The Environment Identity Conundrum

We are currently in the throes of a new iteration of how individuals, societies and countries view and portray their identity . There was a time when the urge was to find commonality between identities while also celebrating uniqueness. This ‘Brotherhood/Sisterhood’ resulted in the formation of the United Nations and its many organisations and also NATO and the Warsaw Pact. The world has moved from Woodstock, about which Joni Mitchell said, ‘Woodstock was a spark of beauty where half-a-million kids saw that they were part of a greater organism.’ to Live Aid where the world came together to help the people of Ethiopia and now to Glastonbury and Coachella which provide platforms for the audience to celebrate their uniqueness while enjoying music.

There are national, religious, social identities that one recognises, preserves and respects or is compelled to do so. However, in the case of lesser known ethnic identities this has not been the case.They have been pummeled by big business, efforts at social cohesion and concepts of environmental protection.    

Environment-Identity Conflicts

One of the first instances of ethnic identity coming head to head with environmental protection was the attempts by environmental organisations to prevent the commercial slaughter of Seal pups for their fur. The resulting ban impacted the Inuit communities and their way of life.    

In the above instance, protecting the environment resulted in the indigenous communities becoming collateral damage. There have been instances where indigenous communities have used their ethnic identity to resist the takeover of their land by corporations and governments. In the process of this resistance they have protected the environment  for the larger community.

The example of the ongoing battle of the Dongria Kondh (a tribe in India) to protect the Niyamgiri hill range provides an example of how identity is linked to protecting the environment. The Dongria Kondh believe that the Niyamgiri Hill is ‘our God, our Lord, our Goddess, our father, our mother, our life, our death, our flesh, our blood, our bones.’, as a Dongria tribal woman put it. This deep link is based on the fact that the hill provides for their livelihood. This dependence is acknowledged by the fact that the word ‘Dongria’ means hill. The efforts of Vedanta, a multinational company, to mine these hills for Bauxite is being blocked by the Dongria Kondh because their survival depends on the munificence of Niyamgiri.  By fighting to protect their way of life and identity the Dongria Kondh are also protecting the environment.  In the US, Native Americans are protesting against the Dakota Access Pipeline which passes through their Sacred Grounds. In their fight to protect what they hold sacred, Native Americans are also preventing water resources, accessed by all Americans, from being contaminated.

Cultural identity has proved to be a potent force to argue against environment protection. International environmental organisations have been unable to prevent the Japanese from killing whales. The whaling industry in Japan began in the 1600s and is now subsidised by the Japanese government. The Japanese demand for whale meat also drives the commercial whaling industry of Iceland and Norway where whale meat consumption is minuscule.  

Also in Japan, the residents of the town of Taiji capture Dolphins for food and for sale to marine parks. Though it is said that this feature began in 1969 and therefore cannot be afforded the argument of being part of a culture or tradition especially when modern methods are used. The inhabitants of Faroe islands cull whales in an annual ritual called grindadráp. The whale meat is consumed locally.

An article in the Japanese Times suggests that the reason Japan continues to whale is to show it ‘isn’t cowed by gaiatsu (outside pressure)’. Another article suggests that Japanese recalcitrance to bow to international pressure on this instance is because of their fear that it can open the floodgates to other similar demands on other aspects of Japanese way of life. This just goes to show how a cultural and dietary habit can grow into a form of nationalism.

Many cultural and ethnic identities are in a unique situation of being threatened by environmental destruction and protection. The environment which has been providing our species with life and therefore sustaining identities is now catalysing the formation of new social groups with identities of their own. The challenge set before humans is not whether the old and the new can live together but how can they co-exist.