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- Convenor:
-
Sarah Walshaw
(Simon Fraser University)
Send message to Convenor
- Chair:
-
Cynthia Fowler
(Wofford College)
- Format:
- Workshop
- Sessions:
- Thursday 28 October, -
Time zone: Europe/London
Short Abstract:
How do scholarly societies define strategies of decolonization, ethical engagement ,and advocacy? What are goals and milestones for justice, equity, diversity and inclusion? What are the critiques of these, and are there better models? How is advocacy served by academic publications?
Long Abstract:
This workshop aims to open discussions from the Society of Ethnobiology, the Society of Economic Botany, the International Society for Ethnobiology, and other organizations and institutions regarding best practices for working with, and contributing to, Indigenous and other local communities, and promoting the work of under-represented scholars. This includes ethical considerations in research collection, conference presentations, and publication, in addition to equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives for the membership community. The Society of Ethnobiology convenes an Ethics and Advocacy Committee, which meets to address Society needs such as: constructing a Code of Conduct, weighing in on ethical concerns, and consulting membership through the "open house" model at our annual meeting. Stepping forward together with Indigenous colleagues, communities, and Majority World scholars requires facing the limitations of models adopted to date; we welcome critiques and examples of lessons learned. Organizations are welcome to contribute through 5-minute presentations followed by facilitated discussion with the goal of pointing to best practices in working with Indigenous communities, including: collaborative research, co-publication, advocacy, community engagement.
Accepted papers:
Session 1 Thursday 28 October, 2021, -Alex McAlvay (New York Botanical Garden) Ina Vandebroek (New York Botanical Garden) Linda Black Elk (United Tribes Technical College) Samantha Bosco (Cornell University) Janelle Baker (Athabasca University) Chelsey Geralda Armstrong (Simon Fraser University)
Paper short abstract:
We argue that ethnobiology should move toward actively challenging colonialism, racism, and oppressive structures embedded within their institutions, projects, and ourselves. As an international group of ethnobiologists and scholars from allied fields, we identified key priorities for this work.
Paper long abstract:
Ethnobiology, like many fields, was shaped by early Western imperial efforts to colonize people and lands around the world and extract natural resources. Those legacies and practices persist today and continue to influence the institutions ethnobiologists are a part of, how they carry out research, and their personal beliefs and actions. Various authors have previously outlined five overlapping “phases” of ethnobiology. We argue that ethnobiology should move toward a sixth phase in which scholars and practitioners must actively challenge colonialism, racism, and oppressive structures embedded within their institutions, projects, and themselves. As an international group of ethnobiologists and scholars from allied fields, we identified key topics and priorities at three levels: at the institutional scale, we argue for repatriation/rematriation of biocultural heritage, accessibility of published work, and realignment of priorities to support community-driven research. At the level of projects, we emphasize the need for mutual dialogue, reciprocity, community research self-sufficiency, and research questions that support sovereignty of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities over lands and waters. Finally, for individual scholars, we support self-reflection on language use, co-authorship, and implicit bias. We advocate for concrete actions at each of these levels to move the field further toward social justice, antiracism, and decolonization.
Tania Eulalia Martínez-Cruz - University of Greenwich
Mark Nesbitt - Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Meredith Alberta Palmer - Cornell University
Walderes Cocta Priprá de Almeida - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
Jane Anderson - New York University
Zemede Asfaw - Addis Ababa University
Israel T. Borokini - University of Nevada
Eréndira Juanita Cano-Contreras - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Simon Hoyte - University College London
Maui Hudson - University of Waikato
Ana H. Ladio - INIBIOMA (CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue)
Guillaume Odonne - CNRS-LEEISA (USR 3456)
Sonia Peter - Biocultural Education and Research Programme
John Rashford - College of Charleston
Jeffrey Wall - University of Guelph
Steve Wolverton - University of North Texas
Faisal Moola (University of Guelph) Robin Roth (University of Guelph) Jeff Wall (University of Guelph)
Paper short abstract:
The authors are all involved in the Conservation through Reconciliation Partnership in Canada, where we seek to transform how conservation is practiced and to transform the commonly extractive relationships between Indigenous nations and Academic institutions by cultivating reciprocal relationships.
Paper long abstract:
We will discuss our approach to rebuilding and transforming the relationships between the academy and Indigenous nations which includes research, publishing, dissemination and governance of our partnerships and will isolate considerations for scholarly societies and journals who wish to decolonize their practice.