Sustainability: Indigenous and Western Perspectives

At BothEyesNow, we explore the confluence of Indigenous and Western knowledge in innovation and investment. Few topics highlight this more clearly than sustainability. While the term is widely used, its meanings and responsibilities differ across cultures. Understanding how Indigenous and Western perspectives on sustainability diverge can lead to more ethical, effective, and enduring approaches to innovation, investment, and policy.

1. Different Relationships with Nature

Indigenous Peoples often view the natural world as a network of living relationships. The land is not a commodity, it is kin. Water is alive. Animals are ancestors. These relationships carry responsibilities of care and respect. In many Indigenous worldviews, sustainability is about maintaining balance and honoring these reciprocal ties.

By contrast, Western sustainability models tend to frame nature as a set of resources to be managed. Nature is external to human life, something to be studied, optimized, or restored. This perspective emphasizes control, efficiency, and regulation.

In short:

• Indigenous: “The land takes care of us, so we must care for it.”

• Western: “We must manage the land responsibly for our use.”

2. Time Horizons and Responsibility

Indigenous frameworks often use the seven generations principle; decisions must consider their impact far into the future. This creates a long-term, intergenerational sense of responsibility that extends both backward to ancestors and forward to descendants.

Western systems, however, are often driven by short-term incentives: political terms, quarterly earnings, and grant cycles. While some Western frameworks do emphasize long-term thinking (e.g., climate targets), these are frequently undermined by immediate economic or political pressures.

3. Knowledge Systems and Decision-Making

Sustainability in Indigenous contexts is guided by Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), or place-based knowledge passed down through generations via stories, ceremonies, observation, and practice. Governance is typically local, collective, and consensus-based, involving Elders, youth, and knowledge keepers.

Western approaches rely heavily on scientific research, data modeling, and centralized policy. These methods are valuable, but they can overlook lived experience and local context, especially in remote or Indigenous communities.

4. Ethics and Culture

Indigenous views on sustainability are inseparable from ethics, culture, and spirituality. It’s not just about surviving the future, it’s about living in balance, with gratitude and humility. Taking from the earth is never done without giving back.

Western frameworks often focus on rights (land use rights, water rights, etc.), while Indigenous frameworks emphasize responsibilities—to land, to community, and to future generations.

BothEyesNow

It’s not about choosing one knowledge system over another. Instead, we invite readers to look at the world through both Indigenous and Western lenses, using the strengths of each. As we face global sustainability challenges, this integrative approach offers a path toward deeper, more meaningful action.

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At BothEyesNow, our mission is to support sustainable innovation and investment in Canada. We aim to build understanding, encourage dialogue, and contribute to community-led economic development.

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