Video Testimonies of Two Contrasting UNESCO World Heritage Sites for Indigenous Peoples: The Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania and Bikin National Park in Russia
When the UNESCO World Heritage Convention was established, the idea was simple: to protect places of "outstanding universal value" for humanity. However, a stark truth is often overlooked: roughly 8% of these cultural and natural heritage sites are on the lands and territories of Indigenous Peoples. This convergence often results in conflict, with devastating consequences for those whose lands are being “protected.” Too often, World Heritage status is exploited for tourism or politics instead of for its original purpose.
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania, added to the World Heritage list in 1979 under natural criteria and again in 2010 as a cultural landscape, shows this problem clearly. In practice, the label of “universal value” has been used to justify evicting and displacing more than 100,000 Maasai. Edward, a Maasai leader and a recently appointed member of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, speaks out in a video testimony. He explains that it is a question of “business rather than conservation “, highlighting how a repressive regime uses the World Heritage status to favor its interests, at the cost of both human rights and genuine biodiversity protection.
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The issues don’t stop at inscription. They continue with how governments monitor and manage these sites, especially in how they engage with Indigenous Peoples. Nevertheless, in some rare cases, a positive model emerges. Rodion Sulyandziga, co-chair of the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on World Heritage, works to amplify Indigenous voices at UNESCO. His goal is to make the World Heritage Committee and its advisory bodies more accountable, rights-focused, and transparent.
Rodion shares an inspirational story from his community, the Udege people in Russia. Unlike the dominant narrative of abuse, criminalization, land grabbing, and forced relocation that Indigenous Peoples face, this is a compelling counter-example: Bikin National Park in Eastern Siberia. Known as the "Russian Amazon”, this park is rich in biodiversity and home to the Amur Tiger.
In contrast to most scenarios, Bikin National Park was created through a collaborative and co-management approach. With Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), the Udege people secured a system that respects their rights, supports traditional subsistence, and values their knowledge. When later inscribed as a World Heritage Site, it actually strengthened their rights as Indigenous Peoples instead of weakening them.
This shows how the World Heritage label can be a tool for empowerment, not just exploitation. However, as Rodion points out, success depends on negotiation, leadership, ownership, and ongoing cooperation.