While no one can deny that saving endangered species and their habitat is a noble cause, the field of Conservation Biology has been publicly criticized as racist, due to the exclusion of Indigenous people from their lands and waters during the establishment of protected areas, such as national parks and marine protected areas.
In a new collection of 17 papers by Indigenous authors from UH and across the Pacific, a special issue of Pacific Conservation Biology aims to explore the transformative potential of engaging Indigenous values and perspectives in the co-generation, co-production and co-application of knowledge, with a focus on conservation biology in the Pacific.
“Recent events have sparked public interest regarding the historical and ongoing challenges regarding diversity, equity, inclusion and justice in the conservation community,” says Melissa Price of the Dept. of Natural Resources and Environmental Management. “As such, a special issue like this, that aims to improve conservation through integrating Indigenous approaches, may be of both local and national interest.”
Read the UH News story.