This year, October 12th was Indigenous People’s Day. This is a day that celebrates the vibrant traditions, languages, arts, and ongoing contributions of Indigenous peoples who have lived in the Americas since long before European contact.
Importantly, the Indigenous relationship with nature is built on interconnectedness, kinship, and reciprocity rather than ownership or resource extraction.1 Many traditional Indigenous values are rooted in a respect for the natural world and the belief that humans, rather than sitting atop a hierarchy of living things, are simply part of a circle in which all life has equal value. This is a worldview in which every living being is deserving of our respect and gratitude.
Instead of treating the environment as a commodity, Indigenous communities, and those that emulate their practices and daily actions, operate under a duty to care for the land, taking only what is needed and ensuring resources remain balanced for future generations. They practice Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), which refers to deep, intergenerational knowledge. TEK guides sustainable practices—such as controlled burns, seasonal calendars, agroforestry, and rotational harvesting—that maintain healthy ecosystems.2
While Indigenous peoples make up about 5% of the global population, they safeguard roughly 80% of the world’s remaining biodiversity and manage at least a quarter of global land and forest areas.3 Known as the guardians of biodiversity, they share a global commitment to the land and all its gifts—from the Maori of New Zealand to the Yoruba in Nigeria, from the Shinto practitioners in Japan to the Sámi of Scandinavia, from the Guajajara in Brazil to aboriginal tribes throughout Southeast Asia, Indigenous culture is worldwide. Regardless of specific tribal differences and nuances, their approach to nature is the same: we are all part of nature and as such, must respect and treat all living creatures accordingly.
As humans continue to deplete Mother Earth, an awareness is building. Ecologists, environmentalists and those who love and respect the planet humans inhabit, are tackling sustainability. We belong to Mother Nature, not the other way around. Humans living in this way are not “above” other creatures but simply a part of the circle of life, a circle that has no beginning and no end. All living things come from the circle and return to the circle as part of the natural cycle of life.
Nikken products are not only inspired by nature but also mimic nature. Empowered Living encourages people to live in greater harmony with nature and other living things. When you connect with nature, you connect with yourself.
2,3 https://www.earthday.org/the-wisdom-of-indigenous-cultures/