Indigenous Ecological Knowledge Research Articles

Centring localised indigenous concepts of wellbeing in urban nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation: case-studies from Aotearoa New Zealand and the Cook Islands

Nature-based solutions (NbS) offer significant potential for climate change adaptation and resilience. NbS strengthen biodiversity and ecosystems, and premise approaches that centre human wellbeing. But understandings and models of wellbeing differ and continue to evolve. This paper reviews wellbeing models and thinking from Aotearoa New Zealand, with focus on Te Ao Māori (the Māori world and worldview) as well as other Indigenous models of wellbeing from wider Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa Oceania. We highlight how holistic understandings of human-ecology-climate connections are fundamental for the wellbeing of Indigenous peoples of Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa Oceania and that they should underpin NbS approaches in the region. We profile case study experience from Aotearoa New Zealand and the Cook Islands emerging out of the Nature-based Urban design for Wellbeing and Adaptation in Oceania (NUWAO) research project, that aims to develop nature-based urban design solutions, rooted in Indigenous knowledges that support climate change adaptation and wellbeing. We show that there is great potential for nature-based urban adaptation agendas to be more effective if linked closely to Indigenous ecological knowledge and understandings of wellbeing.

Agroecology integrates science, practice, movement, and future food systems

Agroecology is an interdisciplinary field that brings together agricultural practice and ecological principles. This article explores agroecology's theoretical foundations, practical applications, and historical evolution, along with its impact on modern agricultural methods. Agroecology looks at how biophysical and social elements combine to produce food sustainably, promote social justice, and protect the environment. The first section of the article looks at how agroecology developed as a scientific field, discussing its fundamental ideas, practices, and objectives- all of which emphasize participatory, adaptive, and holistic methodologies. The inquiry also looks into how agroecology might support biodiversity, resilience to climate change, and sustainable livelihoods. This article also explores the rise of agroecology as a movement driven by social activism, environmental consciousness, and a search for alternative food systems. After that, the article dives further into the history of agroecology, emphasizing the pioneers' contributions and the development of agroecological principles over time. The text goes on to outline the fundamental principles of agroecology. Its main objectives are enhancing resource efficiency, strengthening resilience, and ensuring social equality. This article discusses the practical applications of agroecology in various agricultural settings, such as permaculture, agroforestry, and agroecological farming systems. A few agro-ecology case studies have been described. Finally, the article highlights the future of food systems. The article concludes by highlighting the necessity of combining scientific understanding with indigenous ecological and cultural knowledge and stating that agro-ecology is viable for a more just and sustainable future for agriculture and food security.

Ethnobotanical study of peraq api ritual in Sasak Tribe of Lombok Island, Indonesia and its potential for sustainable tourism

Abstract. Rahayu SM, Batoro J, Sukenti K, Hakim L. 2023. Ethnobotanical study of peraq api ritual in Sasak Tribe of Lombok Island, Indonesia and its potential for sustainable tourism. Biodiversitas 24: 5485-5494. Peraq api is a ritual for giving baby names by the Sasak Tribe in Lombok Island, Indonesia. This ritual uses various species of plants and processions to symbolize values and beliefs of the Sasak people. This unique cultural knowledge and practice might interest tourists to experience the ritual. This study aims to determine the diversity of plant species used in peraq api ritual and the ethnobotanical knowledge embedded on it, and to assess the potential of utilizing this ritual for sustainable tourism development. This research was conducted in villages around the Mandalika Area, including Sengkol, Kuta, Sukadana, and Mertak Villages, located in Pujut Sub-district, Central Lombok District, West Nusa Tenggara Province. The research was carried out by combining the methods of direct observation, participatory observation and interviews. Information on the species and vernacular names, plant part used, mode of use, conservation status of the plant as well as its habitat were collected and analyzed using descriptive and qualitative approaches. Based on the research, it was found that 15 families, 21 genera and 22 plant species were used in peraq api ritual. Each plant symbolizes the indigenous value and beliefs of Sasak Tribe related to their connection with God, people and environment. The use of plants in peraq api ritual also shows the indigenous intelligence of the Sasak Tribe. Traditional knowledge about the uses of plants and landscape management plays an important role in plant conservation. Plants used in the peraq api ritual can be found in various habitats, including homegarden, garden, riverside and ricefield. These various habitats resemble the indigenous ecological and ethnobotanical knowledge of Sasak Tribe in landscape management which has a very positive role in conserving biodiversity, creating a sustainable environment and socio-cultural preservation. The peraq api ritual has the potential to be develope as a sustainable tourism. The development of peraq api rituals for tourism might be useful to preserve cultural values of Sasak Tribe ??as a national cultural asset, conserve plant diversity and environment and improve the welfare of local communities.

Indigenous Ecofeminism? Decolonial Practices and Indigenous Resurgence in Lee Maracle’s Works

Ecocritical and ecofeminist studies have frequently borrowed from Indigenous epistemologies to conform new approaches to human-nature relations, particularly now that the pressing climate crisis is making western societies contemplate the need for radical solutions. As Leanne Betasamosake Simpson remarks, “the western academy is now becoming interested in certain aspects of Indigenous Knowledge” such as “Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)” (373). However, the scope of this interest is reduced and disconnects ecological knowledge from decolonial practices, such as land claims or Indigenous feminisms. Maile Arvin et al. emphatically support that “settler colonialism has been and continues to be a gendered process” (8) and thus its ramifications and effects (upon nature or Indigenous communities) cannot be detangled without an Indigenous feminist perspective. In this article, I focus on an ecocritical analysis of several works by Lee Maracle, who dedicated her career to the regeneration and revalorization of Indigenous systems of knowledge, in order to pinpoint the intersections between feminism, decolonization, and nonhuman ecological thinking that might develop into a potential Indigenous ecofeminism that truly recognizes Indigenous epistemologies in their full context. Basing myself off Nishnaabeg scholar Leanne Betasamosake Simpson’s theories on Indigenous radical resurgence, which assert that a cultural resurgence (such as a revalorization of Indigenous ecological knowledge) cannot take place without a political resurgence (such as the acknowledgement of Indigenous sovereignty), I argue that Maracle’s portrayal of natural elements and her imagining of human-nature relations is inextricably linked to a decolonizing perspective foregrounded on Indigenous feminism.

The impacts of climate change, energy policy and traditional ecological practices on future firewood availability for Diné (Navajo) People.

Local-scale human-environment relationships are fundamental to energy sovereignty, and in many contexts, Indigenous ecological knowledge (IEK) is integral to such relationships. For example, Tribal leaders in southwestern USA identify firewood harvested from local woodlands as vital. For Diné people, firewood is central to cultural and physical survival and offers a reliable fuel for energy embedded in local ecological systems. However, there are two acute problems: first, climate change-induced drought will diminish local sources of firewood; second, policies aimed at reducing reliance on greenhouse-gas-emitting energy sources may limit alternatives like coal for home use, thereby increasing firewood demand to unsustainable levels. We develop an agent-based model trained with ecological and community-generated ethnographic data to assess the future of firewood availability under varying climate, demand and IEK scenarios. We find that the long-term sustainability of Indigenous firewood harvesting is maximized under low-emissions and low-to-moderate demand scenarios when harvesters adhere to IEK guidance. Results show how Indigenous ecological practices and resulting ecological legacies maintain resilient socio-environmental systems. Insights offered focus on creating energy equity for Indigenous people and broad lessons about how Indigenous knowledge is integral for adapting to climate change. This article is part of the theme issue 'Climate change adaptation needs a science of culture'.

Indigitization: Technology as a mode for conservation sustainability and knowledge transfer in indigenous New Zealand communities

Many youths today are disconnected from nature. Although technology cannot substitute for real-life connection of youth to the environment, it can enable nature connectedness, a key factor in reclaiming cultural identity which is intrinsically embedded in nature for Indigenous Māori people. We explore Indigitization as a mechanism for transferring Indigenous ecological knowledge (mātauranga) through digital platforms: virtual reality (VR), and graphic novel (GN) in Māori and English.We used these technologies to capture the pūrākau (story) of a sacred area for Te Rarawa iwi (tribe) in New Zealand, to transfer Indigenous ecological knowledge (mātauranga) about Au Warawara Forest to youth. We assessed the impact of these digital resources on 122 students from Te Rarawa, from both local schools and the wider North Island, who attended a culturally based environmental program.The aim was to increase student levels of mātauranga in ecology. We surveyed students before and after exposure to VR and GN. Students responded positively to the VR, but student enthusiasm for both resources was high. After these experiences, students reported deeper connections to their history and the environment, and with increased awareness of mātauranga. More than half of the youth preferred experiencing VR and GN in Māori.These results show that Indigenous narratives conveyed through digital media support the transfer of ecological mātauranga Māori. Use of technologies such as VR and GN are likely to be critical for future biodiversity conservation sustainability through reconnection of Indigenous youth to cultural and ecological knowledges.

Akan Worldview on Human-Earth Relations for Environmental Conservation in Ghana

The idea that there is an interconnectedness between human beings and the natural environment is widely held by many people across the globe. Unfortunately, this nexus has become the cause of the global problem of pandemics, climate change and greenhouse gases. The 2020 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) ranked Ghana low at 39th out of 46 countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Employing the qualitative method and phenomenological approach, some Akan environmental conservation ideas inherent in human-earth relations were analysed. The paper argues that the Akan indigenous ecological knowledge, such as taboos, observance of earth's Sabbaths, keeping of sacred forest groves and ecological proverbs and wise-sayings are viable resources to be harnessed to theologize in eco-theology and for environmental sustainability.

Indigenous ecological calendars and seasonal vector-borne diseases in the Colombian Amazon: an intercultural and interdisciplinary approach

ABSTRACT Traditional ecological knowledge of indigenous groups in the southeastern Colombian Amazon coincides in identifying the two main hydrological transition periods (wet-dry: August-November; dry-wet: March-April) as those with greater susceptibility to disease in humans. Here we analyze the association between indigenous knowledge about these two periods and the incidence of two vector-borne diseases: malaria and dengue. We researched seven “ecological calendars” from three regions in the Colombian Amazon, malaria and dengue cases reported from 2007 to 2019 by the Colombian National Institute of Health, and daily temperature and precipitation data from eight meteorological stations in the region from 1990-2019 (a climatological normal). Malaria and dengue follow a seasonal pattern: malaria has a peak from August to November, corresponding with the wet-dry transition (the “season of the worms” in the indigenous calendars), and dengue has a peak in March and April, coinciding with the dry-wet transition. Previous studies have shown a positive correlation between rainfall and dengue and a negative correlation between rainfall and malaria. However, as the indigenous ecological knowledge codified in the calendars suggests, disease prediction cannot be reduced to a linear correlation with a single environmental variable. Our data show that two major aspects of the indigenous calendars (the time of friaje as a critical marker of the year and the hydrological transition periods as periods of greater susceptibility to diseases) are supported by meteorological data and by the available information about the incidence of malaria and dengue.

Examining the connection between water concerns, water anxiety, and resilience among Indigenous persons: A systematic scoping review

Background & objectiveDespite Canada's and the United States' acceptance of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), achieving equitable water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)-related services among Indigenous peoples remain at issue for the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Water anxiety is a mental health burden threatening resilience, given cultural stewardship imperatives for water well-being. Participants and settingsPeer-reviewed literature documenting water anxiety/insecurity was explored in relation to resilience among Indigenous communities in Canada and the United States (including Hawaii and Alaska). MethodsA systematic scoping review was conducted using three databases (Medline, Sociological Abstracts and PsycINFO) and key words pertaining to Indigenous Peoples, Canada, U.S., and water. Two reviewers screened and extracted each article. ResultsThe search yielded six quantitative studies. Large diversity among Indigenous communities resulted in different water concerns tied to geographical locales, industry, and the health of water bodies. Environmental concerns, poor access to safe drinking water, and negative effects of water insecurity (water costs, food scarcity) was associated with water anxiety. Indigenous ecological knowledge, cultural continuity, water advocacy, and participatory community interventions was associated with resilience. ConclusionThere is limited research exploring water anxiety and resilience among Indigenous communities. Particularly among women, water related health risks, concern for future generations, and cultural gender role expectations for water stewardship, contribute to water anxiety. An important next step is to recognize water anxiety as a mental health burden, and advance Indigenous-led research to not only optimally redress water inequities, but also the broader scope of its impact to ongoing trauma among Indigenous peoples.

Sengwer Indigenous Environmental Knowledge and the Management of Cherang'any Forest Resources, Elgeyo-marakwet County, Kenya

Globally, forests supply important environmental benefits within and across ecosystem boundaries and despite institutional management, forest ecosystems are subjected to land-use changes which diminish their role. In Kenya, the current institutional management instruments are largely in place but there is a continuous reduction of forest cover presently estimated at 5.7% of the national land area as opposed to the desired > 10.0%. The integration of indigenous ecological knowledge into forest management may provide a much-needed bridge between indigenous communities and institutional understanding of sustainable forest management. Thus, the study examined the role of IEK in the management of forest among the Sengwer community living next to the Cherang’any forest, Elgeiyo-Marakwet County, Kenya. The study targeted older community members who were purposely sampled as key informants. The study used focus group discussion as the main instruments for data collections and thus qualitative analysis was more appropriate. The output was presented in thematic format. The study established that the Sengwer indigenous forest management techniques are compatible with institutional techniques applied in the management of the forest to the extent that institutionalized methods are more pervasive in the management of the forest. Based on the discussions, the study concluded that the indigenous conservation practices need to be formalized and integrated with the modern forest management practices. IEK can be included in the sustainable conservation of forests if the socio-economic status of the community is improved through economic empowerment. Further, the study recommends that Kenya’s Forest Conservation and Management Act of 2016 provides a basis for the integration of IEK into modern forest management techniques.

Episteme and Ecology: Amitav Ghosh’s The Living Mountain and the Decolonial Turn

Amitav Ghosh’s The Living Mountain: A Fable of Our Times (2022) is an allegorical rendering of the repercussions of environmental degradation and the annihilation of indigenous ecological knowledge. As one of the notable public intellectuals of contemporary times, Ghosh in The Living Mountain deliberates on the ramifications of the discourses of colonialism and the Anthropocene, and depicts how those have been complicit in asserting a hegemonic Western episteme that has corroborated capitalist extraction and ecological commodification. This article examines Ghosh’s The Living Mountain as highlighting the layered operation of colonial capitalism in disrupting ecological systems and marginalizing indigenous epistemologies. The article brings to the foreground that such capitalist subjugation becomes instrumental in unleashing “testimonial injustice” on indigenous knowledge systems, culminating in horrendous forms of epistemicide and ecocide. To counter such a pervasive objectification, Ghosh calls through this narrative for a “decolonial turn” that is attendant on “epistemic disobedience” and repudiates the dominant meaning-formations. This article finally argues that Ghosh elucidates the necessity of a collective epistemic responsibility that would discard the hegemonic capitalist perceptions of nature and ecology and celebrate their primacy and organic existence. It is only through the recuperation of indigenous knowledge and an epistemic re-centering that escalating environmental disasters can be checked and new forms of sustainable planetarity and planetary solidarities can be accomplished.

Traditional Indigenous Ecological Knowledge to Enhance Community-Based Disaster Resilience: Taiwan Mountain Area

The Sendai and Hyogo Frameworks emphasize integrating modern science with Indigenous knowledge, a bottom-up community-based disaster management approach. However, a top-down disaster management mechanism and a lack of awareness about Indigenous knowledge are part of the current reality in Taiwan. This study chose the great Cinsbu, an Atayal community in Taiwan, as a case study area, using interviews to explore traditional ecological knowledge in Indigenous people’s daily lives. The study also applies a bottom-up, community-based approach through workshops. This study’s goals are to apply Indigenous knowledge to improve community disaster planning and to work with communities to assist them in utilizing their (Indigenous) knowledge and resources. As a key to achieving disaster resilience, the study highlights three approaches based on traditional ecological knowledge: the natural environment, agriculture production, and social capital. The natural environment approach integrates modern science and traditional ecological knowledge through community risk mapping. The agriculture production approach conserves seeds and stores food using traditional methods, such as pickling and storing in traditional barns. The social capital approach establishes a disaster management organization based on social networking. Finally, the community develops hazard preparedness and disaster response measures based on traditional ecological knowledge. These measures can be integrated with existing disaster management to form a specific mechanism for Indigenous communities.

Will Indigenous Ecological Knowledge Vanish? Assessing Persistence of the Celako kemali in Farming Practices among the Serawainese in Bengkulu, Indonesia

Indonesia is home to many indigenous peoples who can preserve the environment through their traditions amid the increasing of external values ​​and lifestyles’ penetration. The following presents the indigenous ecological knowledge of the Serawai people in the form of the celako kemali. Based on insights from the Indigenous research methods, this study aims first to assess the persistence of the celako kemali as a method for farming practices. Second, to identify transmission patterns of the celako kemali among generations in the Serawai community. This study found that there were 19 types of celako kemali. The current analysis demonstrates that, out of the 19 celako kemali, three types have been completely abandoned, five are still in use but with minor modifications, and eleven are still valid by established standards. The first generation acquires knowledge from their parents through the internalization process within the family. This first generation still preserves and maintains the 19 celako kemali daily farming activities. The second generation acquires knowledge through internalization within the family and horizontally by sharing experiences with other farmers, but horizontal channels are more dominant. This generation knows the 19 types of the celako kemali, although they dare to modify five types without losing the essence of their body of knowledge. The third generation acquires knowledge through vertical and oblique transmission, in which the oblique channel is predominant. This third generation learns a lot from village elders unrelated to the family, teachers, and mass media. However, this generation has abandoned completely three types of the celako kemali.

The return of the kinga (saltwater crocodile): Population ‘bust then boom’ shapes shifting baselines in Indigenous biocultural knowledge in northern Australia

The saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) can be regarded as a cultural keystone species for many Indigenous societies around the world, including for many Aboriginal clans in northern Australia. Here the regional population of Crocodylus porosus suffered a decline, almost to extinction, with unregulated commercial hunting between the 1940s to the early 1970s. Following protected status, saltwater crocodile populations made a rapid recovery. This research documents the perceptions and experiences of this rapid (within living memory) ‘bust then boom’ saltwater crocodile population change, among a regional group of Indigenous Australians (comprising several clans) from the Alligator Rivers Region of western Arnhem Land and Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory. Using semi-structured interviews, archival work and on-Country (place-based) learning, significant influences on the continuity of Aboriginal people's contemporary engagement with freshwater Country were identified. In particular, the loss of access to freshwater customary harvesting sites and to key harvested species, and as a driver of adaptive changes in harvesting methods and consumption preferences for saltwater crocodile meat and eggs. Importantly, the experiential losses from restricted access to waterbodies were found to have significant impact on opportunities for inter-generational knowledge transmission, according with more recent applications of the Shifting Baseline Syndrome to Indigenous Ecological Knowledge. Findings demonstrate the need for monitoring and management programs of cultural keystone species, like the saltwater crocodile, to include Indigenous-led biocultural knowledge programs as a means of supporting local and Indigenous Knowledge systems. This is particularly critical in cross-cultural, First Nations, and joint-management contexts.

Ecological ‘Self’ vs the Ecological ‘Other’: Indigenous Naga Ecotopia for the Dystopic World

Critics have used the colonizer/colonized or the Global North/Global South binaries to restore human rights and freedom. But these planetary or ideological binaries –though theoretically convenient – might not be ecologically sufficient to deal with the ongoing sixth mass extinction (Kolbert, The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History). The need of the hour is to critique the existing knowledge systems (science, technology, politics) through the lens of eco-alterity, wherein every agent of environmental disaster is to be identified as the ecological ‘other.’ In this context, the unique indigenous participation of the ecological ‘selves’ is to be deciphered and disseminated: The indigenous ecotopias of the earth might provide insights into ecological sustenance, food sovereignty and coexistence. The present study, therefore, situates the relevance of exploring indigenous ecological knowledge systems by proposing eco-alterity as the tool to liberate victims of ‘slow violence’ (Nixon). In so doing, it seeks to make visible the unique ecotopia of Naga ecological natives – as represented in Kire’s novels – that has survived multiple forms of slow violence.

Art and Environmental Struggle Curating an Exhibition About Place-Rooted Ecological Knowledge.

Inspired by ecological calendars, the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art organized the exhibition Art and Environmental Struggle to coincide with the international conference Rhythms of the Land: Indigenous Knowledge, Science, and Thriving Together in a Changing Climate, held at Cornell University in October 2021. The exhibition emphasized Indigenous ways of knowing and deployed the works of lesser-known artists from around the world to build greater understanding of and empathy for their communities' often overlooked histories and perspectives. A collaboration of three Johnson Museum curators and an expert on global Indigenous art, the exhibition presented 20 works by artists responding to environmental challenges occurring in their countries and communities and was conceived as part of the program of conference events that culminated in the dance, music, and video work Blood, Water, Earth created and performed by Santee Smith. Emphasizing impacts of colonialism, neocolonialism, geopolitical forces, and industries, the artworks reveal the consequences of environmental damage on the food production, security, cultural independence, and general well-being of communities who have contributed the least to the current crisis but feel its effects most acutely. The concept of struggle for environmental justice binds together all the visual artists represented in Art and Environmental Struggle. When viewed in the context of the ecological calendar model, the compelling ways in which visual and performing artists confront these topics through an expression of Indigenous ecological knowledge, environmental stewardship, and place-rooted traditions, present a diverse but resilient perspective and offer a methodology of hope to address this most pressing of issues.

Decolonizing Climate Change Education: Evidence from an Empirical Study in Ghana

Climate change education plays a significant role in the fight against climate change. Yet the knowledges of Indigenous Peoples who have been disproportionately impacted and are at the frontlines of climate change have not been given enough attention in climate change education. To enhance the capacity of communities to adapt to climate change, calls are increasing for climate change education to be decolonized. Contributing to this call, the researcher partnered with a rural community, Boania, in Northern Ghana to integrate Indigenous Ecological Knowledge into environmental and climate change education in a rural primary school. A community-based research approach and an Indigenous research methodology in the form of two-eyed seeing were adopted to guide the project. The purpose of the study was to decolonize environmental and climate change education by integrating Indigenous Ecological Knowledge into programs. It emerged that the consideration of holistic Indigenous epistemologies in climate change education re-emphasized our inseparability from non-humans and improved the children’s knowledge about the community’s local environment. Additionally, decolonizing the concept of climate change created the space for acknowledging community-led climate adaptation efforts. Broadly, the study provided a model for decolonizing climate change education in Ghana. Keywords:community-based research; climate change education; decolonization; Indigenous Ecological Knowledge; Indigenous epistemologies DOI: 10.7176/JEP/13-32-06 Publication date: November 30 th 2022

Indigenous insights on human-wildlife coexistence in southern India.

As human-wildlife conflicts escalate worldwide, concepts such as tolerance and acceptance of wildlife are becoming increasingly important. Yet, contemporary conservation studies indicate a limited understanding of positive human-wildlife interactions, leading to potentially inaccurate representations of human-animal encounters. Failure to address these limitations contributes to the design and implementation of poor wildlife and landscape management plans and the dismissal of Indigenous ecological knowledge. We examined Indigenous perspectives on human-wildlife coexistence in India by drawing ethnographic evidence from Kattunayakans, a forest-dwelling Adivasi community living in the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala. Through qualitative field study that involved interviews and transect walks inside the forests, we found that Kattunayakans displayed tolerance and acceptance of wild animals characterized as forms of deep coexistence that involves three central ideas: wild animals as rational conversing beings; wild animals as gods, teachers, and equals; and wild animals as relatives with shared origins practicing dharmam. We argue that understanding these adequately will support efforts to bring Kattunayakan perspectives into the management of India's forests and contribute to the resolution of the human-wildlife conflict more broadly.

Connecting children to nature through the integration of Indigenous Ecological Knowledge into Early Childhood Environmental Education

AbstractIn this paper, we draw on the ontology and epistemology of the local Kasena ethnic group in Northern Ghana to explore Early Childhood Environmental Education. The study, taking place in Boania Primary School, drew on the concept of two-eyed seeing, where both western and Indigenous epistemologies and ontologies were taught. In this way, Indigenous Ecological Knowledge was integrated into the Early Childhood Environmental Education programme for the Kindergarten two classroom environmental studies topics. Two Indigenous Elders led the integration of local knowledge into environmental studies topics by visiting the school to teach the children through taking them outdoors for learning activities. After this, in-depth interviews were held with the teacher, Indigenous Elders, and nine children regarding their experiences. The purpose of the study was to explore how Indigenous Ecological Knowledges can help instil in children positive environmental attitudes and values, while also connecting them to nature and offering them a more relational understanding of human to nature relationships. Based on the Indigenous cultural framework of respect, reciprocity, and responsibility towards nature, the findings show that the integration of Indigenous Ecological Knowledge into environmental education has the potential to improve our relationships with the environment.

Rangeland Degradation and Its Impacts Post-1992: Constructing the Perceptions of Boorana Pastoralist, Southern Ethiopia

The rangelands of Africa have been subject to substantial changes. The changes in the savanna rangelands ecology were often assessed from different points of view. This study constructs the perceptions of Boorana pastoralists on historic changes in rangelands post-1992 based on the Gadaa timelines. The construction of pastoralist perceptions can make an immense contribution to comprehending the rate, trends, indicators, and impacts of rangeland degradation in Boorana rangelands. This study thus points out that pastoralists can better understand and describe rangeland conditions and factors associated with such changes in the Gadaa periods. The study was based on the data collected from 332 pastoralists using a survey questionnaire and qualitative data, and the results were analyzed using descriptions of responses and narrations of cases. The study revealed that the conditions of the Boorana rangelands have been deteriorating over time and rangeland degradation showed unprecedented growth trends, mainly attributed to vegetation, rangeland production, human, environmental, and climate change-related factors. The study also shows that the progressive degradation of rangeland resources has jeopardized rangeland production, livestock productivity, and human well-being in the Boorana rangeland system. The study suggests that the recognition and promotion of indigenous ecological knowledge of pastoralists could sustain the pastoralist community in arid and semiarid rangelands. It is, therefore, imperative to understand pastoralists’ knowledge of rangeland ecology for sustainable management of rangeland resources.