Reconnecting art and science for sustainability: learning from indigenous knowledge through participatory action-research in the Amazon

Reconnecting art and science for sustainability learning from indigenous knowledge through participatory action-research in the Amazon

Sustainability science focuses on generating and applying knowledge to environmentally sound human development around the world. It requires working toward greater integration of different types of knowledge, ways of knowing, and between academy and society. We contribute to the development of appro...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ecology and society Vol. 22; no. 2; p. 36
Main Authors: Athayde, Simone, Silva-Lugo, Jose, Schmink, Marianne, Kaiabi, Aturi, Heckenberger, Michael
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Ottawa Resilience Alliance 01-06-2017
Subjects:
Action research
Basketry
Baskets
Brazilian Amazon
Cross-sectional studies
Ecological sustainability
Ecology
epistemology
Human ecology
indigenous art
Indigenous knowledge
Indigenous peoples
inter - and transdisciplinarity
Kaiabi
Kawaiwete
Knowledge
Leadership
Learning
Men
participatory action research
Regeneration
Research projects
Science
social-ecological resilience
Sustainability
Sustainability science
Sustainable development
Textiles
Traditional knowledge
Villages
Weaving
weaving knowledge
Brazil
Amazonas Brazil
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Summary:Sustainability science focuses on generating and applying knowledge to environmentally sound human development around the world. It requires working toward greater integration of different types of knowledge, ways of knowing, and between academy and society. We contribute to the development of approaches for learning from indigenous knowledge, through enhanced understanding of the system of values, meanings, and relationships afforded by indigenous arts. We focus on a long-term, participatory action research project developed for the revitalization of weaving knowledge among three Kawaiwete (also known as Kaiabi) indigenous groups in the Amazon. The problem was originally defined by indigenous communities, concerned with the erosion of weaving knowledge of basketry and textiles among men and women. Methods for coproduction of knowledge included dialogical methods and tools, indigenous-led strategies, and quantitative and qualitative approaches across biophysical and social sciences. Longitudinal and cross-sectional studies considered multiple dimensions, scales, and networks of knowledge creation, distribution, and transmission. Innovation and articulation with western systems, along with shamanism, gender, and leadership, were key factors enhancing artistic knowledge resilience. We reflect on lessons learned and implications of this initiative for broadening the understanding of art and science intersections toward a sustainable future.
ISSN:1708-3087
1708-3087
DOI:10.5751/ES-09323-220236