Understanding the repertoire of hunting techniques used by traditional peoples in tropical forests is crucial for recognizing the role of traditional knowledge in hunting activities, as well as assessing the impact of harvests on game species. We describe the hunting techniques used across Amazonia by Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples for hunting yellow-footed tortoises (Chelonoidis denticulatus), one of the most consumed species in the biome. We interviewed 178 local people in 25 communities living in seven study areas in the Peruvian and Brazilian Amazon. We used a Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA) and Analysis of Similarity (ANOSIM) to compare the hunting techniques between ethnic groups and the ages of the interviewees. Four different techniques were reported: (1) trapping with bait (46%; n = 122); (2) hunting with dogs (35%; n = 92); (3) active searching (14 %; n = 37); and (4) visiting fruiting trees (5%; n = 14). Trapping with bait was alleged to be the most cost-effective technique by 67% of the interviewees. Among the baits used, 93% involved the use of wild species as rotten meat. Hunting with dogs was also frequently cited and involved eight different methods of training. The hunting techniques recorded were not significantly different among ethnic groups or generations. The consonance among the technique repertoire likely reflects a shared knowledge still in use across different cultural groups. There is a potential for applying the hunting techniques to large scale community-based monitoring and management programs, but the impact on additional species affected, such as species intentionally captured to be used as bait, should be considered. Local assessments and community-based management plans that incorporate traditional ecological knowledge are recommended to guarantee the maintenance of livelihoods and ensure the species' conservation in Amazonia.

Traditionally, humans have consumed nonhuman primates in many places, including throughout the Amazon region. However, primate consumption rates are changing with rising urbanization and market access. We characterize primate consumption in central Amazonia using 192 qualitative interviews with inhabitants in three rural villages and in the city of Tefé. We used a generalized linear model to investigate how individual consumer characteristics, such as age and gender, and livelihoods affected primate consumption. We also used principal coordinate analysis (PCoA), and word clouds and network text analyses, to describe reasons people gave for eating or avoiding primates. Our results show that men were more likely to say that they eat primates than women, and that the probability that a person said that they eat primates correlated positively with the percentage of their life lived in rural areas. People gave sentiment and ethical reasons not to eat primates. Custom influenced whether people said they eat primates both positively and negatively, while taste positively influenced whether people said they eat primates. A preference for other wild meats in rural areas, and for domestic meats in cities negatively influenced whether people said they eat primates. People also cited the perceptions that primates have a human-like appearance and that primate meat is unhealthy as reasons not to eat primates. People in urban areas also cited conservation attitudes as reasons for not eating primates. Our findings provide an understanding of factors influencing primate consumption in our study area and will be useful for designing tailored conservation initiatives by reducing hunting pressure on primates in rural settings and increasing the effectiveness of outreach campaigns in urban centers.

Este artigo discute aspectos do aprendizado como meio de reprodução do ofício de marceneiro, em uma cidade do interior do estado do Amazonas. Por meio da observação do contexto e do levantamento de evidências orais, buscamos conhecer as dimensões técnicas e simbólicas desta prática social que circulam entre os membros de uma comunidade de praticantes. Os resultados obtidos sugerem que, do ponto de vista técnico, os principais itens ali aprendidos são o diagnóstico de situações e a aplicação de técnicas adequadas para a resolução de problemas comuns a este ofício. Já do ponto de vista simbólico, é o aprendizado de valores necessários e as percepções sobre o ofício em relação à sociedade que possuem maior ênfase. Finalmente, apontamos como as principais características do ofício de marceneiro, no contexto analisado, suas dimensões familiares e criativas, que conferem a esta prática social a  qualificação de prazerosa entre seus praticantes.

A consolidação do paradigma moderno como embasamento para a interpretação do mundo trouxe consigo questões sobre a diversidade cultural, inclusive no que respeita à produção de conhecimentos. Este trabalho tem como principal objetivo chamar a atenção para o fato de que historicamente temos feito da Ciência um sistema caracterizado pela desconsideração e o silenciamento de outros regimes de saberes, como os tradicionais. Nele, procuramos demonstrar, por meio da apresentação de um estudo bibliográfico, a existência de forte tendência hegemônica, a necessidade de nos dedicarmos à superação dessa característica e a possibilidade de criarmos condições para uma coexistência mais justa e mais útil com os regimes de saberes tradicionais. Após expormos um caso de sucesso na combinação de conhecimentos científicos e tradicionais, consideramos, finalmente, que se faz necessária a tomada de posição por parte de nós cientistas para que a Ciência possa cumprir o papel de contribuir com o bem-estar da humanidade.