indigenous wisdom and science gaugau tavana
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March 18th talk byTRANSCRIPT
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“Indigenous Epistemology and Scientific Discovery”
N. Gaugau Tavana, Ph.D. Brigham
Young University (801) 422-
1635 [email protected]
Elon University
March 17, 2014
Language Acquisition: Knowledge that Empowers
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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
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Cultural Values
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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
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Early Polynesian Settlements
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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
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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
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Indigenous epistemology is acquired through daily experimentation and
practice
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Cultures transmit indigenous wisdom
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Culture of Culture of voyaging voyaging
10
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Explicit Knowledge
Knowledge that is easy to communicate “know what” (facts); “know why” (science);
“know who” (networking)
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Tacit Knowledge
Knowledge that is hard to access, provides context, highly valuable,
and is not easily shared
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Codification
Process of transforming tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge through training and direct
experience
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Codification
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Will Indigenous Will Indigenous Wisdom Survive the Wisdom Survive the
2121stst Century? Century?
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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
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A threat to Indigenous Wisdom
And deeper understanding of the natural world…
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0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
1900 2000
• Languages contain explicit information
• Languages are disappearing
Indigenous Language LossIndigenous Language Loss
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0
20
40
60
80
100
Spoken only by elderly
people
Children
20%
80%
Remaining indigenous languagesRemaining indigenous languages
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
N. American Languages
280
20
Spoken only by elderly people
Children
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3. Indigenous epistemology is key to modern scientific discoveries
ethnomedicineethnotaxonomy
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21
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“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
“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
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“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
The Convergence of Indigenous & Scientific Taxonomy
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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.
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Nomenclature of Breadfruit Cultivars in Samoa
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
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Nomenclature of Breadfruit Cultivars in Samoa
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.
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The Convergence of Indigenous & Scientific Taxonomy - Results
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
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Rank Order – Frequency of MentionRank 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
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Expert wisdom is disappearing fastExpert wisdom is disappearing fast
Mean # names: 6.3 Expert mean # names:11.5
0
5
10
15
20
2530
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
# re
spo
nd
en
ts
common knowledge
expert knowledge
Two knowledge realms found: common and expert
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“Masi”
Preservation of Culturally
Important Food
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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.
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In vitro Regeneration and Mass Propagation
TotipotencyTotipotency
1
2
3
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In vitro propagationIn vitro propagation
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In Vitro Germplasm Conservation
3-6 months
2-3 months
2 months
6 weeks2-4 weeks
4-6 Years
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Plants, Medicine & Biodiversity
265,000 flowering plant species in the world
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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
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Ethnomedical knowledge developed over years of experimentation
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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”
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Ethnobotanical Lead Compounds
Hypertension
Reserpine
Rauwolfia serpentinaIndian Snake-Root
Apocynaceae
Emil Schlittler
Analyzing Ayurvedic traditional remedies used by people of Indian
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Catharanthus roseus Rosy periwinkle
Apocynaceae
Child leukemia
Ethnobotanical Lead Compounds
Hodgkin’s disease
Islands of Madagascar
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Ethnobotanical Discovery Ethnobotanical Discovery Future Promise
Anti - viral
Anti – alzheimersAnti –inflammatory
Erythrina Wiliwili
Homalanthus mamala
Cycad Lau pama
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Ethnobotanical Discovery Future Promise
Dr. Paul A. Cox discovered ‘Prostratin’ while speaking with a taulasea - Samoan
healer