Showing papers on "Traditional knowledge published in 2007"

Southern Theory: The global dynamics of knowledge in social science

Abstract: Introduction . Acknowledgments . Part I: Northern Theory . Empire and the creation of a social science. Modern general theory and its hidden assumptions. Imagining globalisation. Part II: Looking South . The discovery of Australia. Part III: Southern Theory . Indigenous knowledge and African Renaissance. Islam and Western dominance. Dependency, autonomy and culture. Power, violence and the pain of colonialism. Part IV: Antipodean Reflections . The silence of the land. Social science on a world scale. References . Index

The value of indigenous knowledge in climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies in the African Sahel

Abstract: Past global efforts at dealing with the problem of global warming concentrated on mitigation, with the aim of reducing and possibly stabilizing greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations in the atmosphere. With the slow progress in achieving this, adaptation was viewed as a viable option to reduce the vulnerability to the anticipated negative impacts of global warming. It is increasingly realized that mitigation and adaptation should not be pursued independent of each other but as complements. This has resulted in the recent calls for the integration of adaptation into mitigation strategies. However, integrating mitigation and adaptation into climate change concerns is not a completely new idea in the African Sahel. The region is characterized by severe and frequent droughts with records dating back into centuries. The local populations in this region, through their indigenous knowledge systems, have developed and implemented extensive mitigation and adaptation strategies that have enabled them reduce their vulnerability to past climate variability and change, which exceed those predicted by models of future climate change. However, this knowledge is rarely taken into consideration in the design and implementation of modern mitigation and adaptation strategies. This paper highlights some indigenous mitigation and adaptation strategies that have been practiced in the Sahel, and the benefits of integrating indigenous knowledge into formal climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. Incorporating indigenous knowledge can add value to the development of sustainable climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies that are rich in local content, and planned in conjunction with local people.

The Cultural Interface.

Abstract: For a while now I have been researching and writing about Australian Indigenous education issues. Like you all, I have seen much good work and learnt much from what is going on across the country and internationally to improve outcomes for Indigenous learners in formal education processes. And still we go on with the struggle and with the limitations that Western sciences and practices place on us in the process. This paper draws together theoretical propositions from the work we have been progressing for the higher education sector over the past decade and to point to some foundational principles that can help establish some early beginnings with Indigenous education as a discipline in the higher education sector.

Participatory GIS : a people's GIS?

Abstract: Recent years have witnessed a burgeoning of applications of GIS which grant legitimacy to indigenous geographical knowledge as well as to `official' spatial data. By incorporating various forms of community participation these newer framings of Geographical Information Systems as `Participatory GIS' (PGIS) offer a response to the critiques of GIS which were prevalent in the 1990s. This paper reviews PGIS in the context of the `democratization of GIS'. It explores aspects of the control and ownership of geographical information, representations of local and indigenous knowledge, scale and scaling up, web-based approaches and some potential future technical and academic directions.

Indigenous knowledge and science revisited

Abstract: This article provides a guided tour through three diverse cultural ways of understanding nature: an Indigenous way (with a focus on Indigenous nations in North America), a neo-indigenous way (a concept proposed to recognize many Asian nations’ unique ways of knowing nature; in this case, Japan), and a Euro-American scientific way. An exploration of these three ways of knowing unfolds in a developmental way such that some key terms change to become more authentic terms that better represent each culture’s collective, yet heterogeneous, worldview, metaphysics, epistemology, and values. For example, the three ways of understanding nature are eventually described as Indigenous ways of living in nature, a Japanese way of knowing seigyo-shizen, and Eurocentric sciences (plural). Characteristics of a postcolonial or anti-hegemonic discourse are suggested for science education, but some inherent difficulties with this discourse are also noted.

The Six Faces of Traditional Ecological Knowledge: Challenges and Opportunities for Canadian Co-Management Arrangements

Abstract: The First Nations of Canada have been active over the past three decades in negotiating natural resources co-management arrangements that would give them greater involvement in decision- making processes that are closer to their values and worldviews. These values and worldviews are part of the traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) that First Nations possess about the land; to reach agreements to the satisfaction of First Nations, appropriate ways to involve TEK in decision-making processes must be designed. Through a review of the literature on TEK, I identified six "faces" of TEK, i.e., factual observations, management systems, past and current land uses, ethics and values, culture and identity, and cosmology, as well as the particular challenges and opportunities that each face poses to the co-management of natural resources.

Collaboration in Archaeological Practice: Engaging Descendant Communities

Abstract: Chapter 1 Foreword Chapter 2 The Collaborative Continuum Chapter 3 Navigating the Fluidity of Social Identity: Collaborative Research into Cultural Affiliation in the American Southwest Chapter 4 Unusual of "Extreme" Beliefs About the Past: Community Identity and Dealing with the Fringe Chapter 5 Things Are Not Always What They Seem: Indigenous Knowledge and Pattern Recognition in Archaeological Analysis Chapter 6 Not the End, Not the Middle, But the Beginning: Repatriation as a Transformative Mechanism for Archaeologists and Indigenous Peoples Chapter 7 Heritage Ethics and Descendant Communities Chapter 8 Collaboration Means Equality, Respect, and Reciprocity: A Conversation About Archaeology and the Hopi Tribe Chapter 9 The Ethics of Collaboration: Whose Culture? Whose Intellectual Property? Who Benefits? Chapter 10 New Africa: Understanding the Americanization of African Descent Groups Through Archaeology Chapter 11 "I Wish for Paradise": Memory and Class in Hampden, Baltimore Chapter 12 Entering the Agora: Archaeology, Conservation, and Indigenous Peoples in the Amazon Chapter 13 Collaborative Encounters

The Role of Animal-derived Remedies as Complementary Medicine in Brazil

Abstract: Although animal-derived remedies constitute an integral part of folk medicine in many parts of the world, particularly for people with limited or no access to mainstream medical services, their role in health care has generally been overlooked in discussions about public health, conservation, and management of faunistic resources and ecosystem protection. Brazil’s high biological and sociocultural diversity translates into a wealth of traditional knowledge and practices, including the use of animals for medicinal purposes. In this chapter, we report on the use of 354 medicinal animal species in Brazil, 96% of which are wild caught and 21% of which are on one or more lists of endangered species. Further population declines may limit users’ access to these bioresources and diminish the knowledge base upon which traditional medicine is built.

Collaborative Integrated Management in Canada's North: The Role of Local and Traditional Knowledge and Community-Based Monitoring

Abstract: The objective of this article is to take stock of integrated management in the Canadian North, assessing its contribution to the advancement of knowledge and practice regarding the role of indigenous knowledge and community-based monitoring. This is done in three steps. (1) The Beaufort Sea, designated a Large Ocean Management Area under Canada's Oceans Action Plan, is used as an example of a consultative planning process, with special attention to indigenous peoples. (2) How specifically can indigenous knowledge contribute to integrated management? The problem of Arctic marine food web contamination is used to illustrate the strengths and limitations of traditional ecological knowledge and its relationship to science. (3) The discussion of community-based monitoring relies on Voices From The Bay study involving the Inuit and Cree of Hudson and James Bay, and Inuit observations of climate change study in the Canadian western Arctic. The examples together address integrated coastal management and the healt...

Modernization and Medicinal Plant Knowledge in a Caribbean Horticultural Village

Abstract: Herbal medicine is the first response to illness in rural Dominica. Every adult knows several "bush" medicines, and knowledge varies from person to person. Anthropological convention suggests that modernization generally weakens traditional knowledge. We examine the effects of commercial occupation, consumerism, education, parenthood, age, and gender on the number of medicinal plants freelisted by individuals. All six predictors are associated with bush medical knowledge in bivariate analyses. Contrary to predictions, commercial occupation and consumerism are positively associated with herbal knowledge. Gender, age, occupation, and education are significant predictors in multivariate analysis. Women tend to recall more plants than do men. Education is negatively associated with plants listed; age positively associates with number of species listed. There are significant interactions among commercial occupation, education, age, and parenthood, suggesting that modernization has complex effects on knowledge of traditional medicine in Dominica.

Local Knowledge for Disaster Preparedness: A Literature Review

Abstract: It is only recently that the importance of integrating local knowledge and practices into development and conservation projects has started to receive real recognition, but the approach is still far from being mainstream. This book is one of a set of three prepared to help increase awareness and understanding, particularly among implementing organisations, of local knowledge, practices, and contexts related to disaster preparedness, so that they can be used in disaster management activities. This first book summarises the results of a cross-disciplinary literature review, and presents a framework that can be used to help understand local knowledge on disaster preparedness. It highlights the over-riding processes, including the need to understand the nature of the local knowledge, the transformation processes influencing it, the key dimensions, and the links between local knowledge, disaster preparedness, and poverty reduction. The book is an outcome of the project Living with risk sharing knowledge on disaster preparedness funded by the European Commission through their Humanitarian Aid department (DG ECHO) as part of the Disaster Preparedness ECHO programme (DIPECHO) in South Asia, and by ICIMOD.

Decolonizing methodologies and indigenous knowledge: The role of culture, place and personal experience in professional development

Abstract: This study reports findings from a 10-day professional development institute on curricular trends involving 19 secondary mathematics and science teachers and administrators from Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Korea, Philippines, the United States, and People's Republic of China. Participants explored the roles of culture, place, and personal experience in science education through writings and group discussions. Initially, Asian participants tended to view indigenous knowledge and practices more negatively than U.S. peers. After a presentation on indigenous Hawaiian practices related to place and sustainability, they evaluated indigenous practices more positively and critiqued the absence of locally relevant science and indigenous knowledge in their national curricula. They identified local issues of traffic, air, and water quality they would like to address, and developed lessons addressing prior knowledge, place, and to a lesser extent, culture. These findings suggested critical professional development employing decolonizing methodologies articulated by indigenous researchers Abbott and Smith has the potential to raise teachers' awareness of the connections among personal and place-based experiences, cultural practices and values, and teaching and learning. An implication was the development of a framework for professional development able to shift science instruction toward meaningful, culture, place, and problem- based learning relevant to environmental literacy and sustainability. 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 44: 1247-1268, 2007

Integrating scientific with indigenous knowledge: constructing knowledge alliances for land management in india

Abstract: Information systems design and development processes by their very nature involve a multiplicity of knowledge systems, including the technology itself, the methodologies for system development, and knowledge relating to the application domain. When an information system is used to advance socio-economic development in less developed countries (LDCs), there are additional sources contributing to this multiplicity. In the case of land management applications, it is important to consider the knowledge that communities have of the land they inhabit. This paper stresses the importance of constructing knowledge alliances between these multiple knowledge systems in order to support more effective IS development and implementation. The term knowledge alliance refers not merely to the material characteristics of the knowledge inscribed in technology, but also to the indigenous knowledge of the various communities involved. This includes the social setting that has shaped the practices which are responsible for the communities' production, articulation, and use of knowledge. Two key theoretical concepts, namely boundary objects and participation, are drawn upon both to understand the multiplicity of knowledge systems and to suggest possible approaches to the creation of effective knowledge alliances. The empirical setting for this analysis is a study of the use of geographical information systems for land management in India. This research is not of merely theoretical significance, but also carries important practical implications for scientists and administrators involved in the development of IS, particularly in LDCs.

Rethinking the effectiveness of public protected areas in southwestern china.

Abstract: It is internationally recognized that conservation policies should respect indigenous cultures and consider the livelihoods of people affected by conservation restrictions. Countering this are concerns that human occupation and use of natural reserves is incompatible with conservation aims. But in China today the continued use and management of natural areas by local communities is likely to deliver better conservation outcomes than the current drive to establish public protected areas. The effectiveness of many protected areas in China is compromised by institutional conflicts, lack of ongoing financial and technical support, confusion between the objectives of generating revenue and conservation, dubious scientific definitions, lack of community trust in policies, and obscure user rights and land tenures. Southwestern China-one of the most biologically and ethnologically diverse areas on Earth-is a good illustration of a place where culture and biological diversity are closely linked. The indigenous people in this area have shown that local livelihood practices can be advantageous for the long-term maintenance of conservation goals. Rather than creating new protected areas, we argue that China is better advised to support ongoing sustainable use of natural areas by the people who have lived and nurtured these environments for generations.

Indigenous rights and United Nations standards : self-determination, culture and land

Abstract: Introduction 1. Recognition of cultural membership 2. United Nations instruments on indigenous peoples 3. Emerging law: the United Nations draft declaration on indigenous peoples 4. Do indigenous peoples have the right to self-determination? 5. Indigenous cultural rights 6. Indigenous land rights Conclusions.

Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Conservation Research: Problems and Prospects for their Constructive Engagement

Abstract: In response to growing interest in accessing traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) for conservation purposes, we discuss some of the complexi­ties involved in doing TEK research Specifically, we consider the issues of power and politicisation, ethics and situated knowledge These are standard issues to be considered in any social scientific endeavour and are particularly compelling when dealing with indigenous groups or cross-cultural contexts We argue that the human context, and the researcher's ability to adequately understand and account for it, will largely determine the success or failure of TEK research To this end, we offer three broad recommendations for conser­vation researchers hoping to engage TEK Only through an informed and conscientious approach can TEK be incorporated into mainstream conserva­tion research in a manner beneficial to both conservation and TEK holders

Traditional African modes of education: their relevance in the modern world

Abstract: This article explores the characteristics, goals, modes of transmission, teaching and learning strategies of indigenous African education, in which the pursuit of excellence and quality has always been an important aim. Informal and vocational training constitute the core of indigenous education in Africa. Under this traditional system, each person in the community is practically trained and prepared for his/her role in society. It is a holistic system, in which story telling, proverbs and myths also play an important role. The author suggests the adoption of some of the elements of this system into modern-day educational practice as a strategy for improving quality.

Information Technology and Indigenous People

Abstract: Section I: Indigenous People and Information Technology: Issues and Perspectives Section II: Technology in Education Section III: Cultural Preservation and Revitalization Section IV: Applications Transforming Communities Section V: Linking Communities and Improving Access.

Keeping the local local: Recalibrating the status of science and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) in education

Abstract: The debate on the status of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) in science curricula is currently centered on a juxtaposition of two incompatible frameworks: multiculturalism and universalism. The aim of this paper is to establish a framework that overcomes this opposition between multiculturalism and universalism in science education, so that they become but one-sided expressions of an integrated unit. To be able to do so, we abandon the concept of truth. Instead, we adopt a contemporary epistemology that (a) entails both the cultural and material aspects of human, intersubjective reality; (b) concerns the usefulness of knowledge; and (c) highlights the dynamic, heterogeneous, and plural nature of products of human being and understanding. Drawing on narratives of scientists and aboriginal people explaining a comparable natural phenomenon (a salmon run), we show that both TEK and scientific knowledge, though simultaneously available, are incommensurable and irreducible to each other, as are the different processes of knowledge construction/evolution inherent to the constituting artifacts. Drawing on social studies of science, we point out that the transcendent nature of scientific knowledge implies absence of local heterogeneity, dynamic, and plurality making it useless in local contexts other than itself. We discuss the educational implications of this recalibration

Children's traditional ecological knowledge of wild food resources: a case study in a rural village in Northeast Thailand

Abstract: Consuming wild foods is part of the food ways of people in many societies, including farming populations throughout the world. Knowledge of non-domesticated food resources is part of traditional and tacit ecological knowledge, and is largely transmitted through socialization within cultural and household contexts. The context of this study, a small village in Northeast Thailand, is one where the community has experienced changes due to the migration of the parental generation, with the children being left behind in the village to be raised by their grandparents. A case study approach was used in order to gain holistic in-depth insight into children's traditional ecological knowledge as well as patterns of how children acquire their knowledge regarding wild food resources. Techniques used during field data collection are free-listing conducted with 30 village children and the use of a sub-sample of children for more in-depth research. For the sub-sample part of the study, wild food items consisted of a selection of 20 wild food species consisting of 10 species of plants and 10 species of animals. Semi-structured interviews with photo identification, informal interviews and participatory observation were utilized, and both theoretical and practical knowledge scored. The sub-sample covers eight households with boys and girls aged between 10–12 years old from both migrant families and non-migrant families. The knowledge of children was compared and the transmission process was observed. The result of our study shows that there is no observable difference among children who are being raised by grandparents and those being raised by their parents, as there are different channels of knowledge transmission to be taken into consideration, particularly grandparents and peers. The basic ability (knowledge) for naming wild food species remains among village children. However, the practical in-depth knowledge, especially about wild food plants, shows some potential eroding.

Non-Western Perspectives On Learning and Knowing

Abstract: This book introduces readers to systems of knowing and learning different from our familiar Western educational tradition. As with other areas of education, the knowledge base that has developed around adult learning and education has been firmly lodged in Western values and culture. But we need only look beyond our borders as well as to our own indigenous Native Americans to find major systems of thought and beliefs embedded in entirely different cultural values. Chapters on Native American Indigenous Knowledge, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Maori, Latin American Perspectives and African Indigenous Knowledge will acquaint readers with alternative understandings of learning, leading, it is hoped, to a more holistic understanding of adult learning.

Health for sale: the medicinal plant markets in Trujillo and Chiclayo, Northern Peru

Abstract: Traditional methods of healing have been beneficial in many countries with or without access to conventional allopathic medicine. In the United States, these traditional practices are increasingly being sought after for illnesses that cannot be easily treated by allopathic medicine. More and more people are becoming interested in the knowledge maintained by traditional healers and in the diversity of medicinal plants that flourish in areas like Northern Peru. While scientific studies of medicinal plants are underway, concern has arisen over the preservation of both the large diversity of medicinal plants and the traditional knowledge of healing methods that accompanies them. To promote further conservation work, this study attempted to document the sources of the most popular and rarest medicinal plants sold in the markets of Trujillo (Mayorista and Hermelinda) and Chiclayo (Modelo and Moshoqueque), as well as to create an inventory of the plants sold in these markets, which will serve as a basis for comparison with future inventories. Individual markets and market stalls were subjected to cluster analysis based on the diversity of the medicinal plants they carry. The results show that markets were grouped based on the presence of: (1) common exotic medicinal plants; (2) plants used by laypeople for self-medication related to common ailments ("everyday remedies"); (3) specialized medicinal plants used by curanderos or traditional healers; and (4) highly "specialized" plants used for magical purposes. The plant trade in the study areas seems to correspond well with the specific health care demands from clientele in those areas. The specific market patterns of plant diversity observed in the present study represent a foundation for comparative market research in Peru and elsewhere.

Ethnobotanical studies on useful trees and shrubs of haramosh and bugrote valleys, in gilgit northern areas of pakistan

Abstract: This paper deals with the ethnobotany of Haramosh and Bugrote valleys in Gilgit of the Northern Areas of Pakistan where 48 species of trees and shrubs are used in every day life such as for medicine, shelter, agricultural tools and fuel. These species dealt with in the paper have seventy such uses. The population of the region primarily depends upon plant resources for their domestic needs. However, some plants are cultivated for these purposes.