Paper short abstract:

The use of traditional knowledge in conservation is part of indigenous empowerment, but the knowledge also risks being misused by other actors. The Maori in New Zealand and the Saami in Sweden are therefore now engaging in the development of joint management schemes of their World Heritage sites.

Paper long abstract:

Conservation management systems that include indigenous traditional knowledge have increasingly been recognized by international conservation authorities as complementary or even superior to the more conventional conservation approaches. Many indigenous peoples, including the Maori in New Zealand and the Saami in Sweden, have actively promoted their traditional knowledge as pivotal for sustainable development, and are now gaining more control over the management of their traditional areas and natural and cultural resources. However the appropriation of indigenous traditional knowledge in conservation can be seen as a two-way process, in which traditional knowledge is part of an indigenous empowerment process, while conservation authorities gain access to and more control over the use of traditional knowledge. The use of traditional knowledge in conservation is therefore a risky business for indigenous people because it poses a potential threat to the integrity of traditional knowledge, and the way it is used. With the promotion of traditional knowledge also follows a need for indigenous peoples to protect their intellectual property rights and their tangible and intangible natural and cultural heritage by ensuring that there is sufficient indigenous influence on conservation boards and in joint management structures to avoid misuse of their knowledge. This paper will illustrate this process by analysing the current development of formal joint management schemes, including the use of indigenous traditional knowledge, between local Maori iwi and DOC in the Tongariro World Heritage site in New Zealand, and between local Saami and conservation authorities in the Laponian World Heritage site in Sweden.