Review and mapping of Indigenous knowledge concepts in the Arctic

• Main Authors: Dahl, Parnuna Petrina Egede, Tejsner, Pelle
• Other Authors: Koivurova, Timo, Broderstad, Else Grete, Cambou, Dorothée, Dorough, Dalee, Stammler, Florian
• Format: Book Part
• Language: English
• Published: Routledge 2020
• Subjects: Arctic; Greenland; Alaska
• Online Access: https://vbn.aau.dk/da/publications/756b1d9d-c5a8-45b9-bca2-954bcd65c311; https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429270451-16/review-mapping-indigenous-knowledge-concepts-arctic-parnuna-egede-dahl-pelle-tejsner

The importance of using knowledge of Indigenous peoples alongside science in research, management and resource development is increasingly acknowledged. Despite political intentions of including the knowledge of Indigenous peoples, the extent and quality of utilizing their knowledge is uneven in the Arctic. The lack of agreed-upon definitions of various concepts used for the knowledge of Indigenous peoples, and their interchangeable and inconsistent use, creates confusion about their meaning and implications. In this chapter, we review the knowledge concepts and their interrelatedness, developing concept maps to visualize their similarities and differences with a view to clarifying the confusion and aiding a more consistent engagement and utilization of this knowledge. We argue that Indigenous knowledge is the only concept that emphasizes the identity aspect and thus implies the distinct status and collective rights of Indigenous peoples, distinguishing it from other knowledge concepts. Our review suggests that the use of concepts varies significantly in the Arctic, shaped by the colonial and political-economic processes in Greenland, the Canadian Arctic and Alaska. We also observe a transition in use of concepts from traditional knowledge to Indigenous knowledge.