ISE Call for Contributions from Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities

to the 12th International Congress of Ethnobiology (9-14 May 2010)

Tofino, British Columbia, Canada

Dear ISE Members,

In preparation for the 12th ISE Congress, to be held in Tofino, British Columbia, Canada from 9-14 May 2010, the ISE is announcing a Call for Contributions from Indigenous peoples and local communities.

A limited number of travel bursaries are available to off­set direct expenses (transportation, hotel, meals, Congress registration) for attending the 12th Congress in Canada for Indigenous and local people who are members of the ISE and involved in ethnobiology at the community or grassroots level.

Both new and renewing ISE members are eligible. For ISE membership information, please see http://ise.arts.ubc.ca/membership/

The deadline to submit proposals is 16 October 2009. Please read below for more information on the Congress and for details on how to apply for the travel bursaries (the application guidelines are also attached and available from our website at: http://ise.arts.ubc.ca/congresses/future.php).

Click here to download the Instructions or continue reading below.

ISE Call for Contributions from Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities to the 12th International Congress of Ethnobiology (9-14 May 2010) in Tofino, British Columbia, Canada

Recognition of the central role of Indigenous peoples in all global, regional, and local processes is a founding element of the International Society of Ethnobiology (ISE). Supporting and promoting the critical efforts of Indigenous peoples, traditional societies, and local communities in the conservation of biological, cultural and linguistic diversity has been the priority since the ISE’s inception in 1988.

Today, the ISE continues its groundbreaking efforts in providing a platform for a meaningful and respectful dialogue among people of diverse views, cultures and backgrounds. Cross-cultural sharing of ideas, issues and solutions across Indigenous and non-Indigenous, academic and non-academic, and theoretical and practical perspectives is a vital part of this dialogue that takes place face-to-face at international congresses, held every two years in varying parts of the world. During the ISE Congresses, participants tackle the most difficult and challenging, yet promising questions of our times – cultural and intellectual property rights, locally directed development, and agrobiodiversity, to name a few – informing the global discourse and advancing debates to qualitatively new levels.

Building on the traditions of past ISE congresses, the 12th International Congress of Ethnobiology will  again bring Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants from around the world to tackle the key issues of our times, such as community-conserved areas and food sovereignty. The Congress will include a wide range of formats for people to share their knowledge, ideas and experiences, ranging from talking circles, to film viewings and discussions, cultural performances, field trips, oral presentations and poster sessions. The Congress is intended to be highly interactive and participatory and to foster a commitment by participants to building understanding and trust.

The overarching theme of the 12th Congress is “Hishuk-ish tsa’walk”, a Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations phrase that embodies the concept of “everything is one,” the understanding that everything is connected and nothing is isolated from other aspects of life surrounding it and within it. To help focus and guide dialogue and exchanges at the Congress, the broad themes of the Congress - language, community-conserved areas and food sovereignty - have been selected for their global significance as well as their importance for local community members and the Indigenous Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations.

In preparation for this Congress, to be held in Tofino, British Columbia, Canada from 9-14 May 2010, the ISE is announcing a Call for Contributions from Indigenous peoples and local communities as follows:

Proposals for individual contributions must fall within one of the sub-themes of the 12th Congress:

1) Conserved and protected areas and people

There are a range of structures and institutions used to conserve and protect lands, resources, and human uses of lands and resources such as: Indigenous community conserved areas, tribal parks, biosphere reserves, marine protected areas, and national and regional parks. These are all cross-cultural interfaces with varying degrees of ‘allowable’ cultural use of land and resources. Each holds the potential for both conflict and innovative co-management of land and natural resources. What is the role of ethnobiology within such areas? What are the advantages and disadvantages of different structures and institutional arrangements? Theoretical and practical contributions on this sub-theme are welcome, whether at the conceptual stage or grounded in concrete experiences.

2) Cultural transmission of knowledge in protecting and restoring biocultural diversity

Under this theme, we explore the cultural transmission of knowledge through language and education. Contributions should focus on the roles of language, education and language revitalization in preserving, maintaining and restoring biocultural diversity. For example:

  • In many cultures, past church and state education policies have disrupted cultural transmission of knowledge, but what is today’s role of education? What practices and policies are required to ensure culturally-appropriate education?
  • What are the lessons from language revitalization, and how can these be enshrined in policy to protect biocultural diversity?

Practical contributions on this theme are encouraged. A diversity of formats and media (e.g., audio, video, storytelling, performance art) is encouraged to foster cross-cultural sharing and communication among Congress participants.

3) Traditional foods and food sovereignty

Food sovereignty is the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems [1]. Food sovereignty puts those who produce, distribute and consume food at the heart of food systems and policies rather than being subject to the demands of markets and corporations. It includes and defends the interests of the next generation. Food sovereignty issues are of great importance and interest to Nuu-chah-nulth people and local communities, and under this sub-theme we hope to explore the relationship between ethnobiology and food sovereignty and learn about the world-wide experiences of ethnobiologists, practitioners, indigenous and traditional peoples who are helping to define, protect and put into practice these rights and associated responsibilities.

[1] Declaration of Nyéléni (text), Nyéléni 2007 - Forum for Food Sovereignty. Accessed online at http://www.world-governance.org/IMG/pdf_0072_Declaration_of_Nyeleni_-_ENG.pdf on 20 April 2009.

4) Other topics: Contributions that do not fall within one of the three sub-themes are also welcome. Congress organizers particularly encourage submissions on:

  1. Putting ideas into practice and using practices to inform research, policy, education and action for the stewardship of biological and cultural diversity and ecosystem health.
  2. Adaptive capacity and using cultural knowledge to adapt to local, regional and global changes

Ideally, proposed contributions will aim to create a space for interactive discussion and sharing on ethnobiology-related issues where participants are actively engaged. The ISE strongly encourages individuals to think creatively and beyond the standard “academic delivery model”, particularly from the perspective of Indigenous and local people whose meeting formats maybe quite different from this model. The Congress organizers will do their best to accommodate formats from differing cultural traditions, within the structure of the Congress.

Additionally, an Indigenous Forum will be an integral part of the 12th Congress. The Indigenous Forum is a dedicated space during the Congress that will remain relatively open with a loose structure of pre-determined facilitated gatherings, as well as “open space.” Open space allows a diverse group of people deal with complex, and potentially conflicting material in innovative and productive ways.  The group can identify specific issues on a given topic, self-select into discussion groups, and work with the issue with people also concerned with that issue.  If you would like to propose a contribution (including, but not limited to storytelling, round table, demonstration, film, or poster) or a discussion topic that you would like to lead as part of the Indigenous Forum, please indicate this in your proposal.

Support available:

A limited number of travel bursaries (typically up to $2000 USD per participant) are available to off­set direct expenses (transportation, hotel, meals, registration) for attending the 12th Congress in Canada. Subject to availability of funds and justification by the applicant, bursaries above $2000 USD will be considered. Note that travel and accommodation should be based on the most economical options; on-the-ground expenses during the Congress are estimated at $960 USD (assuming shared accommodations).

Qualifications:

Support is available for Indigenous and local people who are members of the ISE and involved in ethnobiology at the community or grassroots level. Both new and renewing ISE members are eligible. For ISE membership information, please see http://ise.arts.ubc.ca/membership/

Submission requirements (please use this checklist BEFORE you send in your proposal):

Personal Information:

  • Name of applicant and affiliation(e.g., tribe, nation, institution, or other affiliation)
  • Job or occupation of the applicant
  • A short statement of the candidate's interests and connection to ethnobiology
  • Description of financial need and the itemized amount requested
  • If possible, also provide a letter of support from your tribal or community group

Information about the proposed contribution:

  • A title
  • An abstract or description, in 500 words or less
  • The preferred format of your contribution (talking circle, storytelling, presentation, poster, film, demonstration, etc.)
  • Any special audio visual or other equipment you will need (e.g., Power Point, sound system for music, wireless microphone or other specialized equipment)
  • Please indicate which Congress theme your contribution fits in. Please read the Congress themes carefully. If it does not fit within a Congress theme, please describe how it contributes to the Congress overall
  • Please indicate if you are willing to contribute to the Congress Proceedings (if appropriate for the format of your contribution). For example, a paper, a video or recording of your performance or demonstration (we will work with you to record it), a digital copy of your poster
  • Electronic submissions sent by email must contain your name in the file name, e.g., John_Smith_contribution.doc or Maria_Cruz_Gomez_abstract.doc.

The deadline to submit proposals is 16 October 2009.

Successful applicants will be notified 16 November 2009 and are asked to confirm acceptance of financial support and initiate travel plans by 15 December 2009. Note that financial support may be forfeited if acceptance is not confirmed by the date specified.

Please send proposals to Natasha Duarte at isecoordinator@gmail.com.