Understanding Indigenous knowledge of conservation and stewardship before implementing co-production with Western methodologies in resource management: A focus on fisheries and aquatic ecosystems

Stafford Maracle, Jennifer Maracle and Stephen Lougheed

Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 2025, vol. 14, issue 1

Abstract: In the face of an increasing global human popula­tion and multiple anthropogenic environmental stressors including climate change, the limitations of relying solely on Western science and ap­proaches to mitigating impacts, conserving bio­diversity, and managing resources sustainably is apparent. Many Indigenous Peoples have lived sus­tainably as part of their respective environments for millennia, passing conservation and manage­ment practices down generations despite coloniza­tion and genocide. Long-standing Indigenous knowledge and philosophies offer alternate world­views that can complement Western con­servation and resource management and may strengthen efforts to restore environmental integ­rity and conserve species and ecosystems. Researchers often tout the co-production of knowledge with Indigenous collaborators using frameworks like the Kaswentha (Two Row Wampum—Haudenosau­nee) and the Etuaptmumk (Two Eyed Seeing—Mi’kmaw) without first seek­ing to understand the foundations of Indigenous knowledge itself, and its deep roots in environmen­tal sustainability. We develop a thesis of the embed­ded relational nature of Indigenous knowledges and the unique strengths and perspectives that must be understood before effective and ethical co-production can be possible. We contend that Indigenous knowledge must be treated as a distinct framework to inform conservation and stewardship of biodiversity and nature, rather than selectively integrating it into Western science. Building rela­tionships with local Indigenous nations will help actualize sustainable practices that are rooted in millennia of empirical data. This will help to pro­mote a shift toward a holistic and relational worldview for more impact­ful conservation action.

Keywords: Environmental; Economics; and; Policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/362746/files/1304.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:joafsc:362746

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development from Center for Transformative Action, Cornell University
Bibliographic data for series maintained by AgEcon Search ().