In a jungle environment where jaguars are considered human, systems thinking has evolved in unexpected ways. Although systems thinking is commonly seen as a product of the Western world, other cultures have developed their own versions with unique characteristics. In this article, we explore Amazonian systems thinking, which has similarities to modern Western systems thinking, as well as differences that may inspire the evolution of systems approaches worldwide. We will discuss the contributions of Amazonian systems thinking particularly to find answers to the planet's ecological and sustainability problems, such as climate change and mass extinction of species, among others. We will present the systems thinking that emerged in some Amazonian communities, how it relates to mainstream Western systems thinking, and focus on some unique aspects of Amazonian systems thinking. This paper is based on the ethnographic work of Gerardo Reichel-Dolmatoff and other anthropologists who have studied Amazonian communities for decades.
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