Exploring Indigenous relationality to inform the relational turn in sustainability science
ABSTRACTThere is growing attention to the idea of a relational turn in sustainability science. Scholarship that names and discusses this trend briefly recognizes Indigenous knowledge traditions as relevant to relational turn conversations, but it has not yet elaborated on this deep source of insight...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Ecosystems and People |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/26395916.2023.2229452 |
| _version_ | 1797385491839975424 |
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| author | Rachelle K. Gould Doreen E. Martinez Kristin R. Hoelting |
| author_facet | Rachelle K. Gould Doreen E. Martinez Kristin R. Hoelting |
| author_sort | Rachelle K. Gould |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACTThere is growing attention to the idea of a relational turn in sustainability science. Scholarship that names and discusses this trend briefly recognizes Indigenous knowledge traditions as relevant to relational turn conversations, but it has not yet elaborated on this deep source of insight. To begin this elaboration, we describe how Indigenous understandings offer practices and approaches that are highly relevant to sustainability science’s relational turn. We engage in this elaboration with two core goals. The first is recognitional (or epistemic) justice – that is, to recognize and credit the foundational and profound elements of relationality within Indigenous thinking, which has embodied, understood and practiced deep relationality for millennia. The second goal is to elucidate how Indigenous thinking can help to re-envision the practices of sustainability science – specifically, via the directive that research must be conducted in service of the needs of the larger, beyond-human collective. We summarize three tenets of Indigenous thinking strongly related to sustainability science’s relational turn: a centering of natural law, ethics and protocols rather than human well-being; a focus on a collective beyond humans; and relationality that involves more than ontology. We describe how Indigenous understandings can inform sustainability science on three levels: researchers’ internal processes and motivations; conceptual foundations; and research practice. We close with reflections on the role of Indigenous epistemologies in a paradigm shift in sustainability science. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T21:54:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5e1580ede9bf45a28b2305a0841c8fd7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2639-5908 2639-5916 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T21:54:59Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecosystems and People |
| spelling | doaj.art-5e1580ede9bf45a28b2305a0841c8fd72023-12-20T00:08:51ZengTaylor & Francis GroupEcosystems and People2639-59082639-59162023-12-0119110.1080/26395916.2023.2229452Exploring Indigenous relationality to inform the relational turn in sustainability scienceRachelle K. Gould0Doreen E. Martinez1Kristin R. Hoelting2Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, USANative American Studies, Department of Ethnic Studies, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USAHuman Dimensions of Natural Resources, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USAABSTRACTThere is growing attention to the idea of a relational turn in sustainability science. Scholarship that names and discusses this trend briefly recognizes Indigenous knowledge traditions as relevant to relational turn conversations, but it has not yet elaborated on this deep source of insight. To begin this elaboration, we describe how Indigenous understandings offer practices and approaches that are highly relevant to sustainability science’s relational turn. We engage in this elaboration with two core goals. The first is recognitional (or epistemic) justice – that is, to recognize and credit the foundational and profound elements of relationality within Indigenous thinking, which has embodied, understood and practiced deep relationality for millennia. The second goal is to elucidate how Indigenous thinking can help to re-envision the practices of sustainability science – specifically, via the directive that research must be conducted in service of the needs of the larger, beyond-human collective. We summarize three tenets of Indigenous thinking strongly related to sustainability science’s relational turn: a centering of natural law, ethics and protocols rather than human well-being; a focus on a collective beyond humans; and relationality that involves more than ontology. We describe how Indigenous understandings can inform sustainability science on three levels: researchers’ internal processes and motivations; conceptual foundations; and research practice. We close with reflections on the role of Indigenous epistemologies in a paradigm shift in sustainability science.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/26395916.2023.2229452Rosemary HillEpistemic justiceIndigenous knowledgeNative scienceNatural Lawparadigm shift |
| spellingShingle | Rachelle K. Gould Doreen E. Martinez Kristin R. Hoelting Exploring Indigenous relationality to inform the relational turn in sustainability science Ecosystems and People Rosemary Hill Epistemic justice Indigenous knowledge Native science Natural Law paradigm shift |
| title | Exploring Indigenous relationality to inform the relational turn in sustainability science |
| title_full | Exploring Indigenous relationality to inform the relational turn in sustainability science |
| title_fullStr | Exploring Indigenous relationality to inform the relational turn in sustainability science |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring Indigenous relationality to inform the relational turn in sustainability science |
| title_short | Exploring Indigenous relationality to inform the relational turn in sustainability science |
| title_sort | exploring indigenous relationality to inform the relational turn in sustainability science |
| topic | Rosemary Hill Epistemic justice Indigenous knowledge Native science Natural Law paradigm shift |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/26395916.2023.2229452 |
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