clear a small area of land and burn it. Then they plantmany types of plants, to be used for food and medicines. After a few years, the soil hasbecome too poor to allow for more crops to grow and weeds to start to take over. So theythen move to a nearby uncleared area. This land is traditionally allowed to regrow 10-50years before it is farmed again. Shifting cultivation is still practiced by those tribes whohave access to a large amount of land. However, with the growing number ofnon-Indigenous farmers and the shrinking rainforest, other tribes, especially in Indonesiaand Africa, are now forced to remain in one area. The land becomes a wasteland after afew years of overuse, and cannot be used for future agriculture. EDUCATIONMost tribal children dont go to schools like ours. Instead, they learn about theforest around them from their parents and other people in the tribe. They are taught howto survive in the forest. They learn how to hunt and fish, and which plants are useful asmedicines or food. Some of these children know more about rainforests than scientistswho have studied rainforests for many years. The group of societies known as Europeansincludes such cultures such as Spanish and German. Similarly, the broad group,Indigenous peoples includes many distinct culture groups, each with its own traditions.For instance, plantains (a type of banana) are a major food source for the Yanonami fromthe Amazon while the Penan of Borneo, Southeast Asia, depend on the sago palm (a typeof palm tree) for food and other uses. All Indigenous people share their strong ties to theland. Because the rainforest is so important for their culture, they want to take care of it.They want to live what is called a sustainable existence, meaning they use the land withoutdoing harm to the plants and animals that also call the rainforest their home. As a wiseIndigenous man once said, The earth is our historian, our educator, the provider of food,medicine, clot...
