LEARNING SUSTAINABILITY FROM THE ELDERS. CASE 1: LESSONS FROM AMAZONIA

With 87 ethnic groups, the cultural diversity of Colombia presents an opportunity to study the geology of its territory using an ethnoscientific approach. This study reports geological knowledge of the Uitoto people and shows its implications in sustainability. We applied ethnogeology drawing methods from anthropology and geology. From anthropology, Participatory Action Research (PAR) was used, comprising unstructured and semi-structured interviews, participative mapping, and participative field trips. From geology, samples were collected and described following field geological methods, and maps were generated using ArcGIS paired with the information gathered on the field.

The study revealed an intricate ecological knowledge with norms and protocols that guaranteed the sustainability of the resources. Rocks in the landscape are explained in terms of the Earth’s body; they can have a mythic origin, and in few occasions, they are interpreted as having a biogenic origin. Relationship and place-making were guided by reciprocity and correspondence principles in the tradition. We found interesting applications for geological resources, such as the uses of clay in traditional medicine. According to the Uitotos, different clays are useful to alleviate gastrointestinal upsets, to regulate the liver and to detoxify the organism in cases of poisoning with Barbasco (Lonchocarpus utilis, and Clibadium asperum). These claims are supported by western science. This paper shows the depth and practicality of the geological knowledge accumulated by Amazonian tribes and explores how we could integrate native knowledge towards a more sustainable world.