Indigenous knowledge systems

‘Indigenous knowledge systems’ (IKS) is a term used to describe knowledge held by Indigenous peoples about the relationships of all living beings with their environment. IKS has been developed and applied by Indigenous peoples for millennia. While Western writers focus on defining these systems as ‘bodies of knowledge’, Indigenous definitions emphasize them as ‘ways of life’. IKSs have been increasingly recognized as potential sources of solutions to increasing environmental challenges. If such promise is to be realized, Indigenous and Western knowledges must be applied equitably and cooperatively in the intensifying search for sustainability.