From the other side of the knowledge frontier: Indigenous knowledge, social–ecological relationships and new perspectives

Cameron Muir; Deborah Rose; Phillip Sullivan

doi:10.1071/RJ10014

RESEARCH ARTICLE

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From the other side of the knowledge frontier: Indigenous knowledge, social–ecological relationships and new perspectives

Cameron Muir ^A ^D , Deborah Rose ^B and Phillip Sullivan ^C

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Fenner School of Environment and Society, Building 43, Australian National University, ACT 0200, Australia.

^B Centre for Research on Social Inclusion, Division of Society, Culture, Media and Philosophy, Level 3, C5C Research Hub West, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia.

^C National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water NSW, 51 Oxley Street, Bourke, NSW 2840, Australia.

^D Corresponding author. Email: cameron.muir@anu.edu.au

The Rangeland Journal 32(3) 259-265 https://doi.org/10.1071/RJ10014
Submitted: 25 March 2010 Accepted: 26 August 2010 Published: 14 September 2010

Abstract

A river is like a mirror: it reflects the care given by people whose lives depend upon it. A scald on red ground or the slow death of a river reveals more than troubled ecological relationships – they are signs of broken social relationships. How people take care of social relationships and how they take care of ecological relationships are the same question.

In this paper we emphasise the importance that Aboriginal people place on social relationships for good ecological relationships. In the past few decades natural resource managers have sought Indigenous knowledge relevant to Western ideas of environment, and in doing so, created distinctions between ‘ecological’ and ‘social’ knowledge – this is an artificial ‘white-fella’ separation. Additionally, Indigenous knowledge has been treated as if it were a static archive that need only be extracted and applied to resource development and planning. Instead it is dynamic, adaptive and contextual. As a consequence of compartmentalisation and the assumption of timelessness, the importance of social relationships in ecological relationships has been overlooked.

Some research has explored similarities between Indigenous knowledge and the Western concept of adaptive management, and raised the possibility of synergy between them. We agree there are possible connections and opportunities for exchange and further learning between Indigenous knowledge and ecological resilience and adaptive management. However, Indigenous knowledge and Western science belong to different world views. An important task is to explore ways of grappling with this ontological challenge. We suggest a conceptual turn around that we believe could assist in opening a dialogue as well as creating a set of foundational principles for robust ecological and social relationships.

Additional keywords: environmental management, rivers, traditional environmental knowledge, water resources.

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