Did you know a tribe named Baiga believe they are the defenders of the forest and without them, the forest won't survive? Their connection with the land demonstrates how indigenous people have played an active role in conservation efforts, reminding us that protecting the environment is an ancient practice.

In the 1800s, two dudes, John Muir and Gifford Pinchot, had a big disagreement on how we should manage land.

• John Muir: Muir was all about keeping nature pristine, untouched by human hands. Picture a perfectly preserved wilderness where humans are just visitors, not residents.

• Gifford Pinchot: In contrast, Pinchot felt we could use nature's resources sustainably and fairly, benefiting everyone. Think of a forest where people harvest wood, but do it in a way that keeps the forest healthy.

Guess who won? Yep, Muir's approach. This led to the creation of national parks like Yellowstone and Yosemite, but unfortunately, it also kicked out Indigenous Peoples who had lived and cared for these lands for ages.

This isn't just a U.S. issue. Even places far away like Kaziranga (in India!) have seen Indigenous Peoples ousted from their lands. This isn't just sad, it's actually a problem for conservation. You see, land is deeply connected to Indigenous knowledges, beliefs, resources, and history. When Indigenous Peoples are displaced from their land (called "deracination"), we lose their important environmental knowledge and stewardship.