Dr Environmental protection and the religious rights of Indigenous peoples – re-examining areas of complementarity

Following Lynn White’s thesis that Western Christianity is the root cause of the ecological crisis, scholars have examined the impact of religion on environmental degradation and environmental protection. This article begins by analysing White’s argument and identifying one of the causes of the environmental crisis – distinct from White’s – namely, the gradual abandonment of religious values in Europe, starting with the ideas of Enlightenment philosophers. The article attempts to appreciate the contributions of various indigenous religions to environmental protection by discussing some environmental values embedded in some religions, especially indigenous religions. It examines some national and international legal instruments that seek to protect the right to religion as a means of protecting the environment, discusses the recent teachings of the Church on environmental protection, and gives a grounded approach to environmental protection through religion. It argues, using analytical and descriptive research methods, that since most Indigenous religions use natural entities as objects of religious worship, more attention and protection should be given to the right to religion as one of the approaches to environmental protection. Finally, the article examines the concepts of environmental personhood and the rights of nature, as well as their role in environmental conservation and preservation.