolio of “Indigenous perspectives of Climate Change” for UNU. Its a cracker of a project, actually quite confronting.
Far from the city’s supermarkets, many of the world’s Indigenous peoples live land to mouth, relying on their traditional knowledge – particularly seasonal animal migrations, weather systems and pollination cycles to put food in their children’s mouths. Furthermore, many spiritual practices that anchor culture and identity are party to these systems.
Today’s disconnected industrial appetite, subsequent climate predictions, and first world “no consultation” mitigation strategies are already having a disastrous effect on our world’s Indigenous peoples and their rights and responsibilities. We need to be very, very sensitive and respectful to what’s really going on.
This first video below was recorded in the wet tropics “Kuku Ngungkal” country (near the Daintree) with Traditional Owner, Marilyn Wallace. She shows Paul Bell (camera/editor) and I how Climate change is being experienced by her mob.
Although not explicit, the learning I received came from a little word called “bubu”. Whilst doing the translations, Marilyn explained to me the word bubu means – my home country, the land, the soil beneath, the ecosystems (all plants/animals), the biosphere above and beyond, and my identity and responsibility. Its a profound and spiritual paradigm shift.
I really don’t care for arguing with people whether climate change is happening or not anymore. Sorry, but its a shortsighted argument. What I hope to share is unsustainable development IS happening and its visible everywhere all around us. And if our timely “climate change” paradigm shifts can steers us sharply away from this cliff, then call it climate change and get in tune with your bubu’s needs, baby.
