The history of natural history and race: Decolonizing human dimensions of ecology

Abstract

Natural history, loosely defined as the observational study of organisms in the habitats where they occur, is recognized at the roots of ecology. Although the centrality of natural history in ecology has shifted over time, natural history is currently in resurgence: many again consider it to be the foundation of ecological and evolutionary inquiry and advocate the value of organism‐centered approaches to address contemporary ecological challenges. Educators identify natural history as the foundational entryway into the practice of ecology, for example in the Ecological Society of America's Four‐Dimensional Ecology Education (4DEE) framework. A strong natural history foundation can help generate testable hypotheses to refine mechanistic understanding of the drivers regulating species distributions and abundances and to inform restoration and conservation efforts. Given the resurgence of natural history as the foundation for ecological knowledge and practice, it is important to recognize that natural history has a long history of racism that has impacted ecological thought and priorities. This history shapes not only who conducts ecological science but also foundational ecological concepts. For example, natural history's emphasis on pristine nature untouched by humans disregards or appropriates stewardship and knowledge of most of the world's population. Because of the legacy of chattel slavery, this exclusion is particularly strong for people of African descent. This exclusion narrows ecological inquiry, limits the capacity to find solutions to ecological problems, and risks interventions that perpetuate the relation between eugenics, ecological knowledge, and natural systems. If ecology is to become an inclusive, responsive, and resilient discipline, this knowledge gap must be addressed. We here present the colonial and racist underpinnings of natural history and offer strategies to expand inclusion in the study of nature. Natural history was steeped in racism, providing a hierarchy of cultures and a taxonomy of races. Complementing growing interest in traditional and Indigenous ecological knowledge, we focus on Black ecological knowledge, for example in the study of “maroon ecologies.” Addressing the racist history of natural history is necessary for removing structural and racist barriers to diverse participation and expanding ecological knowledge bases in service of better and more just science.

Anti-racism, racism, and the microbiome: A review

“…While some Indigenous scholars assert the need to integrate "Western" science with Indigenous ways of knowing (Kimmerer 2015), other Indigenous scholars assert that such a framework reifies rather than undoes the colonial legacies embedded into what counts as science and who is considered a knowledge producer (Deloria Jr 1997;Todd 2016). These colonial legacies not only include the demonization of Indigenous knowledge but also the appropriation of Indigenous environmental knowledge and the ongoing erasure of Black relations to land (Miriti et al 2023). This raises the importance of engaging the tensions and overlaps in both Black and Indigenous perspectives for examining how racial biases operate within microbiome sciences (King 2019).…”

Shifting dynamics in restoration ecology: Concrete steps towards centering Black, Indigenous, and People of Color's communities and perspectives

“…Restoration practitioners and researchers increasingly recognize and accept that Indigenous communities have worldviews and relationships with the natural world that differ from white and Westernized perspectives, which influences how Indigenous people interface with the environment (Ban et al, 2018;Kimmerer & Kanawha Lake, 2001;McGreavy et al, 2021;Reyes-García et al, 2023). This is also the case for other ethnicities and communities in the US, such as Black and Latine people, who have been historically excluded from "mainstream" ecological restoration (Miriti et al, 2023). So, we build on the work of others who have called for equity and inclusion in restoration (e.g.…”

Disrupting and diversifying the values, voices and governance principles that shape biodiversity science and management

“…crops, wildlife, commodities and medicines) and associated knowledge systems of Indigenous people that could also be exploited, exported and used to support empires abroad [40][41][42][43]. Scientists look upon this era as one of discovery, scientific inquiry and enlightenment, often without recognizing colonial principles that motivated sciences of the era, and the indispensable and conscious role of naturalists in colonial expansion [42,[44][45][46][47]].…”

“…crops, wildlife, commodities and medicines) and associated knowledge systems of Indigenous people that could also be exploited, exported and used to support empires abroad [ 40 – 43 ]. Scientists look upon this era as one of discovery, scientific inquiry and enlightenment, often without recognizing colonial principles that motivated sciences of the era, and the indispensable and conscious role of naturalists in colonial expansion [ 42 , 44 – 47 ]. Yet institutions ranging from the Catholic Church to the Royal Society of London and the British Admiralty understood the value of biodiversity science as fundamental to the establishment and success of colonies.…”