How much should we strive to protect indigenous peoples from habitat encroachment?

the U.S. sucks at leaving people alone on there ancestral homelands, for example: Sioux, Cherokee, Comanche, Illini. Blackfoot, and more than 100 others, video

Today the American Indian is less than 1% of the U.S. population

I’ve always been torn about isolated, “primitive” societies. We (more advanced cultures) like to study them to learn more about our own histories, but is continuing to isolate these groups the right thing to do?

There’s no question that the way in which many of these groups are torn from their traditional lifestyles and then cut adrift in modern society is appalling and criminal. The greedy quest for gold and land and bush-meat and timber mean that they are no longer able to support themselves in the way in which they are accustomed, casually scattered and tossed aside like trash.

But I’ve always wondered if, given the choice, they would actually prefer to avoid the benefits of modern medicine, education, and easily accessible food? If they wish to be left alone, then we should do so, but do they truly understand what it is that they are “missing”?

I’ve always had an uncomfortable suspicion that we romanticize and exploit these groups of people to the point that we don’t consider them people at all, that we treat them more as zoo exhibits.

The bushmeat trade is a particular concern because it has allowed pathogens dangerous to humans to pass from primates killed as game to humans, for instance Ebola and AIDS.

To the extent indigenous populations are threatened by such virus transfers, is it better to leave them alone to die out naturally, or intervene but disrupt the culture/

Change is constant. Change or die.

I don’t think it is possible to preserve indigenous cultures once they make contact with other cultures. Cultures that meet each other always change each other. Sometimes the change is unequal, but be sure the pygmies are changing us as well as us changing them.

What I think we can do is encourage people to preserve their own culture and make it easier for them to do so by finding out how they want to join in the larger culture instead of imposing our will on them.

As much as possible.

Saving indigenous people would have to be part of a larger plan that works toward a sustainable future. This would include stabilization of world population, moving away from constant economic growth in industrialized nations and preserving natural habitat.

Everyone thank you for your answers.
Syz
I think most times the people prefer to be isolated as far as retaining their lifestyle and culture. But then, they often don’t know any better so how can they choose wisely? I realize that it’s not possible to avoid change. Change is inevitable and not always a bad thing. I think that some, probably even most, of these cultures do wish to share in the benefits of modern technology and modern medicine.
Romanticizing the “noble savage” is a mistake. In some cases there is a brutality that I cannot accept. I know I am judging these cultures with my own world view and set of social constructs and perhaps that is not fair but there it is. However it seems that the Pygmies are peaceful and not violent other than their hunting of game and that is necessary to their survival.

Wundayatta
As happy as the Mbuti Pygmies are in their rainforest home they already have adapted by working in the neighboring villages for other tribes in order to earn money or barter for things they cannot produce themselves. But they still harvest the honey in the traditional way and that is the whole focus of their year. It is essential to their culture. I don’t understand why they cannot ban or regulate the sale of bushmeat whilst allowing the pygmies to hold onto their honey harvesting as long as they do it in a sustainable way. They have been doing this for generation upon generation. It fills a need. Now they are chased away from the land they lived on and not allowed in to visitt let alone live!

It is up to their government to do the right thing, the fair and equitable thing. In the US we did no better historically as everyone knows. But one would hope that the human race is evolving to a more enlightened way of being, learning from past mistakes and trying to create a better, kinder world. (Hope springs eternal) We can fundraise, elevate social consciousness and all but the Congolese are self governing I don’t think they care about the Pygmy culture but I could be wrong. It says in certain articles that the Pygmies are discriminated against. (even, gasp, cannibalized!) I am not singling out the Congolese. After all, it seems to be human nature to dislike people who are different. It’s an old sad story.

Zenvolo
I didn’t think about that and I don’t know much about it but I will try to find out more. I think the Pygmies are not in danger of dying out. Plus, they are not the only ones who eat the bushmeat. It is a thriving trade, they supply the bushmeat to others. That is what upset the balance. They are killing more than they need for themselves so that they can sell it.

LostinParadise
You summed it up in a nutshell! Well said. …Now how the hell do we do it? What a gargantuan task! They are trying to preserve the habitat, that is the animals and the rainforest by making the Ituri a park. In this case the people of the rainforest may be the casualty.

SimoneDeBeauvoir I agree. I wonder how much is possible.