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Ethnogeology in Amazonia; surface-water systems in the Colombian Amazon, from perspectives of Uitoto traditional knowledge and mainstream hydrology

Sandra Carolina Londono, Cristina Garzon, Elizabeth Brandt, Steven Semken and Vicente Makuritofe
Ethnogeology in Amazonia; surface-water systems in the Colombian Amazon, from perspectives of Uitoto traditional knowledge and mainstream hydrology (in Geoscience for the public good and global development; toward a sustainable future, Gregory R. Wessel (editor) and Jeffrey K. Greenberg (editor))
Special Paper - Geological Society of America (2016) 520: 221-232

Abstract

Ethnogeology, the scientific study of geological knowledge of groups such as indigenous peoples, can be combined with mainstream geological sciences to enhance our understanding of Earth systems. The Amazon rain forest has been extensively studied by both mainstream scientists and indigenous researchers. We argue that knowledge of Amazonian geology and hydrology held by indigenous Uitoto experts is valid, empirically based, and, in many cases, more nuanced than mainstream scientific knowledge. We also argue that knowledge sharing between mainstream and indigenous researchers can improve geological and environmental knowledge on both sides and provide solutions for current environmental problems such as increased pressure on water resources and global warming. We applied methods from ethnography and earth science to examine the traditional ecological knowledge of an Amazonian tribe in Colombia, the Uitoto, about water, and how that knowledge correlates with that of mainstream earth scientists. The study demonstrates how ethnogeology can be applied in a water-rich environment to: (1) compare knowledge about the natural history of an area, (2) study the geological resources available and their uses, and (3) examine the bases of native classification schemes using mainstream science methods. We found parallels and complementary concepts in the two bodies of knowledge. Our results suggest that the Uitoto have a meticulous taxonomy for water and wetlands-knowledge that is essential for protecting, conserving, and managing their water resources.


ISSN: 0072-1077
EISSN: 2331-219X
Coden: GSAPAZ
Serial Title: Special Paper - Geological Society of America
Serial Volume: 520
Title: Ethnogeology in Amazonia; surface-water systems in the Colombian Amazon, from perspectives of Uitoto traditional knowledge and mainstream hydrology
Title: Geoscience for the public good and global development; toward a sustainable future
Author(s): Londono, Sandra CarolinaGarzon, CristinaBrandt, ElizabethSemken, StevenMakuritofe, Vicente
Author(s): Wessel, Gregory R.editor
Author(s): Greenberg, Jeffrey K.editor
Affiliation: Arizona State University, School of Earth & Space Exploration, Tempe, AZ, United States
Affiliation: Geology in the Public Interest, Vashon, WA, United States
Pages: 221-232
Published: 2016
Text Language: English
Publisher: Geological Society of America (GSA), Boulder, CO, United States
References: 55
Accession Number: 2016-090175
Categories: Environmental geologyHydrogeology
Document Type: Serial
Bibliographic Level: Analytic
Illustration Description: illus. incl. 2 tables, sketch maps
S00°42'00" - S00°34'00", W72°28'00" - W72°16'00"
Secondary Affiliation: Universidad Nacional Colombia, COL, ColombiaMonochoa Reservation, COL, Colombia
Country of Publication: United States
Secondary Affiliation: GeoRef, Copyright 2017, American Geosciences Institute. Reference includes data supplied by the Geological Society of America, Boulder, CO, United States
Update Code: 201644

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