The decline of pollinators such as bees, butterflies, birds and bats is a threat not only to food production and security but also to cultural and spiritual practices and values.
In many cultures, pollinators are important spiritual symbols and are mentioned in religious texts all around the world. Indigenous and local knowledge systems, in combination with scientific knowledge, can present solutions for the current challenges confronting pollinators and pollination, as revealed by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services’ (IPBES) Assessment Report on Pollination, Pollinators and Food Production.
“We are beekeepers and preservers of the Mau Forest'', says John Samorai Lengoisa, a beekeeper and an indigenous human rights defender from the Ogiek community in Kenya. The Ogiek people, living in the Mau and Mount Elgon forests, in the Rift Valley and the western parts of the country, have developed sophisticated forest beekeeping knowledge and practices. The BES-Net team had a conversation with John to understand the Ogiek’s knowledge and practices in beekeeping and to explore how to foster equitable partnerships with indigenous peoples and local communities in the spirit of this year’s Earth Day theme: invest in our planet. John is the Programme Officer at the Ogiek Peoples' Development Program and is currently a member of the Kenya National Trialogue secretariat on the implementation of the BES Solution Fund.
What inspired you to work on pollination and pollinator conservation? Can you tell us a little bit about your journey in pollinator conservation and how important pollinators are to our planet?
I am born indigenous and am from the indigenous community of the Ogiek of the Mau Forest in Kenya. I was brought up eating wild foods such as wild berries (nguluma and taktagonig), wild meat (such as hyrax meat) and also honey from bees. Honey is so precious in our community and has strong sociocultural and economic values. As a young boy, I used to climb tall forest trees using vines or my bare hands to hang traditional hives and harvest honey. These routine nature-based activities invigorated my love and passion for nature and biodiversity, especially pollinators such as bees and birds.
The birds of our forest are beautiful, and their singing signifies different times of the day, helping to guide our activities. With the call for participation in the IPBES Assessment on Pollinators, Pollination and Food Production in 2015, I saw an opportunity to share Ogiek indigenous beekeeping knowledge and practices and help contribute to messages that would inform the conservation of these pollinator species not only nationally but also globally. Since then, I have been keen on the pollinator discourse at the local, national and global levels.
How has the Ogiek indigenous community promoted the conservation of honeybees and other pollinators? What are some practices that have been observed over time?
The Ogiek conserve bee foraging trees (like the silibwet Dombeya Goetznii) and ensure they are protected from any form of harvesting. It is taboo to cut these trees. The forest apiary sites are sacred areas and thus conserved.
Beehives are placed on these trees, signifying that the tree that holds it should be preserved. There were songs composed to praise these trees enabling the production of quality honey. The song in Ogiek goes “iberurot silibwet-op logomo” meaning “the blessed are the Dombeya trees of Logomo forest”. Given that these trees also had medicinal value, it is only elder members of the community who could extract parts of them, such as the barks or roots.
Indigenous and local knowledge systems, in combination with science, can be a source of solutions for the present challenges confronting pollinators and pollination.
How can private investors work with indigenous peoples and local communities to promote pollinator conservation and food security while investing in indigenous and local livelihoods?
Private investors can work with indigenous peoples and local communities by supporting landscape restoration that involves floral resources for bees and birds. They can also partner with communities on pollinator education, fund local initiatives and support and invest in community pollinator activities to increase production through practices such as improving the Ogiek beehives and introducing ground-nesting hives for stingless bees.
In such collaboration with private investors, how do we protect the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities?
While working with indigenous communities, it is best to consider the principle of free, prior and informed consent. First, ensure information disclosure that all elements of engagements are clear beforehand, then work with the existing community structures as opposed to working with proxies.
How can we empower and invest in indigenous youth in eco-friendly enterprises such as sustainable beekeeping?
Indigenous youth bring a lot of capacity, enthusiasm and knowledge. They carry all this intergenerational knowledge that has been passed down to them. With regard to local initiatives on pollinator conservation – for example, by educating the community on how to increase production from the bee ventures and also educating farmers on the use of environmentally friendly pesticides – we can empower and invest in youth-run enterprises.
How can policymakers and decision-makers take greater cognizance of community practices and knowledge like the Ogiek’s?
Indigenous and local knowledge should be considered, especially when developing conservation policies and introducing development and conservation initiatives in indigenous peoples’ territories. There has been little consideration of indigenous and local knowledge, particularly in conservation issues, and this should change for the better. Directly and meaningfully engaging indigenous peoples and local communities in policy meetings and actions could be a good starting point. Indigenous and local knowledge of the landscape and its species cannot be ignored if we have to secure our mother Earth, that in the Ogiek language goes by "Ga-met op ng’weny”.
Finally, on a lighter note, do you have a favourite pollinator species that you have observed and worked with?
Yes, the stingless bee species. It is usually a difficult species to find. Those who can find it are regarded as people with special skills. Its honey is of high medicinal value.
For more information on indigenous and local knowledge about pollination and pollinators, take a look at the Indigenous and Local Knowledge about Pollination and Pollinators associated with Food Production: Outcomes from the Global Dialogue Workshop, where John Samorai Lengoisa wrote an article on Ogiek knowledge of pollination and pollinators in part one, section 1.2.
Credits:
[1] Image by Kurt Bouda from Pixabay [2] Image by Thomas B. on Pixabay [3] Image by Beto_MdP from Pixabay [4] Image by Davey from Flickr [5] Image by CIFOR from Flickr [6] Image by Lucas van Oort from Unsplash [7] Image by orientalizing from Flickr [8] Image by Praiwun from Getty Images via Canva.com