ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the knowledge that emerges and evolves through subsistence activities, such as collecting, hunting, fishing, herding, and various forms of agriculture. The chapter calls this “performance knowledge” and distinguishes it from “declarative knowledge” (e.g. knowing the names and myths about animals) or “behavioral knowledge” (e.g. sharpening a knife or throwing a spear). It is argued that performance knowledge is learned and transmitted largely through accumulated experiences as an observer or as a participant in those performances. It is strongly advocated that researchers should embrace very acute observational techniques or apprenticeship with the practitioner in the local community in order to fully grasp the nuances of this kind of knowledge.
