Influencing policy (training slides from Fast Track Impact)
Indigenous wisdom and science gaugau tavana
1. “Indigenous Epistemology and
Scientific Discovery”
N. Gaugau Tavana, Ph.D.
Brigham Young University
(801) 422-1635
tavana@byu.edu
Elon University
March
17, 2014
Language Acquisition: Knowledge that Empowers
2. Indigenous Epistemology
Traditional behaviors are shaped by
indigenous epistemologies or traditional
way of thinking, creating, and conveying
knowledge.
Indigenous epistemologies are alive and
well and are also relevant and useful to
the societies to whom they belong
4. Cultures and Languages is a storehouse of
Indigenous Wisdom (IW)
Loss of biological resources is a threat to the
survival of IW, cultures and languages
IW is key to scientific discoveries and basic to
understanding of the natural world
IW can be restored through local, national and
international collaborative efforts
Educational programs greatly help with this work
6. 1. Cultures and Languages: A
Storehouse of Indigenous
Wisdom
Faiva o le tai (fishing and
gathering in the ocean
Faiva o le vao (hunting and
gathering on land
7. T R O P I C ST R O P I C S
Languages & cultures provide
understanding of biosphere on which we
depend for survival
16. 2. Loss of biodiversity means loss of
languages and cultures
Weaving ma’ilo
(food plate)
Cocos nucifera
Making taufolo
Artocarpus altilis
Taupou’s dress
Pandanus tectorius
17. A threat to Indigenous Wisdom
And deeper understanding of
the natural world…
22. “If a man plants
10 (breadfruit)
trees in his life
he would
completely fulfill
his duty to his
own as well as
future
generations.”
Sir Joseph Banks 1796
23. “What’s in a name?
That which we call a rose
By any other name
Would smell as sweet.”
(Romeo & Juliet, Act ii, Scene 1)
The Convergence of Indigenous &
Scientific Taxonomy
24. How Are Plants Named?
Prior to Linnaeus, there
was great confusion about
how to name plants.
Organisms were usually
grouped by common
characteristics.
Sometimes unrelated
organisms with superficial
resemblances were
grouped together.
25.
26. Nomenclature of Breadfruit
Cultivars in Samoa
Invented by
Linnaeus in
response to
cumbersome
18th
century
systems
First used in Flora Lapponica
Expounded in Species
Plantarum & used to
organize Uppsala garden
27. Nomenclature of Breadfruit
Cultivars in Samoa
• Binomial nomenclature
consists of two names:
Artocarpus altilis
Genus species
• International Code of
Botanical Nomenclature
• Used by scientists
throughout the world.
28. The Convergence of Indigenous &
Scientific Taxonomy - Results
• 46 different varieties named
• Binomials & monomials used:
Binomial:
‘Ulu ma’a
Generic term specific
modifier
Monomial:
Ø maopo
Generic term specific
(understood) modifier
29. Rank Order – Frequency of Mention
Name Rank Percent Type Translation
ma'afala 1 90 UM
puou 2 81 UM
aveloloa 3 68 UM
maopo 4 62 UM
ulu ea 5 56 AB “Uvea island”
ulu ma’a 6 55 AB “solid”
ulu manu'a 7 37 AB “Manu’a ”
momolega 8 33 UM
ulu sina 9 22 AB “white”
sagosago 10 17 UM
30. Expert wisdom is disappearing fastExpert wisdom is disappearing fast
Mean # names: 6.3
Expert mean # names:11.5
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
# reported names
#respondents
common
knowledge
expert
knowledge
Two knowledge realms found:
common and expert
32. Nutritional analyses to identify nutrient-
rich varieties.
Molecular studies to help identify
clones.
In vitro propagation.
Product development, e.g., flour.
Base-line inventories of distribution and
use of breadfruit in Africa.
37. In Vitro Germplasm Conservation
3-6 months
2-3 months
2 months
6 weeks
2-4 weeks
4-6 Years
38. Plants, Medicine & Biodiversity
265,000 flowering plant
species in the world
39. 85% of world depends on
phytotherapy
25% of all prescription
drugs derive from plants
<1% of plants have been
studied
Wisdom of Plants and Medicine
265,000 flowering plant
species in the world
41. Ethnobotanical Lead Compounds
William Withering 1785
• Reduces dropsy
• Reduces heart rate
Digitalis
Digitalis purpurea (Foxglove)
“I was told…it had long been a kept
secret remedy of an old woman in
Shropshire”