Definitions
Indigenous knowledge (IK) is the knowledge of local groups with a unique culture, history, and social relations.
As defined by Warren and Rajasekaran, this term refers to “the systematic body of knowledge acquired by local people through the accumulation of experiences, informal experiments, and intimate understanding of the environment in a given culture” (Amer Al-Roubaie 2010, p. 118).
Many authors agree that it is “notoriously difficult” (Fre 2018; Popova-Gosart 2009) to define indigenous knowledge. However, it looks like some common characteristics can be recognized within the varied definitions:
It is collective knowledge: accumulated by a certain community and considered to be collective property.
It is closely tied to location (Fre 2018), where the respective indigenous community lives.
It is intergenerational: passed down from generation to generation, through specific cultural and traditional mechanisms, mostly orally, and most often by elders or people holding...
References
Al-Roubaie A (2010) Building indigenous knowledge capacity for development. World J Sci Technol Sustain Dev 7(2):113–129
Arruda MG, Krutkowski S (2017) Arctic governance, indigenous knowledge, science and technology in times of climate change: self-realization, recognition, representativeness. J Enterp Commun People Places Glob Econ 11(4):514–528
Berkes F, Colding J, Folke C (2000) Rediscovery of traditional ecological knowledge as adaptive management. Ecol Appl 10(5):1251–1262
Berkes F (2009) Evolution of co-management: role of knowledge generation, bridging organizations and social learning. J Environ Manag 90:1692–1702
Borrini-Feyerabend G, Kothari A, Oviedo G (2004) Indigenous and local communities and protected areas: towards equity and enhanced conservation. IUCN, Gland/Cambridge, UK. xviii + 111pp.
Craig D (2007) Biological resources, intellectual property rights and international human rights: impacts on indigenous and local communities, Chapter 5. In: Phillips PWB, Onwuekwe CB (eds) Accessing and sharing the benefits of the genomics revolution. Springer, Dordrecht, pp 81–110
Fre Z (2018) Knowledge sovereignty among African Cattle Herders. UCL Press, London
International Labour Organization (ILO)(1989) Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention (No. 169). www.ilo.org
Kothari A (2008) Protected areas and people: the future of the past. Parks 17(2 DURBAN+5):23–35
Laird S (ed) (2002) Biodiversity and traditional knowledge – equitable partnerships in practice. Earthscan, London/Sterling. WWF
Langton M, Rhea ZM, Palmer L (2005) Community-oriented protected areas for indigenous peoples and local communities. J Polit Ecol 12:23–50
Lockwood M, Worboys GL, Kothari A (eds) (2006) Protected area management: a global guide. Earthscan, London/Sterling
Popova-Gosart U (2009) Traditional knowledge and indigenous people. L’auravetl’an Information & Education Network of Indigenous Peoples (LIENIP) and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
Rao R (2009) The relationship between intellectual property and the protection of traditional knowledge and cultural expressions in traditional knowledge and indigenous people. L’auravetl’an Information & Education Network of Indigenous Peoples (LIENIP) and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
Rosa E (2013) Re-learning of traditional knowledge in times of modernity. Campus-Wide Inf Syst 31(1):14–23
UN (1992) Convention on Biological Diversity. https://www.cbd.int/traditional/
UN (2007) United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). https://www.un.org/development/desa/
UN Development Group (2009) UN guidelines on indigenous peoples’ issues. UN, New York/Geneva
Warren DM, Rajasekaran B (1993) Putting local knowledge to good use. Int Agric Dev 13(4):8
World Conservation Union (IUCN)(2016) Environmental & Social Management System (ESMS) Standard on Indigenous Peoples. https://www.iucn.org/theme/governance-and-rights/about/indigenous-peoples
Websites
Alaska Native Knowledge Network Principles and Guidelines for the Protection of the Heritage of Indigenous Peoples. http://ankn.uaf.edu/iks/protect.html
Australian Parliament – Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. https://www.pmc.gov.au
Convention on Biological Diversity. https://www.cbd.int/traditional/
Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention. www.ilo.org
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). https://www.un.org/development/desa/
World Conservation Union. www.iucn.org
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Section Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this entry
Cite this entry
Orlovic Lovren, V. (2019). Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge: Bridging Past and Future Sustainable Development. In: Leal Filho, W., Azul, A., Brandli, L., Özuyar, P., Wall, T. (eds) Life on Land. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71065-5_96-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71065-5_96-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-71065-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-71065-5
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Earth and Environm. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences