New article in Science argues that ancient ecosystem and multispecies
 expertise could lead to a new, integrated conservation science 
in the Amazon and beyond.

Gabrielle Langholtz, High Meadows Environmental Institute

To safeguard the Amazon and avoid planetary environmental catastrophe, Western science must engage Indigenous knowledge, combining science–based conservation approaches with the restoration and biocultural diversity practices of Indigenous peoples. So argue the authors of “Indigenizing Conservation Science for a Sustainable Amazon,” published December 12th in the journal Science.

The article is the outcome of an unprecedent dialogue between Indigenous Amazonian scientists of the Tuyuka, Tukano, Bará, Baniwa, and Sateré-Mawé peoples and non-Indigenous scientists, made possible by support from Princeton University. Led by Principal Investigators João Biehl, Agustin Fuentes, and Marina Hirota, it is the fruit of two years of work, sponsored by the Princeton University Office of the Dean of Research and the High Meadows Environmental Institute, in collaboration with initiatives by the Brazilian Serrapilheira Institute and the Federal University of Santa Catarina.

“Scientists around the world are beginning to recognize that Indigenous and Western knowledge systems can work together to tackle the devastation of the environment, but the anthropocentric and utilitarian view of nature still prevails in the world of science,” said João Biehl, the Susan Dod Brown Professor and Chair of Anthropology at Princeton and Director of the Brazil Lab at the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies. “Even though conservation actions promote the intrinsic value of biodiversity, they do not usually take into account pre-existing practices and historical relationships between humans and other species, as in the Indigenous conception of nature.”

“We wrote this paper to give voice to those who have none, and to amplify the voices of those unable to hold back the destruction of their territories,” said anthropologist Justino S armento Rezende (Utãpinopona-Tuyuka), one of the article’s Indigenous authors. “Alongside Indigenous peoples, other beings are also being silenced.”

Rezende and his coauthors argue that this must change. “Improved understanding of and collaborations with Indigenous sciences are essential to comprehend principles of Indigenous knowledge systems that promote ecological sustainability and foster multispecies coexistence,” they write, urging scientists to dispense with colonialist perspectives that regard nature as uninhabited, and calling for recognition of Indigenous knowledge and inclusion of Indigenous experts in research and decision-making processes.

While the authors note that Western views “clash” with Indigenous understandings—regarding ecosystems as raw materials for economic development and perceiving a stark nature-culture distinction—they ultimately envision a both-and approach, “ensuring a mutual exchange that can enhance both knowledge systems.”

And they propose a particular place to begin: the Amazon. “As the planet’s largest and most preserved tropical forest, the Amazon is a highly fertile terrain to foster dialogue between Western and Indigenous sciences,” they write. Here, “diverse peoples have developed a deep ecological knowledge of forest dynamics and have contributed to sustainable forest ecologies for more than 12,000 years.

As climate change and deforestation imperil Amazonian ecosystems, Westerns scientists would do well to learn from that ancient knowledge. One of the major lessons from the knowledge of Amazonian Indigenous peoples “is the understanding that lives exist in connection,” explains ecologist Carolina Levis, one of the article’s corresponding authors. “Nothing exists on its own, everything is related – and understanding that network of relationships between all beings is one of the keys to sustainability.” Collaborative monitoring based on indigenous knowledge of the aerial, terrestrial and aquatic domains, for example, could yield greater understanding of natural environments, the authors write, allowing for earlier warning signs that can facilitate adaptive responses.

“If we can put Western scientific research into dialogue with the theories and practices of Indigenous peoples,” said Biehl, “this mutual exchange between Indigenous experts, researchers, governments and non-governmental organizations will give us a broader and more effective toolkit of practices and policies that will guarantee truly sustainable co-management.”

More information on the project and the foundational Science article are available here: “Indigenizing Conservation Science for a Sustainable Amazon.”