By
Ingrid Sub Cuc and Mark Camp
Indigenous reciprocity is much more complex than a
two-way exchange of favors…while the word reciprocity is not used often
in our daily lives, it is deeply embedded in most Indigenous cultures.
Where reciprocity remains strong in many respects, we must acknowledge
that in other respects the serious erosion of our worldview has
consequently caused damage to our systems of reciprocity. But we
continue to have strong philosophical continuity.
— Roberta L. Jamieson, Canadian lawyer, First Nations activist,
and keynote speaker at the opening of the IFIP World Summit on
Indigenous Philanthropy
![[photo credit: Cultural Survival]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_t6uor8GCSLqsFzTWqrK4GjpGYrqQiG3cIBq2a-PtROIhNIJkbLUKkONU00Mb0-jinGXty70GsXPSR_vqdLPWhDAnXDz9AF3nY1-aFyyQkfze0kUZN_A_e5vdHUSNVh79xnhYVsRD6OnmW9vC0VyeUU0pQbYeX70zxTNhCpFZ9gbntk4gV7waOU96-ocI8=s0-d)
[photo credit: Cultural Survival]
Reciprocity, the practice of exchanging with others for mutual
benefit, is the basis for relationships in many Indigenous communities
and was the buzzword characterizing the International Funders for
Indigenous Peoples (IFIP) World Summit on Indigenous Philanthropy. The
summit took place September 24–26 in New York City, dovetailing with the
UN World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, the UN Climate Summit, and
the People’s Climate March. It brought together funders, NGOs, and
Indigenous leaders to foster a deeper understanding of Indigenous
philanthropy by allowing them to create relationships without the
constraint of the funder-recipient dynamic, working as equal partners.
UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Vicky
Tauli-Corpuz, spoke at the World Summit on the important role that
Indigenous philanthropy has in the future of climate change. Her remarks
highlighted the importance of the climate march, particularly for
Indigenous Peoples: “Indigenous Peoples did not contribute to climate
change, but we are asked to solve the crisis. Controlling climate change
requires the respect and protection of Indigenous Peoples’ rights. I
like to believe that our funders have the same passion and commitment as
Indigenous people to leave a better future for our next generation,”
she said.
Currently, less than one percent of philanthropic giving benefits
Indigenous Peoples. International Funders for Indigenous Peoples is a
nonprofit organization that aims to transform philanthropy globally
through encouraging and facilitating partnerships with
Indigenous Peoples to further vision, imagination, and responsibility to
tackle the challenges of our times. Its members include foundations and
individual donors who are focused on funding opportunities for
Indigenous Peoples.
Conference speakers provided a closer look at philanthropy and
reciprocity as it operates in Indigenous communities. One panel
considered the role of youth in continuing the work of philanthropic
leaders in their communities and the necessity of educating them for
the future. Neydi Juracan Morales (Kaqchiquel Maya), a youth leader from
the
Comite Campesina del Altiplano, shared that “young
Indigenous women in many communities experience discrimination four
times: one for being a woman, two for being Indigenous, three for
being young, and four for being a leader.” Morales spoke of the struggle
to bridge the generational gap between her elders and her peers, more
so to prove to her family that being a woman should not limit her work
in advancing the political and social movements in her community. “Women
are a vital resource to Indigenous communities because we know what
our families need. Women play a huge role in maintaining the household;
it only makes sense that we have a vote in decisions,” she said.
Also discussed at the event were the rights of Indigenous people with
disabilities and their role in Indigenous philanthropy. Diana
Samarasan, founding executive director of the Disability Rights Advocacy
Advocacy Fund, spoke of the underrepresentation of Indigenous people
with disabilities in both political and social realms. She highlighted a
different angle of reciprocity—one between movements—in discussing
the necessity of acknowledging these members of our communities for the
progress and equal representation of Indigenous communities. “We have
been funding cross-movement work between the Indigenous Peoples movement
and the disability rights movement. Indigenous people with disabilities
have been invisible in both movements,” she explained. “The
disability community globally [as well as the Indigenous movement] has
the slogan, ‘Nothing about us without us.’ And that’s how we, as a
funder, have tried to build what we do around that concept… the the
structure that we use for funding is to incorporate the voices of
persons with disabilities at all levels of what we’re doing.”
Conference participants were encouraged to ask questions and actively
participate in the discussions in order to gain broader perspectives.
One such question asked how Indigenous funders are incorporating the
concept of reciprocity within their respective organizations. Mirna
Cunningham, a Miskita leader and activist on the Reimagining Resources,
Reciprocity, and Relationship in Grantmaking panel said, “Our concept of
reciprocity is a concept of sharing…so our vision at FIMI [
Foro Internacional de Mujeres Indigenas]
is that we provide the funds and the various groups provide their
traditional knowledge. That’s how it works, we share and we
exchange.” The panel discussed the funders’ responsibility to view
Indigenous philanthropy as mutually beneficial. As Cunningham expressed,
the idea is that each side provides their resources to bring about
sustainable and culturally sensitive change.
“In traditional Indigenous communities you are aware of what your
neighbor has; that is, we know if he has one or two camels. That is how
we know what they need in hard times. But the modern economy makes us
put our money in the bank where we don’t see it. How then do we know
what we have and don’t have? We can’t share that way,” said Dr. Hussein
Isack from the Kivulini Heritage Trust.
Participants repeatedly underscored the idea that protecting the
environment protects resources for all, including future generations—and
that this is the highest form of reciprocity. “Remember that water is
our first food, and that food is water. We must conserve our land and
our water at the same time,” said Melissa Nelson of The Cultural
Conservancy during the Food Sovereignty, Indigenous People, and the
Future of Agriculture: a Global Strategy panel. Sustainable land use was
also a recurring theme. “Now that we control over 40,000 hectares (150
square miles), the challenge is how to manage it without destroying it.
We can’t just continue with the colonial way,” said Abdon Nababan of the
Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago.
Change must happen at several levels for reciprocity to blossom;
changing the culture of funding is essential and needs to respect the
way Indigenous communities operate. Tauli-Corpuz explained, “Some donors
want to see big impact in very little time, but it doesn’t work that
way. It took 25 years to draft and pass the UN declaration, so it takes
that long.” Sandra Macias del Villar of the Global Fund for Children
offered a donor’s perspective, saying that funders too often restrict
what the community wants to do. She argued that communities need
flexible funding, money that can be spent on anything from
transportation to meetings to Internet access. “Too many funders fund
short term for just a year or two. That is just not enough time to
accomplish anything,” she said.
Reflecting on the event as a whole, Atama Katama, conference panelist
and nonprofit leader, commented, “I feel that the summit is very
important to not just Indigenous people, but for funders themselves to
know more about the new level of working with Indigenous Peoples,
especially after the outcome document of the world conference. In the
same way, we Indigenous Peoples who are empowered by the process of the
world conference now have in mind, can think about, can strengthen the
passion to work with philanthropists who are here today.”
Maori Grantmakers Recognized
The recipient of the 2014 IFIP Award for Indigenous Grantmaking went
to the JR McKenzie Trust. Founded in 1940, it is one of the oldest
organizations in New Zealand that supports the well being and
development of the Maori people. This is the first time an award was
given to a foundation that has appointed Maori tribal and community
leaders on its Board to share in the decision making. Executive Director
Evelyn Arce said, “JR McKenzie Trust is a model for the future of
Indigenous philanthropy which places community leaders at the center of
the decision making process.”
To learn more about International Funders for Indigenous Peoples, visit:
internationalfunders.org.
Cultural Survival
helps Indigenous Peoples around the world defend their lands,
languages, and cultures as they deal with issues like the one you’ve
just read about.
