{"id":18785,"date":"2020-07-19T09:29:19","date_gmt":"2020-07-19T09:29:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/?p=18785"},"modified":"2020-08-01T11:03:56","modified_gmt":"2020-08-01T11:03:56","slug":"weaving-indigenous-knowledge-with-scientific-research-a-balanced-approach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/weaving-indigenous-knowledge-with-scientific-research-a-balanced-approach\/","title":{"rendered":"Weaving Indigenous knowledge with scientific research: a balanced approach"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Insights from bicultural research can enhance practical applications from a palaeotsunami database to land-use decisions, according to a new review in Earth Surface Dynamics<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Hooker River in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park, Aotearoa New Zealand; Credit: University of Canterbury<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

MUNICH \u2014 Indigenous knowledge, including oral histories, mythologies, place names, and classification schemes, can span many generations, preserving information that has helped native communities adapt to natural hazards as well as gradually changing conditions. Although Western scientists have historically deemed such information unreliable, during the past decade there has been increasing recognition of the advantages of bicultural approaches to scientific research, including demonstration of reliability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now a review published in the European Geosciences Union\u2019s journal Earth Surface Dynamics<\/a> offers a roadmap for weaving together Indigenous knowledge with modern research, with a focus on the geosciences. \u201cOne goal is to encourage scientists to consider how their project might be of interest or relevance to Indigenous communities and to make conducting research with such groups more accessible,\u201d says Clare Wilkinson, a Ph.D. student at Te Whare W\u0101nanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury and the paper\u2019s lead author.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The review, which is co-authored by native and non-native researchers from both Te Whare W\u0101nanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury and Te Whare W\u0101nanga o T\u0101maki Makaurau | The University of Auckland, showcases a variety of tools for weaving Indigenous knowledge with Western science that maintain the integrity and validity of both methodologies, Wilkinson says. \u201cThere are clear links between Indigenous knowledge and values with respect to geomorphology,\u201d states Wilkinson, \u201cbut there is not much research that weaves these two cultural knowledge bases together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bicultural research: benefits for all<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bicultural research undertaken within respectful, reciprocal relationships can yield benefits for everyone involved, according to Wilkinson. Oral histories, for example, may provide insight into events that have been erased from the geologic record. Filling such gaps is crucial for projects such as the Aotearoa New Zealand Palaeotsunami Database<\/a>, a catalogue of tsunamis that occurred prior to the start of historical written recordkeeping that is being used to better understand the distribution and magnitudes of these potentially destructive mega-waves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weaving of Indigenous knowledge with Western scientific research also has the potential to support native communities to make informed decisions regarding potential hazards on their ancestral lands. An example cited in the review describes native M\u0101ori p\u016br\u0101kau (stories) about a ng\u0101rara: a mythological, lizard-like creature, who lives in the Waitepuru River in Aotearoa New Zealand (a name that reflects the country\u2019s bicultural foundation). According to the authors, many M\u0101ori p\u016br\u0101kau are codified knowledge expressed through metaphors. These particular stories document the river\u2019s past geomorphic activity, expressed through the analogy of the ng\u0101rara flicking its tail back and forth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese stories, which my co-author Dan Hikuroa first published in 2017, document flood events,\u201d says Wilkinson, who notes that these have implications for understanding both the area\u2019s geomorphic history and the potential risks of living there. \u201cThe stories of the danger posed by the ng\u0101rara were taken into consideration when M\u0101ori built their homes, leaving them unharmed by past river-related hazards that have affected other nearby settlements,\u201d Wilkinson says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Braided rivers tool: merging knowledge streams<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the review the authors describe tools that may help other researchers find respectful ways to initiate bicultural research projects. These include several potential frameworks\u2014methodologies used during the theoretical design of the research\u2014as well as step-by-step methods for acquiring data that incorporates Indigenous values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most transferable framework, suggest the authors, is the He Awa Whiria | Braided Rivers, which is based on the iconic Aotearoa New Zealand river systems characterised by networks of frequently shifting, sediment-choked river channels. This framework consists of two streams, one symbolising M\u0101ori knowledge and a second representing Western science. \u201cThe two knowledge streams operate collaboratively as well as independently, but both have the same objective of providing a balanced research outcome,\u201d Wilkinson says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An element of reciprocity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When working with Indigenous communities, it\u2019s essential to understand\u2014or at least respect\u2014Indigenous priorities, interests and worldview, according to Wilkinson. \u201cYou need to anticipate that rock formations and rivers can be ancestors; that when communities talk about fish, they are speaking about brothers and sisters; and when communities talk about the soil, they are describing their Earth mother.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shifting language is also a challenge, explains Wilkinson; words must be chosen very carefully to maintain mutual respect and safety for all involved, and researchers shouldn\u2019t expect Indigenous input on a project that doesn\u2019t interest them or provide them with any benefit. \u201cPurely extractive research is not acceptable; there must be an element of reciprocity,\u201d says Wilkinson. The authors strongly recommend that scientists wishing to participate in bicultural research find cultural advisors who know the preferred procedures for engaging with Indigenous people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, suggest the review authors, drawing from multiple knowledge systems will help researchers and native communities realise novel understandings that could not be reached in isolation. \u201cIt is an exciting time to be a researcher and to play a part in increasingly important engagements with Indigenous culture and knowledge,\u201d concludes Wilkinson. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Insights from bicultural research can enhance practical applications from a palaeotsunami database to land-use decisions, according to a new review in Earth Surface Dynamics<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":18786,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[60,17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18785","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-earth-science","category-research"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/riveraorakimountcook.jpg",1280,960,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/riveraorakimountcook-200x200.jpg",200,200,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/riveraorakimountcook-300x225.jpg",300,225,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/riveraorakimountcook-768x576.jpg",750,563,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/riveraorakimountcook-1024x768.jpg",750,563,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/riveraorakimountcook.jpg",1280,960,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/riveraorakimountcook.jpg",1280,960,false],"ultp_layout_landscape_large":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/riveraorakimountcook.jpg",1067,800,false],"ultp_layout_landscape":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/riveraorakimountcook.jpg",760,570,false],"ultp_layout_portrait":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/riveraorakimountcook.jpg",600,450,false],"ultp_layout_square":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/riveraorakimountcook.jpg",600,450,false],"newspaper-x-single-post":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/riveraorakimountcook-760x490.jpg",760,490,true],"newspaper-x-recent-post-big":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/riveraorakimountcook-550x360.jpg",550,360,true],"newspaper-x-recent-post-list-image":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/riveraorakimountcook-95x65.jpg",95,65,true],"web-stories-poster-portrait":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/riveraorakimountcook.jpg",640,480,false],"web-stories-publisher-logo":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/riveraorakimountcook.jpg",96,72,false],"web-stories-thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/riveraorakimountcook.jpg",150,113,false]},"author_info":{"info":["RevoScience"]},"category_info":"Earth Science<\/a> Research<\/a>","tag_info":"Research","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18785","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18785"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18785\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18786"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18785"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18785"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18785"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}