Local Knowledge and Memory in Biodiversity Conservation

Abstract

For the past two decades, biodiversity conservation has been an area of concerted action and spirited debate. Given the centrality of biodiversity to the earth's life support system, its increasing vulnerability is being addressed in international conservation as well as in research by anthropologists and other social scientists on the cultural, economic, political, and legal aspects of human engagement with biological resources. The concepts of biodiversity as a social construct and historical discourse, of local knowledge as loaded representation and invented tradition, and of cultural memory as selective reconstruction and collective political consciousness have also been the foci of recent critical reflection. 317 Annu. Rev. Anthropol. 2006.35:317-335. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org by Indiana University -Purdue University Indianapolis -IUPUI on 10/13/12. For personal use only.If we can live in memory, we would not have to consecrate sites of memory in its name.

Participatory scenario planning for developing innovation in community adaptation responses: three contrasting examples from Latin America

“…Mitztal, 2003). Although social memory may sometimes be inert or even encourage maladaptation (Scheffer and Westley, 2007), case studies from established communities in Colombia and Mexico provide further positive support for the notion of social memory as a dynamic construct, especially as it becomes recombined with new knowledge (Nazarea, 2006). Using a participatory scenario process to help enhance such evolving knowledge can potentially further extend concepts of time-depth and memory based upon traditional practises (Ballard and Huntsinger, 2003) but in a forward-looking perspective to facilitate robust adaptation planning (Table 7).…”

“…The present study tests learning loops in the context of community-based adaptation which aims to empower communities to use their own shared knowledge and place-based decision-making processes to manage change (Aalst et al, 2009). A key pillar of such empowerment is provided by participatory social learning to enhance capacity for knowledge exchange, adaptive management and local leadership, together with recognition of informal or tacit knowledge systems that extend beyond conventional scientific knowledge (Nazarea, 2006). Pluralistic approaches to knowledge development can provide an important enabler for engagement of civil society in sustainability planning if they can incorporate longer time horizons, adaptability and feedbacks, integrated approaches, and systems thinking (Burch et al, 2014).…”

Creative convergence: exploring biocultural diversity through art

“…Dene concepts, understandings, and values are intricately related to representations of the political, cultural, and economic dimensions of biodiversity (Nazarea 2006). For example, the concept of respect is repeatedly brought up by indigenous people when talking about wildlife and the role of policies related to wildlife management (Délınę First Nation 2005, Legat 2012).…”

Indigenous climate knowledge in southern Uganda: the multiple components of a dynamic regional system

“…It then expanded into many areas of agricultural development and natural resource management (Brokensha et al 1980;Ashby 1985;McCorkle 1989;DeWalt 1994;Thompson and Scoones 1994;Rhoades and Bebbington 1995;Warren et al 1995;Chambers 1996;Richards 1993;Nazarea 1999Nazarea , 2006Cleveland and Soleri 2007). Recent studies document the effectiveness of indigenous knowledge in land management in a number of settings (Brodt 2001;Verlinden et al 2006) and show that indigenous knowledge persists even in contexts of commercial land use and government land management (McDaniel et al 2005).…”