Well grounded: Indigenous Peoples' knowledge, ethnobiology and sustainability

[摘要] 1. The biological knowledge and associated values and beliefs of Indigenous andother long-resident Peoples are often overlooked and underrepresented ingovernance, planning and decision-making at local, regional, national and international levels. Ethnobiology—the study of the dynamic relationships amongpeoples, biota and environments—is a field that places Indigenous Peoples' ecological knowledge and ways of knowing at the forefront of research interests,particularly in relation to the importance of biocultural diversity in sustainingthe Earth's Ecosystems.2. In this paper, we examine the nature and significance of Indigenous Peoples'knowledge systems concerning environmental sustainability, as documentedin collaborative ethnobiological research. We emphasize the diverse aspects ofIndigenous knowledge in conservation, and the role played by ethnobiologists inrespectfully highlighting this knowledge, and link these to the IntergovernmentalScience-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services GlobalAssessment's key levers and leverage points for enabling the transformativechange required for achieving more sustainable lifeways. Drawing on diverseways of knowing—respectfully, collaboratively, ethically and reciprocally—canhelp provide more detailed knowledge of local ecosystems, and guide all humanstowards greater sustainability.3. From environmental monitoring, to building relationships with plants and theland, to ecological restoration, there are many lessons and ways in which theintersections between Indigenous knowledge and ethnobiology can inform andcontribute to the future of humanity and other life on earth.

[学科分类] 护理学

[关键词] climate change;ethnobiology;ethnobotany;Indigenous knowledge;Indigenous Peoples;reciprocity;relational values;sustainability