Sacred Ecology examines bodies of knowledge held by indigenous and other rural peoples around the world, and asks how we can learn from this knowledge and ways of knowing. Berkes explores the importance of local and indigenous knowledge as a complement to scientific ecology, and its cultural and political significance for indigenous groups themselves. This third edition further develops the point that traditional knowledge as process, rather than as content, is what we should be examining. It has been updated with about 150 new references, and includes an extensive list of web resources through which instructors can access additional material and further illustrate many of the topics and themes in the book.

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Reviews

"Berkes's Sacred Ecology is a must read for students in Environmental Anthropology. Key conceptual distinctions are clearly presented without recourse to jargon, while controversial issues such as indigenous conservation are carefully analyzed and illustrated by convincing case studies. The author offers realistic hope for a future world rich both in biological and cultural diversity." -- Eugene Hunn, University of Washington at Seattle

"I recognize myself in your texts, because I feel that it is about issues as taken exactly from the Sami reindeer herders' world, my world." - Inger Marie Gaup Eira, Sami University College, Norway

"What an amazing, rich and compelling analysis of the systems of environmental knowledge, practice and belief from indigenous and other long-resident peoples of the world! Dr. Berkes’ insights, developed from decades of experience, observation, and participatory study, will help all of us to respond to the immense problems we are facing. Perhaps the most profound message we can take away is that our beliefs matter in our interactions with the environment, and that knowledge is more than just something that is known; it is also the process of gaining information and wisdom." – Nancy J. Turner, Uniof Victoria, Canada

Contents

Chapter 1 Context of Traditional Ecological Knowledge. Defining Traditional Ecological Knowledge. Traditional Ecological Knowledge as Science. Differences: Philosophical or Political? Knowledge-Practice-Belief: A Framework for Analysis. Objectives and Overview of the Volume. Chapter 2 Emergence of the Field. Evolution and Differentiation of the Literature. Growth of Ecosystem-based Knowledge. Cultural and Political Significance for Indigenous Peoples. Questions of Ownership and Intellectual Property Rights. Practical Significance as Common Heritage of Humankind. Chapter 3 Intellectual Roots of Traditional Ecological Knowledge. Ethnobiology and Biosystematics: A Good Fit. More on Linguistics and Methodology: How to Get the Information Right. Exaggeration and Ethnoscience: The Eskimo Snow Hoax? Human Ecology and Territoriality. Integration of Social Systems and Natural Systems: Importance of Worldviews Chapter 4 Traditional Knowledge Systems in ...