IAS Conference: Indigenous Ecologies and Environmental Crisis
The value of Indigenous knowledges in overcoming failing institutional responses to global crises is increasingly being recognised. This is particularly relevant in times of unprecedented global transformation, referred to by some as the Anthropocene.
This UCL INstitute of Advanced Studies conference invites participants to reflect about the opportunities Indigenous ecologies offer in response to overlapping environmental, economic, political, and social crises. We will explore case studies globally where Indigenous knowledges have been incorporated into policymaking processes discussing the challenges and opportunities those at the forefront of these processes have experienced. We will also look at the ways in which contested understandings of the ‘environment’, ‘ecology’ and the ‘natural world’ have generated powerful social conflicts and histories of struggle for Indigenous peoples across time and place.
We also encourage attendees to engage in conversations about the challenges of translating - even with the best intentions - Indigenous ecological knowledges into modern state apparatuses and formal institutions.
This conference aims to bring interdisciplinary perspectives to bear on the topic of Indigenous ecologies in the context of environmental crisis, and to develop comparative perspectives on debates in different regions of the world. The two days will be organised around four thematic sections: sovereignty, solidarity, language, and gender. Each one of these themes will be built around a case study drawn from work on the Americas, followed by break-out discussion groups to explore parallels and differences to be found in other regions of the world.
Time: Wed 8th & Thurs 9th, 10:00 GMT
