Improving equity in the context of protected areas conservation cannot be achieved in situations where people have different capabilities to participate. Participatory video has the potential to uncover hidden perspectives and worldviews and to build trustworthy, transparent and accountable relationships between marginalized communities and external agencies. We present findings from video-mediated dialogues between Indigenous peoples and decision makers involved in the management of three protected areas in Guyana. Participatory films created by Indigenous researchers in their communities were screened and discussed with protected area managers. We recorded their responses and presented them back to the communities. We show how the video-mediated process provided a rich and contextualized understanding of equity issues. It enabled recognition and respect by protected area managers for Indigenous lived experiences and the contribution of their values and knowledge. For Indigenous peoples, the participatory video process built confidence and critical reflection on their own activities and responsibilities whilst allowing them to challenge decision makers on issues of transparency, communication and accountability. We show that equity is an evolving process and that different protected areas with their differing histories and relationships with Indigenous communities produce distinct outcomes over time. Thus, promoting equity in protected areas and conservation must be a long-term process, enabling participation and producing the conditions for regular, transparent and honest communications. Standardized indicators of protected areas equity could be useful for reporting on international targets, but video-mediated dialogue can facilitate deeper understanding, greater representation and a recognition of rights.
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Despite being disproportionately susceptible to infectious diseases like COVID-19, many Indigenous peoples still hold traditional knowledge that is responding and adapting to new circumstances and crises such as the pandemic. In this paper, we present the findings from a participatory video project in eight Makushi and Wapishan Indigenous communities in the North Rupununi, Guyana, that explored the difficulties and disruptions that came about through COVID-19, but also the opportunities for change and transformation. Over four months, Indigenous researchers gathered the views and perspectives of their communities through a participatory video process. Our findings show that there was limited information provided to communities and their leaders (especially at the start of the pandemic), and support, in the form of supplies and relief, was ad-hoc and inconsistent. As people lost income from paid work, they turned to traditional farming, fishing and hunting to sustain their lives and to support others who did not have the conditions to support themselves. While many Indigenous community members retreated to their isolated farms as a protective measure, community leaders took responsibility to protect their lands and territory by installing gates on access roads and establishing patrols to enforce rules. The recognition that their traditional knowledge was not only culturally important but necessary for survival during the pandemic, gave it a newfound relevance and legitimacy, particularly for young people. Supporting Indigenous economies such as farming are not only critical for maintaining nature and traditional cultures today, but also for being resilient to future social and ecological crises.
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