Customary land

Okay kiddo, let me explain to you what customary land means.

Customary land refers to land that is owned and managed by indigenous communities based on their traditional ways of living and using the land. It's like having a treehouse that you and your friends built together and nobody else can come and take it away from you without asking permission.

In many places around the world, there are people who have lived on the land for centuries, before the arrival of colonizers or governments. These people have their own laws and customs that govern how they use and manage the land. They hunt, fish, farm or gather food from the forests, rivers, lakes, and oceans that surround them.

Customary land is not owned by individuals, like a house or a car, but rather by the community as a whole. So if someone wants to use the land, they must first get permission from the community. Just like how you would ask your friends if you can use their toys before you play with them.

However, some governments or companies want to use the land for their own purposes, like building a road, a mining company or selling the land to someone else. This can cause problems because the people who live on the land might not want this to happen.

So, to protect their land, some communities have been fighting to have their customary land recognized by law. This means their land would be legally protected and the community would have more say in how it's used.

In summary, customary land is land that is owned by a community and is managed based on their traditional ways of living. It's like having a treehouse that you and your friends built together and nobody else can come and take it away from you without asking permission.