Traditional and Non-Traditional Indigenous Informal Institutions in Forest Management

Abstract

"'Indigenous' institutions are usually associated with traditional communities that have long histories, and where rule structure is believed to have developed gradually overtime. However, some communities without a long shared past, do tend to craft their own institutions indigenously by consciously evolving their rule structure on commonly acceptable norms of benefit sharing and sustainability. Such institutions can evolve in shorter time periods and among non-traditional heterogeneous communities as well. The two case studies presented here, one of a traditional and another of a non-traditional community, provide useful insight into locally relevant methods that communities adopt to revive old institutions or build new ones."