How do cultural practices of indigenous societies improve or diminish the environment as compared to mainstream societies?

Answer 1

Cultural practices of indigenous societies can often improve the environment in comparison to mainstream societies. Indigenous communities have deep connections to their land, prioritizing sustainable practices such as regenerative agriculture and forest management. They often display a strong understanding of ecological balance and the interdependency of species. However, when indigenous communities are marginalized or their cultural practices disrupted, it can diminish the environment due to the loss of traditional knowledge and the adoption of destructive practices from mainstream societies.

Answer 2

Cultural practices of indigenous societies tend to have a lesser impact on the environment than mainstream societies. This is due in part to the smaller populations of indigenous societies- by definition, societies with enough people in them to rival those of mainstream societies become mainstream societies.

Additionally, indigenous societies have a much closer connection to nature and the world around them, as they rely on their environments for food, protection, shelter, and more, while mainstream societies tend to cultivate their own surroundings, either grown crops or metal buildings and surroundings that are still related to the world around them, but less so.