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Showing papers on "Traditional knowledge published in 2021"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is with t'ooyaks (Nisga'a for ‘thanks’) to senior author and Mi'kmaw Elder Dr. Albert Marshall that we (the author team) have come to learn and embrace the concept of Etuaptmumk (Mi’kmaw for 'TwoEyed Seeing') and it is through his guidance that we have envisioned a new path for fisheries research and management as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: It is with t’ooyaks (Nisga’a for ‘thanks’) to senior author and Mi’kmaw Elder Dr. Albert Marshall that we (the author team) have come to learn and embrace the concept of Etuaptmumk (Mi’kmaw for ‘TwoEyed Seeing’) and it is through his guidance that we have envisioned a new path for fisheries research and management. The knowledge Albert has imparted through his work over the decades, he is adamant, is not his own to claim, for he is but a conduit for the knowledge of generations. It is thus to those generations of Mi’kmaq Received: 28 April 2020 | Revised: 23 August 2020 | Accepted: 25 August 2020 DOI: 10.1111/faf.12516

200 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a systematic review and narrative synthesis of 169 publications investigating how different forms of governance influence conservation outcomes, paying particular attention to the role played by Indigenous peoples and local communities.
Abstract: Debate about what proportion of the Earth to protect often overshadows the question of how nature should be conserved and by whom. We present a systematic review and narrative synthesis of 169 publications investigating how different forms of governance influence conservation outcomes, paying particular attention to the role played by Indigenous peoples and local communities. We find a stark contrast between the outcomes produced by externally controlled conservation, and those produced by locally controlled efforts. Crucially, most studies presenting positive outcomes for both well-being and conservation come from cases where Indigenous peoples and local communities play a central role, such as when they have substantial influence over decision making or when local institutions regulating tenure form a recognized part of governance. In contrast, when interventions are controlled by external organizations and involve strategies to change local practices and supersede customary institutions, they tend to result in relatively ineffective conservation at the same time as producing negative social outcomes. Our findings suggest that equitable conservation, which empowers and supports the environmental stewardship of Indigenous peoples and local communities represents the primary pathway to effective long-term conservation of biodiversity, particularly when upheld in wider law and policy. Whether for protected areas in biodiversity hotspots or restoration of highly modified ecosystems, whether involving highly traditional or diverse and dynamic local communities, conservation can become more effective through an increased focus on governance type and quality, and fostering solutions that reinforce the role, capacity, and rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities. We detail how to enact progressive governance transitions through recommendations for conservation policy, with immediate relevance for how to achieve the next decade’s conservation targets under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

92 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Watson et al. as mentioned in this paper argue that wilderness is an inappropriate and dehumanizing construct, and that Indigenous and community conservation areas must be legally recognized and supported to enable socially just, empowering, and sustainable conservation across scale.
Abstract: The environmental crises currently gripping the Earth have been codified in a new proposed geological epoch: the Anthropocene. This epoch, according to the Anthropocene Working Group, began in the mid-20th century and reflects the "great acceleration" that began with industrialization in Europe [J. Zalasiewicz et al., Anthropocene 19, 55-60 (2017)]. Ironically, European ideals of protecting a pristine "wilderness," free from the damaging role of humans, is still often heralded as the antidote to this human-induced crisis [J. E. M. Watson et al., Nature, 563, 27-30 (2018)]. Despite decades of critical engagement by Indigenous and non-Indigenous observers, large international nongovernmental organizations, philanthropists, global institutions, and nation-states continue to uphold the notion of pristine landscapes as wilderness in conservation ideals and practices. In doing so, dominant global conservation policy and public perceptions still fail to recognize that Indigenous and local peoples have long valued, used, and shaped "high-value" biodiverse landscapes. Moreover, the exclusion of people from many of these places under the guise of wilderness protection has degraded their ecological condition and is hastening the demise of a number of highly valued systems. Rather than denying Indigenous and local peoples' agency, access rights, and knowledge in conserving their territories, we draw upon a series of case studies to argue that wilderness is an inappropriate and dehumanizing construct, and that Indigenous and community conservation areas must be legally recognized and supported to enable socially just, empowering, and sustainable conservation across scale.

73 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is suggested that revitalizing traditional systems of salmon management can improve prospects for sustainable fisheries and healthy fishing communities and identify opportunities for their resurgence.
Abstract: Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) are at the center of social-ecological systems that have supported Indigenous peoples around the North Pacific Rim since time immemorial. Through generations of interdependence with salmon, Indigenous Peoples developed sophisticated systems of management involving cultural and spiritual beliefs, and stewardship practices. Colonization radically altered these social-ecological systems, disrupting Indigenous management, consolidating authority within colonial governments, and moving most harvest into mixed-stock fisheries. We review Indigenous management of salmon, including selective fishing technologies, harvest practices, and governance grounded in multigenerational place-based knowledge. These systems and practices showcase pathways for sustained productivity and resilience in contemporary salmon fisheries. Contrasting Indigenous systems with contemporary management, we document vulnerabilities of colonial governance and harvest management that have contributed to declining salmon fisheries in many locations. We suggest that revitalizing traditional systems of salmon management can improve prospects for sustainable fisheries and healthy fishing communities and identify opportunities for their resurgence.

70 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The findings suggest that for the subjects in this study, the onset of wind power represents the renewal of historical processes of dispossession through accumulation and colonialism, enabled by harmful knowledge gaps in Norwegian society and institutions, contrasting Southern Saami's values of responsibility and ecological practices.
Abstract: This paper explores social representations of wind energy development within reindeer herding lands among the Indigenous Southern Saami living within Norwegian borders. For this matter, the paper combines Social Representations Theory (SRT) with the analytical framework of "circuits of dispossession and privilege" and decolonial approaches within community psychology. Data consisted of seven individual semi-structured open-ended interviews, three collective interviews, and observation in three lawsuits, public meetings, protest actions, and reindeer herding activities. The findings suggest that for the subjects in this study, the onset of wind power represents the renewal of historical processes of dispossession through accumulation and colonialism, enabled by harmful knowledge gaps in Norwegian society and institutions, contrasting Southern Saami's values of responsibility and ecological practices. The implication of these findings suggests an urgent need of rethinking renewable energy and including indigenous knowledge in climate change agendas.

41 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is concluded that intercultural approaches that draw on multiple knowledges and information types can be beneficial for species distribution modelling, and for gaining understanding to manage threatened or culturally significant species.
Abstract: Indigenous knowledge systems hold detailed information on current and past environments that can inform ecological understanding as well as contemporary environmental management. Despite its applicability, there are limited examples of indigenous knowledge being incorporated in species distribution models, which are widely used in the ecological sciences. In a collaborative manner, we designed a structured elicitation process and statistical framework to combine indigenous knowledge with survey data to model the distribution of a threatened and culturally significant species (greater bilby or mankarr [Macrotis lagotis]). We used Martu (Aboriginal people of the Australian western deserts) occurrence knowledge and presence data from track-based surveys to create predictive species distribution models with the Maxent program. Predictions of species distribution based on Martu knowledge were broader than those created with survey data. Together the Martu and survey models showed potential local declines, which were supported by Martu observation. Both data types were influenced by sampling bias that appeared to affect model predictions and performance. Martu provided additional information on habitat associations and locations of decline and descriptions of the ecosystem dynamics and disturbance regimes that influence occupancy. We concluded that intercultural approaches that draw on multiple sources of knowledge and information types may improve species distribution modeling and inform management of threatened or culturally significant species.

32 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
01 Sep 2021
TL;DR: In this article, a worldwide review of the knowledge, biodiversity, novel approaches, future challenges and perspectives in the post-COVID era of Ectomycorrhizal fungi has been provided.
Abstract: Edible mycorrhizal fungi (EMF) have been consumed since ancestral times by humans either as food, medicine or for ceremonial use Nowadays, they are a non‐timber forest product and a diverse genetic resource with great ecological, sociocultural, economic, medicinal and biotechnological relevance around the world Therefore, they have a paramount role to play in meeting the United Nations global sustainable development goals 2030 EMF may promote forest sustainability, biodiversity conservation, mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions through the maintenance of forest masses, human nutrition and health, economic development, conservation of biocultural heritages, women empowerment and hunger mitigation We provide a worldwide review of the knowledge, biodiversity, novel approaches, future challenges and perspectives in the post‐COVID era of this important genetic resource whose relevance has usually received marginal attention despite its strategic global significance Ectomycorrhizal fungi play a key role in the structure and functioning of forest ecosystems They have a paramount importance in nutrient cycling, plant protection against pathogens and abiotic stress, and establishment of underground networks that connect trees and other plants in nature, therefore being the wood wide web, the ‘internet’ of the forests According to our literature review, globally 970 mycorrhizal fungal species (including both mushrooms and truffles) are edible, and they have enormous relevance either as a source of subsistence in low‐income human groups around the world or as an important economic component whose international commerce is worth billions of American dollars annually Since edible mycorrhizal fungi (EMF) are a non‐timber forest product, their sustainable use and management is crucial in order to maintain forest stands and to provide well‐being to the human communities surrounding the forested areas where they grow In different parts of the world, different cultures have developed a traditional knowledge of EMF over millennia Their knowledge might play an important role in food supply and food security in the future, hence contributing towards the “zero hunger” global goal The biotechnological development of EMF has also been crucial in the establishment of plantations, or successful reforestation and ecosystem restoration, which contribute to climate change mitigation by reducing greenhouse gas emissions Here, a worldwide review of how EMF might contribute to forest sustainability, food supply, biocultural conservation, and hunger and climate change mitigation is addressed by analysing the similarities, contrasts and challenges in all five continents [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Plants, People, Planet is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use This abstract may be abridged No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract (Copyright applies to all Abstracts )

31 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
01 Sep 2021
TL;DR: The authors argue that to adequately address the potential for Indigenous fire management to inform policy and practice in managing Southeast Australian forest landscapes, scientific approaches must shift from post-hoc engagement with Indigenous people and perspectives to one of collaboration between Indigenous communities and scientists.
Abstract: The catastrophic 2019/2020 Black Summer bushfires were the worst fire season in the recorded history of Southeast Australia. These bushfires were one of several recent global conflagrations across landscapes that are homelands of Indigenous peoples, homelands that were invaded and colonised by European nations over recent centuries. The subsequent suppression and cessation of Indigenous landscape management has had profound social and environmental impacts. The Black Summer bushfires have brought Indigenous cultural burning practices to the forefront as a potential management tool for mitigating climate-driven catastrophic bushfires in Australia. Here, we highlight new research that clearly demonstrates that Indigenous fire management in Southeast Australia produced radically different landscapes and fire regimes than what is presently considered “natural”. We highlight some barriers to the return of Indigenous fire management to Southeast Australian landscapes. We argue that to adequately address the potential for Indigenous fire management to inform policy and practice in managing Southeast Australian forest landscapes, scientific approaches must be decolonized and shift from post-hoc engagement with Indigenous people and perspectives to one of collaboration between Indigenous communities and scientists.

31 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors analyse the constraints and motivations for development in the sector of traditional foods, from the point of view of marketing and consumer trends, and show that traditional knowledge assumes important social and economic value, which is relevant both for sectorial clusters as well as for majority social groups.
Abstract: Background Intangible cultural heritage includes knowledge and skills transmitted throughout times, and this also applies to the food sector. Traditional knowledge assumes important social and economic value, which is relevant both for sectorial clusters as well as for majority social groups. Scope and approach The objective of this review was to analyse the constraints and motivations for development in the sector of traditional foods, from the point of view of marketing and consumer trends. This review was based on published works searched for in scientific databases, such as ScienceDirect, PubMed, Scopus and web of Science. Key findings and conclusions This review showed that the value of tradition, recognized in many sectors of society, is also important in the food sector, which is particularly rich in ethnical elements, local ingredients, traditional formulations and social aspects, linked not only to the food itself but also to the act of eating and sharing. However, the food industry seeks development of new products that follow modern trends and are able to conquer today's consumers, while at the same time maintaining the identity of specific products, valued as traditional.

31 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors acknowledge that traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) is vital for better understanding and conservation of biodiversity; for example, for a more complex socio-ecological understanding of long-term processes, ecosystem resilience, the impacts of traditional management practices, and the worldviews underpinning these practices.
Abstract: Ecologists and conservationists increasingly acknowledge that traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) is vital for a better understanding and conservation of biodiversity; for example, for a more complex socioecological understanding of long-term processes, ecosystem resilience, the impacts of traditional management practices, and the worldviews underpinning these practices. To gain a deeper understanding of the ecological dimensions of TEK, ecologists and conservation biologists should conduct participatory long-term collaborative research on TEK. To conduct TEK research properly, however, ecologists need to familiarize themselves more deeply with the methodologies of social sciences, further develop their links with social scientists, and adopt new approaches, such as strengthening respect towards other knowledge systems and being inclusive in research and open to new types of validation.

31 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, an in-depth systematic review of literature from the frontlines of the Pacific Islands to ascertain the complexities of non-economic loss and damage from climate change is conducted.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors discuss key relationships involved in Indigenous research, including with participants, country, Ancestors, data, and country knowledge, and discuss the relationship between country, ancestor, and data.
Abstract: In this article, we open up Yarning as a fundamentally relational methodology. We discuss key relationships involved in Indigenous research, including with participants, Country, Ancestors, data, h...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a literature review of recent English language publications on risk perception in connection to climate change and related natural hazards in mountain regions worldwide is presented, which identifies several gaps in research and knowledge which may influence the design of climate risk management strategies as well as on their successful implementation.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors take a critical stance on programmatic interventions for community resilience and social learning, arguing that local knowledge, beliefs, practices, and social memory are crucial elements in social learning processes for building community resilience.
Abstract: Despite wide recognition of the role of social learning in building community resilience, few studies have thus far analyzed how the power–knowledge–institution matrix shapes social learning processes that in turn foster resilience outcomes. Drawing insights from the biopolitical lens of resilience, we take a critical stance on programmatic interventions for community resilience and social learning, arguing that local knowledge, beliefs, practices, and social memory (SM) are crucial elements in social learning processes for building community resilience to shocks and stresses. In addition, we explore how technologies shape social learning processes and build or strengthen community resilience. Our research, conducted in cyclone-prone coastal zones of Bangladesh, adopts a transformative interpretive framework (TIF) and a community-based participatory approach to empirical investigation. Findings of our research provide evidence that formal institutions frequently exclude indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) from social learning processes, and often subjugate communities to notions of resilience, as defined by nonlocals, that perceive people as subjects of institutional power and objects of scientific knowledge, rather than as active agents. We further found that local communities are able to obtain early warnings of cyclones through ILK of environmental phenomena, such as changing water temperature and animal behavior. Despite an abundance of ILK regarding past cyclones, the 2007 Cyclone Sidr was a surprising event to many and caused considerable loss of life and property. Much of this unpreparedness stemmed from an overall SM deficit—a key to translating knowledge into action. We recommend strengthening efforts to bridge scientific–technical knowledge and ILK to ensure effective social-learning-led resilience outcomes are achieved.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors focus on the uses and contributions of WFPs in the traditional tribal food system of the Hindu Kush valleys along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
Abstract: The tribal belt of the Hindu Kush mountains is famous for its unique culture, ethnography, wild food plants, food systems, and traditional knowledge. People in this region gather wild plants and plant parts using them directly or in traditional cuisine, or sell them in local markets. However, there is a huge lack of documentation of the food system, particularly that related to wild food plants (WFP). In the current study, we focus on the uses and contributions of WFPs in the traditional tribal food system of the Hindu Kush valleys along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border. Ethnobotanical data were gathered through questionnaire surveys of 84 informants, including 69 men and 15 women, belonging to 21 different villages of the chosen area. In tribal societies men and women rarely mix and thus very few women took part in the surveys. We documented 63 WFP species belonging to 34 botanical families, of which 27 were used as vegetables, 24 as fruits, six in different kinds of chutneys (starters), and six as fresh food species. Fruits were the most used part (41%), followed by leaves (24%), aerial parts (24%), seeds (7%), stems (3%), and young inflorescences (1%). The reported uses of Carthamus oxyacantha, Pinus roxburghii seeds, and Marsilea quadrifolia leaves are novel for the gastronomy of Pakistan. The results reveal that WFPs provide a significant contribution to local food systems and play a role in addressing human nutritional needs, which are usually not met through farming practices. The tribal peoples of the Hindu Kush use WFPs for their nutritional value, but also as a cultural practice—an inseparable component of the tribal community’s lifestyle. This important traditional knowledge about the gathering and consumption of WFPs, however, is eroding at an alarming rate among younger generations due to the introduction of fast-food, modernization, and globalization. Therefore, appropriate strategies are imperative not only to safeguard traditional plants and food knowledge and practices, as well as the cultural heritage attached to them, but also to foster food security and thus public healthcare via local wild foods in the region.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors synthesize literature regarding objectives and effects of cultural burning in this region within an ecosystem services framework, and evaluate the effects of burning on understory plant diversity, wildlife, fruit production, parasites, and other key aspects of resource quality.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a mixed-method approach with an integral theoretical lens was applied to understand farmers' perceptions of climate change in comparison with published meteorological data in northern Ghana and found that respondents perceive increased temperatures, decreased rainfall, seasonal changes and extreme climate events, but those perceptions are spatially differentiated.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper found that over 75% of all 12,495 medicinal plant services are linguistically unique (i.e., only known to one language) and that language loss will be even more critical to the extinction of medicinal knowledge than biodiversity loss.
Abstract: Over 30% of the 7,400 languages in the world will no longer be spoken by the end of the century. So far, however, our understanding of whether language extinction may result in the loss of linguistically unique knowledge remains limited. Here, we ask to what degree indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants is associated with individual languages and quantify how much indigenous knowledge may vanish as languages and plants go extinct. Focusing on three regions that have a high biocultural diversity, we show that over 75% of all 12,495 medicinal plant services are linguistically unique-i.e., only known to one language. Whereas most plant species associated with linguistically unique knowledge are not threatened, most languages that report linguistically unique knowledge are. Our finding of high uniqueness in indigenous knowledge and strong coupling with threatened languages suggests that language loss will be even more critical to the extinction of medicinal knowledge than biodiversity loss.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors discuss the international experience with Indigenous resilience; to review Indigenous knowledge for adaptation to disasters; and to generate a conversation among scholars, Indigenous peoples, and policy-makers to move the agenda forward.
Abstract: This paper is the Introduction to a Special Issue which is a follow-up to a conference in Taipei to explore the interrelated themes of climate change and Indigenous knowledge-based responses, and Indigenous community resilience with specific reference to Typhoon Morakot. The goals of this Special Issue are to discuss the international experience with Indigenous resilience; to review Indigenous knowledge for adaptation to disasters; and to generate a conversation among scholars, Indigenous peoples, and policy-makers to move the agenda forward. Rapid global environmental change requires creative responses to maintain policy options and flexibility in making decisions—the resilience approach. When combined with iterative learning-by-doing, this approach generates adaptive governance. Resilience can be built based on Indigenous and local knowledge. We focus on Indigenous resilience: the ways in which cultural factors such as knowledge and learning, along with the broader political ecology, determine how local and Indigenous people understand, deal with, and adapt to environmental change.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The Future Seas 2030 workshop as discussed by the authors discussed the consequences of climate change, the biggest barriers for their communities, and barriers for using traditional knowledge in order to contribute towards a more sustainable future that in the end will benefit all of earth's people.
Abstract: Coastal Indigenous and Traditional communities are starting to see changes to their lives from climate change, whether this is from species range changes or displacement from land changes. For many of these communities, the ability to adequately adapt to these changes is limited by the governance structures they are required to live within, which differ from their customary practices and culture. In November 2019, a group of Indigenous and Traditional Peoples, attended the Future Seas 2030 workshop and discussed the consequences of climate change, the biggest barriers for their communities, and barriers for using traditional knowledge in order to contribute towards a more sustainable future that in the end will benefit all of earth’s people. The aim of this workshop was to highlight and give a voice to the various backgrounds and real-life situations impacting on some of the world’s Indigenous and Traditional communities whose connection with the oceans and coasts have been disrupted. This paper presents these issues of oppression, colonisation, language and agency, making it difficult for these groups to contribute to the current management of oceans and coasts, and asks scientists and practitioners in this space to be allies and enable the needed shift to earth’s guardians taking a leading role in nurturing her for our future.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The Biocultural Labels Initiative (BLI) is a tool that allows researchers and institutions to define their own definitions and aspirations for access and benefit sharing alongside the author's "statement".
Abstract: A recent Molecular Ecology editorial made a proactive statement of support for the "Nagoya Protocol" and the principle of benefit-sharing by requiring authors to provide a "Data Accessibility and Benefit-Sharing Statement" in their articles. Here, we encourage another step that enables Indigenous communities to provide their own definitions and aspirations for access and benefit-sharing alongside the author's "Statement". We invite the Molecular Ecology research community to use Biocultural-, Traditional Knowledge-, and Cultural Institution Notices to help Indigenous communities gain visibility within our research structures. Notices are one of the tools offered by the Biocultural Labels Initiative (part of the Local Contexts system) designed specifically for researchers and institutions. The Notices are highly visible, machine-readable icons that signal the Indigenous provenance of genetic resources, and rights of Indigenous communities to define the future use of genetic resources and derived benefits. The Notices invite collaboration with Indigenous communities and create spaces within our research systems for them to define the provenance, protocols, and permissions associated with genetic resources using Labels. Authors contributing to Molecular Ecology can apply Notices to their articles by providing the persistent unique identifier and an optional use-statement associated with the Notice in their "Data Accessibility and Benefit-Sharing Statement". In this way, our research community has an opportunity to accelerate support for the principles of the Nagoya Protocol, to alleviate concerns regarding Indigenous Data Sovereignty and equitable outcomes, and to build better relationships with Indigenous collaborators to enhance research, biodiversity, and conservation outcomes.


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that deep listening with Indigenous peoples and engagement with humility and respect needs to be the starting point for restoring degraded ecosystems, and propose an Indigenous-led workshop to re-imagine and re-develop equitable ways forward for TEK partnerships in restoration, with explicit considerations for the rights, livelihoods, and leadership of Indigenous peoples.
Abstract: The United Nations heralded 2021–2030 as the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. A socioecological approach to restoration has been proposed that honors the diversity in ecological landscapes and their respective cultures and peoples with the goal of repairing degraded ecosystems. Indigenous peoples are intimately interconnected with landscapes, which are under mounting pressure from anthropogenic global environmental change. Article 31 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states the rights of Indigenous peoples to maintain, protect, and control their culture and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK); however, these rights have not always been acknowledged. We are concerned that large global restoration goals will continue to promote TEK extraction that further perpetuates inequities and discrimination of Indigenous peoples. If the restoration sector wishes to partner with Indigenous communities leading TEK efforts, it needs to understand established international agreements and proactively protect intellectual property and data sovereignty rights. To illustrate a theme of ethical engagement, we present risks to TEK integrity while highlighting engagement that has successfully promoted Indigenous leadership and self‐determination. We propose that a decade of responsible and respectful restoration will be achieved only with shared principles and an ethical code of conduct for TEK partnerships. We argue that deep listening with Indigenous peoples and engagement with humility and respect needs to be the starting point. Finally, we propose an Indigenous‐led workshop to re‐imagine and re‐develop equitable ways forward for TEK partnerships in restoration, with explicit considerations for the rights, livelihoods, and leadership of Indigenous peoples.



Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The emergence of Indigenous language revitalization seeks to address historical domination over Indigenous peoples and to recover the loss of ancestral languages as embedded in Indigenous knowledge as discussed by the authors, which is the goal of our work.
Abstract: The emergence of Indigenous language revitalization seeks to address historical domination over Indigenous peoples and to recover the loss of ancestral languages as embedded in Indigenous knowledge...

Journal ArticleDOI
15 Jan 2021-Forests
TL;DR: In this paper, the significance of wood products to rural communities and Indigenous cultures with implications for natural heritage sustainability is qualitatively assessed. But support for these sustained cultural practices is complicated by environmental and political factors.
Abstract: Ongoing revitalization of the >5000-year-old tradition of using trees for vital culture and heritage activities including carving and weaving affirms Alaska Native resilience. However, support for these sustained cultural practices is complicated by environmental and political factors. Carving projects typically require western redcedar (Thuja plicata) or yellow cedar (Callitropsis nootkatensis) trees more than 450 years of age—a tree life stage and growth rate inconsistent with current even-aged forest management strategies. Herein, we qualitatively assess the significance of wood products to rural communities and Indigenous cultures with implications for natural heritage sustainability. In partnership with Alaska Native Tribes, we engaged local youth programs to lead community discussions throughout southeast Alaska to provide specificity to the suite of cultural activities linked to regional forest lands. Results from 58 discussions across 11 southeast Alaska communities (primarily Alaska Native participants) highlighted the cultural importance of forest products including totem poles, dugout canoes, longhouses, woven hats, and woven baskets. Findings indicated spiritual well-being, health, education, tourism, and livelihood significance attributed to these products. Participant-suggested management strategies for increasing supply and expanding access to trees on public lands included: engaging local artisans in forest planning, selecting and delivering specific trees to roads as part of ongoing timber sales, allowing bark removal prior to forest-timber sales, simplifying the tree-acquisition permit process, and setting aside cultural forest groves to sustain trees seven generations into the future. By facilitating discussions, this study fostered relevant place-based youth and community engagement, benefiting youth and enhancing community knowledge transfer while simultaneously summarizing the significance of forest products for resilient culture and heritage activities. Forest management plans aiming to support Alaska Native lifeways may benefit from improved understanding of Indigenous perspectives and worldviews; designation of “culture market values” and “culture targets” can help deliver a broad array of ecosystem services.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors empirically examined indigenous flood control and management knowledge with the intent to identify its effectiveness in risk reduction of flood disasters in Nigeria's coastal communities and proposed a sustainable approach to risk reduction in flood disasters based on the integration of indigenous knowledge systems and modern flood management strategies.
Abstract: Flooding is one of the major global challenges today. The role of indigenous knowledge in offering an effective risk reduction strategy towards flood disaster disregarded for many decades is now gaining global recognition. There is a growing call for empirical identification of the effectiveness of indigenous knowledge in flood risk reduction. Consequently, this paper empirically examines indigenous flood control and management knowledge with the intent to identify its effectiveness in risk reduction of flood disasters in Nigeria's coastal communities. This is to provide empirical bases for the formulation of appropriate strategies for enhancing flood risk reduction in Nigeria's coastal communities. The research engaged focus group discussion and questionnaire methods to generate primary data. The research proceeds with principal component analysis to classify and measure the effectiveness of indigenous flood control and management knowledge in flood risk reduction. The result shows the existence of eight types of indigenous flood control and management knowledge in the coastal communities and they were 61.2% effective in flood risk reduction. This implies that indigenous flood control and management knowledge practiced in Nigeria's coastal communities is effective in flood risk reduction. This study proposed a sustainable approach to risk reduction in flood disasters based on the integration of indigenous knowledge systems and modern flood management strategies.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This article analyzed the scientific literature and technical reports of international bodies such as the United Nations and Food and Agriculture Organization relating to traditional ethnobotanical knowledge (TEK) to determine the role of traditional knowledge in the realization of selected goals and targets.
Abstract: The sustainable development goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 goals with 169 targets. The Agenda 2030 of the United Nations envisages a holistic approach to achieve these goals by focusing on humankind and the planet. In this review, we analyzed the scientific literature and technical reports of international bodies such as the United Nations and Food and Agriculture Organization relating to traditional ethnobotanical knowledge (TEK). The literature on TEK was mapped with the targets of the SDGs to determine the role of traditional knowledge in the realization of selected goals and targets. Our extensive and systematic reviewing of available literatures suggests that, of the 17 goals, at least seven goals are associated with TEK. To achieve these seven goals, a thorough understanding is required to disentangle the intricacies involving TEK, indigenous people holding TEK, and their future role in achieving the SDGs. Our review points towards the role of TEK in achieving goals linked to poverty, health and wellbeing, responsible consumption and production, climate action, life on land, and partnerships. In summary, we argue that achieving the intended outcomes of the SDGs and the targets requires concerted efforts of all relevant stakeholders, including indigenous communities, common citizens, scientists, policy makers, and world leaders.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors highlight connections between knowing and acting on disasters, as manifested in house construction, and how this resonates with the concept of resilience and how it needs to be translated into new actions.
Abstract: In the context of earthquake risk, a vulnerability and resilience perspective has changed a purely technological orientation in facing natural hazards. One aspect of this change is the increasing awareness to include indigenous, traditional knowledge, community-based action, and local practices as well as experience from historic events in earthquake hazard management. Various research has shown that indigenous knowledge has an important role in avoiding undesired impacts from hazards. The involvement of indigenous knowledge into hazard management has been accepted as a fruitful approach by many countries. In Indonesia, the indigenous response to natural hazards, especially towards earthquakes, is to adapt the house constructions according to the hazards from their surrounding living environment and these have been tested and proven for many centuries. But while such indigenous knowledge has existed for centuries, learning requires more than just remembering, it needs to be translated into new actions. This paper highlights connections between knowing and acting on disasters, as manifested in house construction, and how this resonates with the concept of resilience.