scholarly journals Differential loss of components of traditional ecological knowledge following a primate extinction event

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 172352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel T. Turvey ◽  
Jessica V. Bryant ◽  
Katherine A. McClune
Keyword(s):  
Traditional Ecological Knowledge ◽  
Hainan Island ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Ecosystem Change ◽  
Ecological Knowledge ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Social Ecological Systems ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
History Information ◽  
Species Specific

Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), an important component of the modern conservation toolkit, is being eroded in indigenous communities around the world. However, the dynamics of TEK loss in response to ecosystem change and disruption to social–ecological systems, and patterns of variation in vulnerability and resilience of different components of TEK, remain poorly understood. The Hainan gibbon (Nomascus hainanus), a culturally significant primate, was formerly distributed across Hainan Island, China, but became extinct across most of this range within living memory and is now restricted to a single landscape, Bawangling National Nature Reserve. Gibbon-specific TEK (including folktales, natural history information and methods of gibbon exploitation) is still present in indigenous communities across seven Hainanese landscapes, but statistically significant differences in TEK content exist between landscapes with different histories of gibbon persistence: respondents from Bawangling and most landscapes that have recently lost gibbons report more gibbon-related folktales compared with landscapes from which gibbons have been absent for several decades. Species-specific folktales might have been lost more rapidly compared with other components of TEK because older community members are typically the ‘cultural repositories’ of stories, whereas knowledge about practical interactions with biodiversity might be shared more widely with younger community members.

scholarly journals Culturally Driven Monitoring: The Importance of Traditional Ecological Knowledge Indicators in Understanding Aquatic Ecosystem Change in the Northwest Territories’ Dehcho Region

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (19) ◽  
pp. 7923
Author(s):  
Sydney Stenekes ◽  
Brenda Parlee ◽  
Cristiana Seixas
Keyword(s):  
Northwest Territories ◽  
Traditional Ecological Knowledge ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystems ◽  
Ecosystem Change ◽  
Ecological Knowledge ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Hydroelectric Development ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Quality Water

There is growing concern about the sustainability of freshwater ecosystems in northern Canada that are under significant stress from climate change, resource development, and hydroelectric development, among others. Community-based monitoring (CBM) based on traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) has the potential to contribute to understanding impacts on the environment and community livelihoods. This paper shares insights about culturally driven monitoring, through collaborative research with Kátł’odeeche First Nation (KFN) in the Northwest Territories. This research was initiated in 2018 to improve understanding of the changes occurring in the Hay River and Buffalo River sub-basins, which extend primarily across the Alberta and Northwest Territories borders. Drawing on 15 semi-structured interviews conducted with KFN elders, fish harvesters, and youth, this paper illustrates the kinds of social–ecological indicators used by KFN to track changes in the health of aquatic systems as well as the fishing livelihoods of local people. Utilizing indicators, fishers observe declines in fish health, water quality, water quantity, and ice thickness in their lifetime. Community members perceive these changes to be a result of the cumulative effects of environmental stressors. The indicators as well as trends and patterns being observed and experienced can contribute to both social learning in the community as well as the governance of the larger Mackenzie River Basin.

scholarly journals Facilitating Sustainable Disaster Risk Reduction in Indigenous Communities: Reviving Indigenous Worldviews, Knowledge and Practices through Two-Way Partnering

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 855
Author(s):  
Tahir Ali ◽  
Petra Topaz Buergelt ◽  
Douglas Paton ◽  
James Arnold Smith ◽  
Elaine Lawurrpa Maypilama ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Grounded Theory ◽  
Risk Reduction ◽  
Indigenous People ◽  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Disaster Risk Reduction ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Disaster Risk ◽  
Indigenous Research ◽  
Ecological Knowledge ◽  
Community Members

The Sendai Framework of Action 2015–2030 calls for holistic Indigenous disaster risk reduction (DRR) research. Responding to this call, we synergized a holistic philosophical framework (comprising ecological systems theory, symbolic interactionism, and intersectionality) and social constructionist grounded theory and ethnography within a critical Indigenous research paradigm as a methodology for exploring how diverse individual and contextual factors influence DRR in a remote Indigenous community called Galiwinku, in the Northern Territory of Australia. Working together, Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers collected stories in local languages using conversations and yarning circles with 20 community members, as well as participant observations. The stories were interpreted and analysed using social constructivist grounded theory analysis techniques. The findings were dialogued with over 50 community members. The findings deeply resonated with the community members, validating the trustworthiness and relevance of the findings. The grounded theory that emerged identified two themes. First, local Indigenous knowledge and practices strengthen Indigenous people and reduce the risks posed by natural hazards. More specifically, deep reciprocal relationships with country and ecological knowledge, strong kinship relations, Elder’s wisdom and authority, women and men sharing power, and faith in a supreme power/God and Indigenous-led community organizations enable DRR. Second, colonizing practices weaken Indigenous people and increase the risks from natural hazards. Therefore, colonization, the imposition of Western culture, the government application of top-down approaches, infiltration in Indigenous governance systems, the use of fly-in/fly-out workers, scarcity of employment, restrictions on technical and higher education opportunities, and overcrowded housing that is culturally and climatically unsuitable undermine the DRR capability. Based on the findings, we propose a Community-Based DRR theory which proposes that facilitating sustainable Indigenous DRR in Australian Indigenous communities requires Indigenous and non-Indigenous partners to genuinely work together in two-directional and complementary ways.

scholarly journals The persistence of conflict avoidance among the King Island Inupiat

2009 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deanna Paniataaq Kingston
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Traditional Ecological Knowledge ◽  
Cultural Geography ◽  
Ethnic Background ◽  
Principal Investigator ◽  
Conflict Avoidance ◽  
Ecological Knowledge ◽  
Place Names ◽  
Community Members ◽  
The North

Abstract During the summers of 2005 and 2006, a group of Ugiuvangmiut (King Island Inupiat) and western scientists participated in a project entitled “Documenting the Cultural Geography, Biogeography, and Traditional Ecological Knowledge of King Island, Alaska.” The intent was to bring Ugiuvangmiut to King Island in order to document and map place names, as well as archaeological and subsistence sites. Throughout fieldwork, conflicts occurred between scientists, between community members, and between scientists and community members. As the principal investigator, I confronted one conflict in 2005, but my actions exacerbated long-standing tensions within the community and I was later advised by two community members that I should not have confronted the conflict. When conflict occurred again in 2006, instead of confronting the conflict, I chose to take a break from the project for several days. The result was that the overt conflict within the community lessened. Based upon these experiences and other examples, I conclude that conflict avoidance still persists among the Ugiuvangmiut. In addition, I “write against culture” (to borrow Abu-Lughod’s phrase) to explain how my mixed ethnic background and the backgrounds of two community members resulted in actions that run counter to conflict avoidance, showing that there are “multiple, shifting, and competing” cultural values at play. I end with suggestions for scientists conducting fieldwork in the North.

scholarly journals Using Traditional Methods for Collaborative Fieldwork in a Uranium Food Chain Study on Diné Lands in the US Southwest

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 6886
Author(s):  
Christine Samuel-Nakamura
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Food Chain ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Collaborative Work ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Ecological Knowledge ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Tea Plants ◽  
Recruitment And Selection

Collaborative research between scientists and local community members is often required to collect needed study samples and inform the overall study. This is particularly true in Indigenous communities where local knowledge and practices are integral to data collection, analysis, and dissemination. This study reports on a traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) collaborative methodological approach utilized for data collection in this unique community. In collaboration with Diné (Navajo) tribal harvesters and leaders in northwestern New Mexico, participants were recruited utilizing chain-referral recruitment and selection from a preexisting cohort. The research examined the extent of metal(loid) contamination in the primary food chain in a uranium (U) mining impacted area. Key food chain items (sheep, squash, herbal tea plants), water, and livestock forage samples were collected and determined for metal(loid)s (cesium, cadmium, molybdenum, lead, thorium, U, vanadium, arsenic, and selenium). This paper reports on the five-step process employed that involved local Diné food harvesters incorporating indigenous TEK and practices with Western science-based knowledge and practices. The five steps of harvest-based monitoring are: (1) identify goal and research questions, (2) design the study according to Diné and scientific protocols, (3) determine respective collaborative roles during fieldwork, (4) implement the fieldwork, and (5) analyze and disseminate the findings. Collaborative work supported constructs of respectfulness, trust, kinship, enhanced communication, and provided better understanding of contamination by researchers, community members, and leaders. The study allowed for the collection of baseline data and realistic reassessment goal recommendations for the future.

Subtle Tyranny

2015 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 90-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nemer E. Narchi ◽  
Beatriz Canabal Cristiani
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Mexico City ◽  
Traditional Ecological Knowledge ◽  
Ecological Study ◽  
Political Power ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Ecological Knowledge ◽  
Social Constructs ◽  
Neoliberal Reforms ◽  
The Way

Neoliberal reforms and social constructs that legitimate the full exploitation of nature intersect with political power to produce an inherently violent social atmosphere in which economic development is based on exclusion, submission, and dispossession of rural and indigenous communities. Historical ecological study of Lake Xochimilco reveals the way in which imposed constructs of nature that exclude traditional ecological knowledge have transformed landscapes and livelihoods to the detriment of all the inhabitants of Mexico City. Las reformas neoliberales y las construcciones sociales que legitiman la explotación plena de la naturaleza se cruzan con el poder político para crear un ambiente social inhe-rentemente violento en el cual el desarrollo económico se basa en la exclusión, el sometimiento y el despojo de las comunidades rurales e indígenas. El estudio histórico de la ecología del Lago de Xochimilco revela la manera en que las construcciones de la naturaleza impuestas que excluyen el conocimiento ecológico tradicional han transformado el paisaje y los medios de subsistencia en detrimento de todos los habitantes de la Ciudad de México.

scholarly journals Social-ecological systems influence ecosystem service perception: a Programme on Ecosystem Change and Society (PECS) analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Quintas-Soriano ◽  
Jodi S. Brandt ◽  
Katrina Running ◽  
Colden V. Baxter ◽  
Dainee M. Gibson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Service ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
Ecosystem Change ◽  
Social Ecological Systems ◽  
Social Ecological

scholarly journals Protecting Intellectual Property Rights and Traditional Ecological Knowledge: A Critical Look at Peru's Law 27811

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-79
Author(s):  
Michelle Hak Hepburn
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Property ◽  
Property Rights ◽  
Intellectual Property Rights ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Traditional Ecological Knowledge ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Ecological Knowledge ◽  
History Of ◽  
Protecting Intellectual Property ◽  
San Martín

The Peruvian government's Law N. 27811, an intellectual property law passed in 2002 and designed to register and protect traditional knowledge, provides productive opportunities for critical analysis. Framed within the trajectory of international intellectual property rights and discussions that complicate the integration of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) into Cartesian scientific frameworks, this paper critically examines how the Peruvian law has been implemented and its impacts in Indigenous communities, particularly in the Andean Amazon region. The analysis is based on the author's work assisting Indigenous communities in San Martin register their knowledge through this law. While the law represents an advanced legal attempt to address power inequalities, it remains problematic. It does not address the impoverishment of Indigenous Peoples and continues to subordinate Indigenous TEK to Cartesian science. Although it is a symbolic recognition of the value of Peruvian Indigenous Peoples, other mechanisms are still required to redress the long history of colonization and racism.

Using cultural consensus analysis to measure diversity in social-ecological knowledge for inclusive climate adaptation planning

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine D. MILLER HESED ◽  
Michael PAOLISSO ◽  
Elizabeth R. VAN DOLAH ◽  
Katherine J. JOHNSON
Keyword(s):  
Climate Adaptation ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
Cultural Consensus ◽  
Ecological Knowledge ◽  
Government Employees ◽  
Consensus Analysis ◽  
Cultural Consensus Analysis ◽  
Social Ecological Systems ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
Local Residents

AbstractClimate adaptation is context specific and inclusion of diverse forms of knowledge is crucial for developing resilient social-ecological systems. Emphasis on local inclusion is increasing, yet participatory approaches often fall short of facilitating meaningful engagement of diverse forms of knowledge. A central challenge is the lack of a comprehensive and comparative understanding of the social-ecological knowledge that various stakeholders use to inform adaptation decisions. We employed cultural consensus analysis to quantitatively measure and compare social-ecological knowledge within and across three stakeholder groups - government employees, researchers, and local residents in rural coastal Maryland. The results show that 1) local residents placed more emphasis on addressing socio-economic and cultural changes than researchers and government employees, and 2) that the greatest variation in social-ecological knowledge was found among local residents. These insights yielded by cultural consensus analysis are beneficial for facilitating more inclusive adaptation planning for resilient social-ecological systems.

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