From Conservation International.

• Author: Seligmann, Peter
• Position: FROM READERS - Letter to the Editor

"A Challenge to Conservationists" (World Watch, November/December 2004) offered an interpretation of the relationship between indigenous peoples and conservationists who work to save biodiversity around the world. The article raised several important issues regarding those relationships, and we agree that those topics deserve serious attention. Over the past several years, these matters have increasingly occupied more of our time and resources, and our commitment to building long-lasting and productive relationships with indigenous communities has never been stronger.

Therefore, we were disappointed by both the content and tone of the article, which was fraught with errors and unsubstantiated assertions. Instead of shedding light on such a critical issue, we are concerned that the article drives a wedge between conservationists and indigenous people, thereby distracting attention from what really matters: protecting and maintaining biodiversity, and the basic...