ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the role of cultural expertise in ecological controversies related to the legal status of ecological traditions and practices of Indigenous communities. It questions the cultural and historical biases embedded in Eurocentric legal systems and the complexities and tensions that characterize the involvement of cultural experts in these conflicts. Ground-breaking research in the field of environmental anthropology and philosophy has resulted in the radical questioning of some of the most fundamental concepts of Western epistemology, including the supposedly universal concept of nature. The notion of ecological controversies relates to a large variety of legal conflicts that result from the confrontation of non-dominant ecological practices with mainstream laws and policies. In several respects, the ecological controversy over the use of peyote provides an eloquent illustration of the multifaceted roles that cultural experts can play in such situations.
