When it comes to environmental conservation and sustainable development initiatives in tropical forests, indigenous peoples are key players, often described as either conservationists or destroyers of biodiversity. Such interpretations usually guide the design and implementation of conservation strategies. The central question about what makes indigenous peoples conserve or degrade biodiversity, however, has remained as a challenge, particularly in light of widespread trends such as cultural change, market expansion, and greater diversification of livelihoods. The reasons why indigenous communities end up degrading or conserving natural resources are addressed in an accessible manner in this book, filling a critical gap in knowledge about the socioeconomic drivers of biodiversity loss and the rise of community-based conservation, using the hunting trends and conservation efforts of the Wachiperi for this analysis. Readers could benefit from its findings on achieving both socioeconomic development and biodiversity conservation by engaging indigenous communities in a sustainable manner.