Rediscovering the Potential of Indigenous Storytelling for Conservation Practice

Abstract

Several intergovernmental policy instruments, including the World Heritage Convention of UNESCO and the Convention on Biological Diversity, have proposed to develop integrated strategies to build bridges between biological and cultural diversity agendas. We contend that to succeed in this endeavor, it is crucial to link biocultural revitalization to conservation practice. Our hope with this review is to call attention to indigenous storytelling as an option worth adding to the repertoire of conservation practitioners who aim to: (1) link conservation actions to indigenous worldviews; (2) foster connections between indigenous peoples and their landscapes; (3) facilitate intergenerational transfer of indigenous knowledge; (4) support dialogue over conservation; and (5) promote local participation in conservation. Because indigenous stories are full of resonance, memory, and wisdom-in a footing that is structurally free of power imbalance between conservation practitioners and local communities-, we contend that they can be crucial to guide future efforts in biocultural conservation practice. Our review shows that deeper consideration and promotion of indigenous storytelling can lead to enhanced understanding of diverse values and perceptions around biodiversity, while offering a constructive approach for greater inclusion of indigenous peoples in conservation pursuits.

Finding CreativeVoice: Applying Arts-Based Research in the Context of Biodiversity Conservation

“…We encouraged the participants to tell their own stories through different type of art forms. Our observations regarding the value of art for doing this supports the findings of Fernández-Llamazares and Cabeza [24] that storytelling can be a powerful vector for identifying key threats to native maize biocultural conservation, as well as for promoting knowledge transfer and reducing the distance between generations. In addition, we observed that discussing community memories related to native maize during the focus group discussions helped create an atmosphere of equity among participants from different social and educational levels in the community, since they all shared the same historical background and were facing the same problems.…”

“…Photovoice has received increased uptake in recent years and has been used as a method in the fields of public health [18][19][20] psychology [21], education [22], and social science [23]. It has also been implemented to a lesser extent, although with positive outcomes, in community-based environmental and indigenous studies research [17,24]. For example, Thompson [25] found in Photovoice a useful way to raise the voices of young farmers from Sierra Leone on their needs and relationship to the environment after civil war.…”

“…Furthermore, we saw that although photography was an art form that was particularly useful for capturing and communicating present day realities, it was less directly capable of communicating historical relationships and/or presenting future visions and ideals. We considered this restriction to be important since by mentally travelling through time, participants may increase their awareness of the socio-ecological changes that have occurred and discover positive changes that can enhance conservation [24]. Remembering and retelling history through storytelling helps to recognise traditional indigenous knowledge and promote the intergenerational transfer of knowledge and values.…”

A guiding model for decolonizing environmental science research and restoring relational accountability with Indigenous communities

“…One of the key factors was developing methods to restore intergenerational connectivity, and how the research itself can be a method for decolonizing transmission pathways. Previous research observes challenges related to disruption of Indigenous knowledge transmission brought on by colonial impacts on economic and education systems (McCarter et al, 2014b;Tang & Gavin, 2016), and alternately the potential for biodiversity conservation through strengthening intergenerational communication (Fernández-Llamazares & Cabeza, 2018). By searching out ways of strengthening intergenerational knowledge transmission in the research process itself, we redefined and centered youth and community knowledge keepers as the researchers and experts.…”

Adaptation through bricolage: Indigenous responses to long‐term social‐ecological change in the Saskatchewan River Delta, Canada

“…Here, we present the results in the form of three scenarios of harvesting practices witnessed by the lead author while living in Cumberland House and participating in activities with the residents. This presentation is in keeping with the style used by community members to share their Indigenous knowledge through storytelling and is just beginning to be taken up in scientific practice (Fernández‐Llamazares and Cabeze ).…”