Abstract Detail

Paths forward: Engaging Indigenous science and knowledge

Abrahams, Richard [1], Mabry, Makenzie [3], Caomhanach, Nuala [3], Gaynor, Michelle [4], Pham, Kasey [3], Williams, Tanisha [3], Murphy, Kaitlyn A. [3], Smocovitis, Vassiliki Betty [7], Soltis, Douglas [8], Soltis, Pamela [9].

Reckoning With The Past For Building An Inclusive Botany.

Can botany be free from systemic racism? What does it mean to "decolonize" botany? As we grapple with the impacts of modernity, such as the climate crisis, environmental destruction, civil rights, and the socioeconomic disparities of late capitalism, scientists and educators must provide tools for having mindful and inclusive conversations on these topics. Here the authors provide a primer for having these conversations that center on Black, Indigenous, and other peoples historically marginalized or taken advantage of by the scientific process. Using the stories of plants, we highlight the histories of people not often discussed in the botanical classroom and acknowledge why there are countless people whose impact on the botanical field can never be attributed to them. In the end, we highlight the responsibility of applying these lessons in modern research practice and suggest an ethical framework for moving forward.

1 - Yale University, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
2 - University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States
3 -
4 - University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, Dickinson Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
5 - University of Florida, Biology, 220 Bartram Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611-8525, USA
6 - Bucknell University, Biology, 1 Dent Drive, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, United States
7 - University Of Florida, DEPT BIOLOGY, Bartram/Carr Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States
8 - University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, Dickinson Hall, University Of Florida Gainesville, Florida Museum Of Natural History, Dickinson Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States
9 - University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, 32611.0, United States

Keywords:
History
Ethics
Taxonomy 
BIPOC
Colonialism
Systemic racism.

Presentation Type: Colloquium Presentations
Number: C8005
Abstract ID:999
Candidate for Awards:Emanuel D. Rudolph Award