Nature Based Solutions for People and Planet World Indigenous
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!"#$%&'(")&*'+,-$#.,/)'0,%'1&,2-&'"/*'1-"/&#'' 3,%-*'4/*.5&/,$)'1&,2-&)'3&6./"%'7878' 9,,:'4)-"/*)'9$)#,*."/)',0'(.,*.;&%).#<'='>&>.:"' +:./?"%&'"/*'>@A>4'BC2&%.&/?&)' "#$#%&!'&(!)*)*! D&<'E,%*)' Custodians of Biodiversity Traditional Knowledge Sustainability Cook Islands Polynesian Maori Koutu Nui Nagoya Protocol ABS TVATI F%'G%"H"I'J"#H&),/'(K+?LJ&*M'J((+'JBL(.,I&*M'1HF' >&%&"'J"#"."2,'1"$-'A--)E,%#HN'1%&).*&/#',0'#H&'D,$#$'!$.',0' #H&'9,,:'4)-"/*)' O&//.0&%'P&/%<'(ALA??M'N'F.%&?#,%'9,,:'4)-"/*)'J&*.?"-' Q&)&"%?H'"/*'F&;&-,2I&/# Cook Islands Medical Research CIMRAD And Development Group ! !"#$%&'(")&*'),-$#.,/)'0,%'1&,2-&'"/*'1-"/&#' 4/#%,*$?#.,/' The Covid 19 outbreak has impacted the world in so many ways. Perhaps one of the most significant impacts is a re-evaluation of the entire approach to health, economics and social wellbeing. Perhaps for the first time in several decades, the established mantra of more money, more stuff, and more efficiency are being challenged by the possibility that more health, more community and more resilience are preferable. This global catastrophe brings the spotlight onto indigenous communities around the world for both reasons of concern; with these communities likely to feel the worst of the health impacts should the pandemic spread unabated; and for reasons of hope, with their traditions of sustainable, resilient, community focused approach that prioritizes oneness of the people with their environment, and their unique means of working with their environment to provide health, sustainability and wellbeing. The Cook Islands is a small island state in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean, and we have a rich history of traditional knowledge including medicinal plants that were integral to the lives of our ancestors. The Custodians of Biodiversity in the Cook Islands, the Koutu Nui, entered into a Nagoya Protocol compliant ABS agreement with myself to develop traditional medicine for treating injuries, years before the Nagoya Protocol was proposed or ratified. This project has resulted in international patents, recognition and support from the UN and affiliated agencies, improved awareness and pride in our cultural and natural heritage and has led to the implementation of changes to our regulatory environment to ABS agreements and use of traditional medicines within and from the Cook Islands with two products being brought to market TeTika and TVATI that maximize the benefits to the Cook Islands. Cook Islands Medical Research CIMRAD And Development Group ! 9$)#,*."/)',0'(.,*.;&%).#<'9,,:'4)-"/*)'N'>&'D,$#$'!$.'' Under Pre European management of the political and social structure, the dominant form of governance was based on a system of nobility led by the Ariki, the paramount chief, and the taunga, the custodians of sacred and scientific knowledge that guided the voyages and settlement of Polynesia. Between 30-40 generations ago, this system had connected the people of the Polynesian islands from Hawaii in the north to New Zealand in the south and a thousand islands in between. The paramount chief known as Ariki, and a system of subordinate chiefs governed the Islands. The chiefs held social and supernatural power called Mana. The Koutu of the Ariki managed territories and the Taunga were adepts of particular arts (eg navigation, carving or healing) and spiritual matters, and also held Mana. The Cook Islands was an integral component of the Polynesian Ariki system and featured in many of the great voyages of the ancestors, including the migrations to New Zealand The control of the Ariki changed as the Cook Islands moved from British protectorate to New Zealand governance. Whilst the Aronga Mana was officially preserved, with the Ariki represented in the House of Ariki, and the Koutu of all the Ariki represented by the Koutu Nui, however they no longer had the responsibilities of provision and governance under the new system, and were focused on preserving and promoting cultural heritage. Unfortunately, at that time, traditional Maori medicine was not considered a heritage and had been illegal to procure or to provide for almost 100 years. By the 1990s the lagoons had suffered overfishing, degradation and sporadic outbreaks of ciguatera poisoning. This combined with an increasing global awareness of conservation movements led to interest in marine reserves. There was widespread feeling that the government could not implement marine reserves without resentment and disobedience. A traditional practice called Raui was to be reintroduced as a means of protecting the lagoons. This is a traditional practice of marking out an area of productive land or lagoon and declaring it off limit for harvesting for a particular period. This was simply made by decree and the population obeyed out of respect. By the 1970s the practice had ceased on Rarotonga as people would openly ignore the Raui and remove the markers. Although the foreshore and lagoons were now designated crown lands and controlled by Government, the community felt that only the Koutu Nui would have the power to implement Raui. The population came to respect the process of community discussion instilled by the Koutu Nui and Raui was soon re-introduced on behalf of the people, rather than imposed upon them. Cook Islands Medical Research CIMRAD And Development Group ! Towards Access and Benefit-Sharing Best Practice Pacific Case Studies There is no Law enforcing the Raui, just the Mana of the Koutu Nui. Today, the Raui remains in place and is one of the most successful volunteer marine conservation practices in the world. ' Q"$.'N'"'I,*&%/'#,,-'#H"#'H&*5&)'"5"./)#'I,*&%/'2%&))$%&)'6$#'.)'%,,#&*'./' #H&')"I&';"-$&)'#H"#'$/*&%2./'#%"*.#.,/"-')<)#&I)',0'%&),$%?&'I"/"5&I&/#K' The success of the Koutu Nui in the implementation of the Raui led to their increased involvement in other matters of cultural importance, land tenure, environmental matters, marine resources, undersea resources, immigration and other issues. In 2017 an extension of Raui Report written and preparedtraditions Te by MaraeDr!Daniel Moana! Robinson,was declared, Senior recognized Lecturer, by the Institute United ofNations Environmental as the worlds Studies, The University of New South Wales, Australia.largest protected Dr Robinson area, covering is also almost a Research 2 million square Associate km of Cookof Natural Islands Jus territory.tice. ! ! Cook Islands Medical Research CIMRAD And Development Group ! 3-government-announcement-50nm-768x1086.jpg 768×1,086 pixels 20/07/20 4:25 PM Te Marae Moana is almost half the size of the landmass of the EU! Cook Islands Medical Research CIMRAD And Development Group ! https://www.maraemoana.gov.ck/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/3-government-announcement-50nm-768x1086.jpg Page 1 of 2 ' Cook Islands Medical Research CIMRAD And Development Group ! Healers and wheeler-dealers 9/04/11 10:41 AM 3"%%.,%'Q"?&',0'!";.5"#,%)' ! We Cook Islands Maori, like all Polynesians, are descended from a Warrior Race of navigators. One that navigated the Moana Nui O Kiva, the Pacific Ocean, and the prized possession of our people was the strength and bravery of our Toa, the knowledge of the taunga , and the Mana and leadership of our Ariki and the cohesion of the community under the Mataiapo and the Healers and wheeler-dealers Deborah Smith Koutu. April 9, 2011 The natural world provided stars and currents, the plants and the land and our ancestors developed solutions to our existential threats. This knowledge, passed on for generations, has survived despite the devastating impacts of disease and colonial rule on the population and traditions of the people. Our traditional methods of treating bone and soft tissue injuries aided our traditional warriors back on the battlefield, The late President of the Koutu Nui TeTika Mataiapo Dorice Reid was initially skeptical about the benefits of permitting the research, as an active member of the world indigenous persons organisation, she was of the position that no indigenous peoples had a positive outcome from Plant cures ... Bill Walsh and Graham Matheson monitor bone regeneration. Photo: Dallas Kilponen sharing their traditional knowledge. Grassroots activists vie with corporations for ancient cures, writes Deborah Smith. She had herself navigated the pacific islands on the voyaging canoe Vaka Te Au O Tonga, with Graham Matheson lists his injuries matter-of-factly: ''I've broken my right ankle twice, my left ankle once. I've dislocated my right shoulder and torn lots of hamstrings. And I've had plenty of other injuries, like broken fingers.'' my sister as a cabin mate, and saw for herself the accuracy of the navigational knowledge. She was convinced that we would find that the knowledge was accurate, and that if we held the The Sydney doctor, biomedical engineer, researcher and company founder bears the scars of a passion for rugby. secrets to improving health of people, as beneficiaries of knowledge and technology from other And it is his experiences on the football field - or, more to the point, off it - that underpin his entrepreneurial drive. Hecultures, knows, as awe doctor had and an an obligation to investigate and develop our knowledge, so we too could athlete, how annoying it can be to have a broken bone prevent you from playing sport. ''If you break a bone we set it straight and we just wait for it to heal. There is no specific therapeutic agent able to fix it,'' he says. contribute to the health and wellbeing of others. But within 100 metres of his home on Rarotonga, in the Cook Islands, there are four plants that have long been used by islanders in a traditional treatment - with apparent success - to help heal skin wounds and speed up the repair of bone fractures. ''I figured it was certainly worth looking at,'' he says. “I am convinced our ancestors were For thousands of years, the natural world has been the source of medicines. However, in recent years, conflicts scientists…they didnʼt randomly float over who has the right to commercialise and benefit from genetic resources and traditional knowledge have intensified.