How to show respect as an ecotourist or project liaison among Aboriginal peoples in rural or remote areas

Many international business failures have been ascribed to a lack of cultural competence. Many carbon credit projects in the Amazon have failed for this very reason - yet Savimbo is thriving. Here’s why.

Have you ever heard of everyday things that would be considered rude in other countries? 

For example, it is considered rude to tip on a bill in Japan and South Korea. A thumbs-up means something very different (it's bad) in the Middle East, Latin America, and other countries. Finishing your plate is considered rude in countries like China, the Philippines, and Russia.

Maybe you can think of more, there are endless examples, but the point is that things we do as a matter of course in our daily lives can be quite offensive to others. 

Knowing how to behave in other cultures is a skill in itself, and it's called cultural competency.

Cultural competency isn’t just something for tourists, it is a vital skill in the workplace and beyond. In our increasingly globalized world, we can interact with diverse peoples within the borders of our native countries and online. This means that it has never been easier or more accessible to practice our cultural competency (or to offend people).

What is cultural competency?

Even if you’ve never heard of cultural competency, there is a part of you that understands it implicitly. No one likes the idea of going to another country and being that stereotypical tourist (we all know who they are). As the old saying goes, ‘when in Rome…’ don't be a jackass.

But the concept of cultural competence is quite distinct from simply not being rude or standing out, it even transcends being respectful. The simplest definition of cultural competency is one’s ability to meaningfully interact with people from cultural backgrounds different from their own. It requires you to act like more than just a guest; you need to foster a coexistent relationship in a way that honors everyone’s differences. 

The further we get from our own cultures, the less natural this ability becomes, and the more conscious effort is required to honor the culture of the place you are in. Developing cultural competence is a dynamic and complex process that requires continuous expansion of cultural knowledge. It evolves over time, beginning with an understanding of your own culture, continuing through interactions with people from other cultures, and extends through your whole life.

Earlier we spoke about how tipping, hand gestures, and table manners can all be slightly different, but these were all examples of relatively small discrepancies between industrial-world countries. 

By contrast, the cultural difference between many indigenous communities and the industrialized world can seem like night and day. Many indigenous peoples have a rich culture and history that has developed for millennia far from western ideals.

Honoring culture, respecting people, and fostering trust

In industrial countries, many people aspire to earn lots of money, have a comfortable office job, and own a big house. Perhaps you hope to be an executive or otherwise influential person that has the authority to set thousands of people to work on your new and exciting ideas. There is nothing wrong with these aspirations, but it colors and shapes our interactions, and not everyone wants the same things.

By contrast, rural and remote indigenous communities are motivated by different metrics. Ideals often include group success, lifelong learning,  experience, and community. In many groups, money, property, and land are resources that are not individually owned but instead shared through the community for its benefit. 

Indigenous values create successful interdependent communal living groups. Unlike our modern interconnected world, these groups are largely autonomous and can thrive in relative isolation if needs be. While these communities will often have a leader that represents the group - they do not have ultimate authority over it. Indeed, the idea of a CEO or president - a single person who has ultimate authority over all is alien.

This last point is especially important when trying to engage in business with indigenous peoples. Western companies and other industrialized corporations expect to engage with a single person who has the authority to sign on behalf of the community. When dealing with the leaders of communities they assume their power is absolute, and that land purchases agreed by individuals represent the rest of the group. 

There have been many examples where foreign organizations believe they have purchased the land owned by a community because a leader agreed and took payment. Representatives of those organizations then begin to survey the land they ‘own’ only to discover the rest of the community did not agree. The former community leader has left with the money, the community is damaged, land ownership is unclear and an often messy and protracted legal battle will ensue. Not only is this a loss for both the indigenous communities and foreign companies alike, but it also does massive damage to trust.

Successfully navigating a meaningful business relationship with an indigenous community is nuanced and requires honoring culture, respecting people, and fostering trust. 

This topic could be a whole book on its own, but for this post, let's stick to the basics: how to act when visiting an indigenous community as a guest, ecotourist, or business liaison.

Cultural competency for ecotourists - a beginners guide

Even as an ecotourist it is vital to be culturally competent. Not being culturally competent while traveling to indigenous lands is the same as using those lands as a means to your own ends. Even if that goal is appreciation or conservation, achieving that goal without being culturally competent can be uncomfortably close to exploitation. 

As our local partners in the Colombian Amazon explained:

The good news is that being a culturally competent guest is not difficult, but it does require a paradigm shift in how you view the community around you. 

Indigenous people have had many poor experiences with outsiders and many might seem guarded at first. Your behavior will be closely watched to see if you will mesh well with the community. Here are a few general starting points for cultural competency around indigenous peoples. But remember, cultural generalities never apply to an individual, and every culture changes over time. People will teach you themselves how to act — if you listen.

• Gifts: It is often customary to present gifts to the elders when you enter an indigenous community. These gifts are not strictly for the elders and will likely be shared with the community. You can show awareness of this by getting something useful for everyone, or for trade, like hammocks, solar head-lamps, high-quality hand tools, etc. 

• Giving together: Following this theme, you should present any gifts together to the group you arrived with. The presents are from one community to another so that both may thrive together. While industrialized people often value individualism, acting alone in this setting can make us seem fractured — and give the impression that we do not value community.

• Sharing: Wherever possible, bring food to share, and share it. Sharing food is a universal human bonding activity. Within an indigenous community, it's wise to watch how food is consumed and apportioned, who eats first (this is often based on age or gender), and how it is shared then follow along. 

• Nonverbal communication: Indigenous communities value non-verbal communication, it is very useful for hunting and observing wildlife. This means your actions and body language will speak strongly of your values and intentions to the community. If you go out of your way to show alertness, match your words to your nonverbal signals, and help with communal tasks, they will see you as someone experienced with communal living. Everyone can relax more and you will be rewarded with additional interaction and teachings. It can be helpful to leave longer pauses after speaking as well, as often these communities leave a silence in between one person and the other’s statements. 

• Gender roles: Women in indigenous communities are not always front and center, but they are still respected. If you are a woman, you will probably interface with the men at first. But do take extra time to show respect for the women of the community. Slowly you will build a relationship and they will approach you on their own to share their knowledge and stories with you. If you are a man, openly approaching the women of the indigenous community may be very inappropriate. Instead, acknowledge the women when you see them, with a respectful nod, and be open to communication if you are approached.

Of course, this list is not exhaustive but hopefully it begins the paint a picture of some of the ways paradigms and values that underpin indigenous cultures can change the way people act. And the basic ways you can subtly honor them when you are a guest.

To do successful business or trade, however, you need a much deeper understanding that permeates not just one traveler but your entire company culture.

Savimbo and fair-trade cultural competency

We’re still learning how to work with the indigenous groups we serve  — but ongoing learning is the point. After all, The Savimbo Project was initiated with, and for, indigenous communities to provide a viable economy for reforestation and preservation. 

Rural and indigenous communities are very good at preserving and reforesting the rainforest, it has been their home for millennia, they simply ask for fair trade for their efforts. In return, they are willing to slow climate change, preserve endangered species, and generate premium carbon credits for the global organizations that need them. This is a win-win.

Because of the enormous benefits of partnering with indigenous communities and corporations alike, our company culture has both western and indigenous values deeply embedded in it. We prioritize cultural competency from the boardroom to the Amazon basin — and especially between them!

Attempting to build a company culture with such cultural breadth isn't simple or easy but that is part of what sets Savimbo apart. The alternative would mean engaging with indigenous communities without holding their values front-and-center and a loss of the urban-rural exchange that makes carbon sequestration easy to scale and maintain.

Disregarding the cultural significance of ecologically vital land is no small part of what led our planet to the massive deforestation issue we see today. If you come to someone’s home to extract value from it and give them little in return - that is most definitely exploitation. It is the very reason so many indigenous cultures are so wary of outsiders and it is the reason that so many carbon credit projects in the Amazon have failed. 

One of our core values is trust. We believe that trust is built over time with transparent actions, and careful adherence to small, measurable commitments. 

By paying attention to our trustworthiness, instead of demanding trust, we’ve been able to build good relationships in areas where people have struggled to work together. 

Being human is hard — but making friends is universal. Taking the time to understand a new friend can open up doors in our own reality, and our own assumptions about the world, and open up new avenues for success.  

You’re always welcome to be our friend too :) 

Written by Wade Buckley, Leon Vanstone, PhD and Drea Burbank, MD. Wade is a science writer, Leon is a recovering rocket scientist, and Drea is an MD-technologist.