Abstract:

Indigenous Knowledge (IK) is a specific type of knowledge that is passed from one generation to the next and integrated at the cultural level within an Indigenous group. IK uses systematic methodologies and verification through repetition and observation, derives from relationships with the environment and cultural ceremonies, evolves over time as new information is gained, and reflects cultural values. Generally, IK calls upon individuals, communities, organizations, governments, and others to act and make moral and ethical decisions in the best interests of future generations and place collective interests - including non-human interests - above individual interests. Indigenous Peoples are not homogenous: each nation and community, holds its own IK based on unique foundations and experiences as well as relationships with varied environments. IK is distinct from local knowledge or individual knowledge, both of which are based on recent experiences that may not have been validated with broad consensus within the culture of an Indigenous group