ABSTRACT
The term “indigenous” and its implications are expanding in ways that ethnic groups applaud and nations fear. Strategies of economic and social development, furthermore, often trigger hurtful and disruptive changes even while providing benefits. Strategies are discussed that offer empowerment and equity including Community-based natural resource management (that involves governments and local peoples co-managing resources in mutually acceptable ways). In other situations, ethnic enclaves are unilaterally asserting political, social, and economic rights that predate the authority of the current political regime. These strategies, practiced independently or in tandem, offer a potential for empowerment. Specific learning objectives include:
1 Realizing that the term “indigenous” is evolving and expanding. 2 Recognizing trends towards local and equitable empowerment. 3 Be aware of the tragedy of the commons paradigm, critiques of it and
their importance. 4 Identifying adversarial methods for gaining empowerment. 5 Placing these initiatives within a cultural and economic context.
