ABSTRACT
This chapter is based on the author’s fieldwork in West Africa and Central and North Americas. It argues that “environmental” knowledge is more than the knowledge of a particular geographical location or biological feature. It encompasses a holistic understanding of the biophysical reality when Indigenous Peoples make decisions about resource use. It suggests that there is, however, no universal form of environmental knowledge and it is subjective and dependent on the local context. The holistic nature of environmental knowledge, together with its subjectivity, gives rise to new concepts that enter into environmental knowledge systems. Therefore, Indigenous Knowledge holds significant potential to transform “environmental science”––a project that goes a long way to decolonizing the institutions of education about and governance of the environment.
