Happy World Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2024
The ocean has always been a part of who we are. As an Indigenous person from one of Indonesia’s many small islands, I grew up with the sound of waves as my lullaby, the salty breeze as my constant companion, and the knowledge that the sea gives and takes life. For us, the ocean isn’t just a body of water; it is the pulse of our world, the rhythm by which we live. We breathe with the tides. The ocean shapes our culture, our identity, and our very existence. It’s where we find food, where we trade, where we hold sacred ceremonies, and where we return after life has passed from our bodies.
In many ways, the ocean is our spiritual guide, the source of our values and understanding of the world. Unlike those whose existence revolves around land, our survival depends on a healthy, thriving sea. The intricate connection we have with the ocean transcends the physical and enters the spiritual. The way we perceive ourselves is tied to its ebb and flow, and the way we live is dictated by its health. It’s not merely a “resource” to us, as it might be to others who seek to extract wealth or profit from its depths. The ocean is not an asset to be controlled but a partner, a protector, a life-giver.
The Ocean as the Core of Our Existence
For communities like mine, the ocean has a far-reaching presence in every aspect of our lives. Our traditions, passed down through generations, teach us to respect the sea not just as a provider but as a living, breathing entity that must be cared for, like a parent or a child. The fish we catch, the tides we navigate, and the winds we sail are all parts of a grand, interconnected web of life that we are privileged to be a part of. We have a deep, mutual relationship with the ocean; we depend on it, but we also recognise that it depends on us to maintain its balance and ensure its continued abundance.
This sense of responsibility toward the ocean is born not out of environmental consciousness as it is typically understood in the modern world but from a spiritual and cultural obligation. The sea has given us everything: our food, our livelihood, our identity. Therefore, we are tasked with protecting it, maintaining its health and balance so that it continues to sustain us in return. This is not simply a matter of environmentalism, but of survival, spirituality, and respect for the sacred.
Many Indigenous peoples who live in coastal areas or on small islands share this same reverence for the ocean. Whether in the Pacific, the Indian Ocean, or the far reaches of the Arctic, the sea is seen as a force that binds us all together. In many of our stories, the ocean is where life first began, where our ancestors emerged from the deep to walk the land. It is where we return after death, our bodies becoming one with the water again, completing the cycle of life and death.
To ensure the ocean remains healthy is not merely a practical matter of maintaining a food source. It is about honouring the spirits that live within the sea, the deities and ancestors that dwell in its depths. In our cosmology, the ocean is alive with spirits and forces far beyond our understanding. We cannot see these beings, but we feel their presence in the waves, the currents, and the creatures that live beneath the surface.
Our connection to the ocean is deeply spiritual. It shapes the way we perceive ourselves, the way we live, and the way we interact with the world. Many of our rituals are conducted by the water’s edge, where we offer thanks to the ocean for the life it provides and ask for its continued protection. When we fish, we take only what we need, offering prayers of gratitude and asking permission before taking from the sea. We do not exploit the ocean; we coexist with it.
This spiritual connection to the ocean has cultivated a deep sense of responsibility within our community. We understand that if the ocean is harmed, we are harmed. If the ocean is out of balance, our lives fall out of balance as well. This is why the role of Ocean Defenders is so critical in our society. They are not merely environmental activists; they are spiritual protectors. They defend not just the physical health of the ocean but the very essence of our identity and culture.
Ocean Defenders: The Guardians of Our Spirit
Ocean Defenders in our communities are revered figures, people who have taken on the responsibility of protecting the ocean as if it were their own family. They do not view their role as a choice but as a calling. They understand that to defend the ocean is to defend life itself — both the physical life of our people and the spiritual life that binds us to the sea. For Ocean Defenders, there is no distinction between protecting the environment and protecting their culture, their community, and their soul.
The importance of Ocean Defenders cannot be overstated. They are the guardians of a delicate balance that ensures the ocean remains healthy and abundant. They monitor the waters, watching for signs of pollution, overfishing, or changes in the tides that could signal a disruption in the natural order. They engage in advocacy, standing up against large corporations, governments, and others who seek to exploit the ocean for profit without regard for its long-term health.
For them, defending the ocean is a sacred duty, passed down through generations. They do not see it as an environmental issue but as a matter of cultural survival. If the ocean dies, so do we. If it is polluted or overfished, it is not just a resource that is lost, but a vital part of our being. This understanding of the ocean as integral to our identity is what drives Ocean Defenders to fight so fiercely to protect it, even when the world around them often fails to recognise the importance of their struggle.
The Marginalisation of Ocean Defenders
Despite their vital role, Ocean Defenders often receive far less attention and support than their counterparts who protect forests or land. Globally, the narrative around environmental defenders tends to focus on those who fight for land rights, deforestation, and the exploitation of natural resources on solid ground. This focus is understandable, given the visible and immediate destruction caused by land-based industries like logging, mining, and agriculture. But it also reflects a deep-seated bias in how we view the environment itself, with land often seen as the “primary” environment and the ocean relegated to secondary importance.
This marginalisation of Ocean Defenders is not only unfair but dangerous. The ocean covers more than 70% of our planet, and its health is directly tied to the health of all life on Earth. Yet, the defenders who stand up to protect it are often overlooked, their struggles dismissed as niche or less urgent compared to those who defend land. This is a reflection of a broader tendency to view the ocean as a separate, disconnected part of the environment, rather than as an integral part of the same system that sustains life on land.
In the global discourse around environmental protection, the ocean is often treated as an afterthought. Land-based issues dominate the conversation, from deforestation in the Amazon to land grabs in Africa. When the ocean is mentioned, it is usually in the context of overfishing or plastic pollution—issues that are certainly important but are often framed in ways that simplify the complexity of the ocean and its defenders. The narrative around ocean conservation tends to be driven by concerns about resources and economics—how much fish we can extract, how tourism can be sustained, how shipping routes can be protected.
This economic framing of the ocean undermines the work of Ocean Defenders, who fight not for the preservation of resources but for the preservation of a way of life, a spiritual connection, and a cultural identity. Their fight is not just about stopping pollution or preventing overfishing; it is about protecting the soul of their people and ensuring that future generations can continue to live in harmony with the sea. But because the ocean is so often viewed as just another resource to be managed, the deeper significance of their struggle is often lost.
The Simplification of the Ocean as Environment
One of the reasons why Ocean Defenders receive less attention is the way the ocean itself is conceptualised within the broader environmental movement. The environment, as it is often framed in global discourse, is primarily about land — forests, fields, mountains, rivers. These are tangible, visible landscapes that people can easily relate to and understand. The destruction of a forest is immediately obvious; the loss of biodiversity in a coral reef, by contrast, is often invisible to all but those who live closest to it.
This land-centric view of the environment has led to the simplification of the ocean as just another part of the environment, rather than as a complex and vital system in its own right. The ocean is often treated as a backdrop to environmental discussions, a secondary consideration to the more “urgent” issues of deforestation, land rights, and carbon emissions. This narrative marginalises the voices of those who depend on the ocean for their survival and who understand its significance far beyond its role as a resource.
The simplification of the ocean as just another “environmental issue” fails to capture the deep, spiritual connection that many Indigenous communities have with the sea. It reduces the ocean to a series of problems to be solved—overfishing, pollution, rising sea levels—rather than recognising it as a living system that is integral to the culture, identity, and spirituality of those who live by its shores. This reductionist view of the ocean makes it difficult for Ocean Defenders to gain the same level of recognition and support as their land-based counterparts, as their fight is seen as less urgent, less tangible, and less relatable to those who do not share their connection to the sea.
The Land-Centred Narrative within Environmental and Indigenous Peoples Movements
Another reason why Ocean Defenders are often overlooked is the land-centric nature of many environmental and Indigenous peoples movements. These movements, while vital in their own right, have historically focused on the protection of land and the rights of those who live on it. Land is seen as the primary battleground for environmental justice, with forests, mountains, and rivers as the central symbols of the struggle.
This focus on land is understandable, given the immediate and visible threats posed by deforestation, mining, and land grabs. But it also means that the struggles of those who defend the ocean are often pushed to the margins. In many Indigenous peoples movements, the ocean is not seen as a central issue, even though for many Indigenous communities, the sea is just as important—if not more so — than the land.
This land-centred narrative is particularly strong in global environmental movements, where the focus is often on carbon emissions, deforestation, and the protection of terrestrial biodiversity. The ocean, by contrast, is seen as a secondary issue, something to be addressed after the more pressing concerns of land-based environmental destruction have been dealt with. This hierarchical view of the environment positions the ocean as a “second-class” issue, even though its health is critical to the survival of the planet.
For those of us who live by the sea, this marginalisation is frustrating. We see the destruction of our ocean ecosystems, the pollution of our waters, and the overfishing of our reefs, yet our struggles are often dismissed or ignored by the broader environmental movement. The fight to protect the ocean is seen as a niche issue, something that can be addressed through technical solutions like marine protected areas or sustainable fishing practices, rather than as a fundamental part of the broader struggle for environmental justice.
This marginalisation is even more pronounced when it comes to the role of Indigenous peoples in protecting the ocean. While there is growing recognition of the importance of Indigenous land rights in environmental protection, the role of Indigenous peoples as stewards of the ocean is often overlooked. This is despite the fact that many Indigenous communities have lived in harmony with the sea for thousands of years, developing deep knowledge of its ecosystems and the best ways to protect them.
The Complexity of Ocean Defenders’ Struggles
The struggles of Ocean Defenders are often more complex and less visible than those of Land Defenders, which contributes to their marginalisation. While Land Defenders often face clear, tangible threats—deforestation, mining, land grabs—Ocean Defenders must contend with a more diffuse and less visible set of challenges. Pollution, overfishing, and climate change all threaten the ocean, but these threats are often harder to see and understand, especially for those who do not live by the sea.
The drivers of ocean destruction are also more complex and global in nature. While Land Defenders often face threats from specific companies or governments seeking to exploit their land, Ocean Defenders must contend with a wide range of actors, from multinational fishing fleets to distant governments making decisions about marine policy. The diffuse and global nature of these threats makes it harder for Ocean Defenders to gain attention and support, as their struggles are often seen as distant and abstract compared to the more immediate and tangible threats faced by Land Defenders.
Furthermore, the legal and political frameworks for protecting the ocean are often weaker and less developed than those for protecting land. While many countries have established legal frameworks for the protection of forests, rivers, and other land-based ecosystems, the ocean is often governed by a patchwork of international agreements and national laws that are difficult to enforce. This makes it harder for Ocean Defenders to hold those responsible for ocean destruction accountable and to secure the legal protections needed to defend the sea.
The global nature of ocean destruction also means that Ocean Defenders often find themselves fighting battles on multiple fronts. They must contend with local threats, such as pollution from nearby factories or overfishing by local fleets, while also grappling with global challenges like climate change, which is causing sea levels to rise and ocean temperatures to increase. This complexity makes their struggle more difficult to communicate and understand, further marginalising their voices within the broader environmental movement.
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