Land and territory for the Good Living of indigenous peoples on the Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast

Abstract

In this essay, Land and territory for the Good Living of indigenous peoples on the Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast, the importance of land and territory in understanding and practicing Good Living is systematically presented. Good Living is built from town to town, focused on the practice of the community, having respect for the land and territory as its principle. This experience is centered on and strengthened by legal foundations ratified and recognized at the international and national levels, such as Convention 169 (1989) of the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007), and Laws 28 (1986) and 445 (2003). In the quest to recognize Good Living as a process of people's experience, several elements are identified that are intertwined under the practice, such as the experience of the environment, food (fishing, hunting), forest (economy), water (life and transportation), harmony, happiness, collectivism, among others. For all of these elements to be effective for Indigenous people, the main variable is land and territory; without them, these practices would never be developed. Therefore, if Indigenous peoples master the use and management of land and territory, it is possible to guarantee this practice of Good Living from generation to generation.