Our Values

We seek to center Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in every project and work towards reconciliation while restoring balance to ecosystems and supporting Indigenous data sovereignty and leadership

Our name Wise Ancestors is both an acknowledgement of the important role that ancestors played in stewarding land for millennia, and a recognition of the responsibility we have as ancestors for the future. 

Wise Ancestors is built on the belief that, in addition to the advanced biotechnologies associated with Western science, saving Earth’s species and ecosystems will require engaging with nature in ways that incorporate Indigenous science, knowledge and practices.  

"Findings reveal positive ecological and social outcomes are strongly associated with higher levels of influence of Indigenous Peoples and local communities and their institutions, implying equity in conservation practice should be advanced not only for moral reasons, but because it can enhance conservation effectiveness."1 Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities hold knowledge and practices formed from relationship to place, that is distinct from knowledge built on Euro-centric scientific methodologies. That knowledge supports ecosystem health and biodiversity conservation. 

Wise Ancestors’ approach braids genomic science, traditional knowledge systems and our equitable, decentralized approach. In doing this, we provide a structure for Western, IP and LC scientists, conservationists and community members to work together on biodiversity conservation in an innovative, fair, equitable and future-focused manner.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Wise Ancestors acknowledges the lands all over the world that were stolen from Indigenous peoples, and how past and present injustices are responsible for today’s lingering inequities. In our everyday lives and throughout the development of conservation projects, we are creating inclusive spaces. This was a journey initiated by active listening and learning and that continues through discussions where respect and collective work are central and diversity in culture and opinions valued. By centering Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in every project, we work toward reconciliation while restoring balance to ecosystems and supporting Indigenous data sovereignty.

Wise Ancestors team members live, work and play on many lands and will travel to even more places to meet with, learn from, and partner with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities. We are committed to learning about the history and places of the people we work with, engaging in IP and LC-led conservation projects, and supporting benefits that meet the needs of the IPs and LCs.

WISE ANCESTORS WORDING & Definitions

We recognize that different groups and communities use different terms to refer to similar concepts. The Wise Ancestors team is actively learning and welcomes input from Indigenous Peoples and Local Community members regarding the use of some terms.

Our goal: “Braiding genomic science, traditional knowledge systems and an equitable, decentralized approach for biodiversity conservation” is the result of many discussions with our Board, our advisors, and Indigenous Peoples, and will likely evolve as we learn from our collaborators through each Conservation Challenge.

We decided to use “Traditional knowledge systems” and “Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)” to refer to concepts that are sometimes labeled differently: “Indigenous science,” “Indigenous knowledge,” “Indigenous Local Knowledge” or “Traditional knowledge.” Traditional knowledge systems are living and dynamic bodies of knowledges, practices, skills, and innovations passed down through generations, evolving over time.

We recognize that “traditional” can sometimes be associated with static and historical concepts, failing to capture the contemporary and highly relevant knowledge held by IPs and LCs today. “Indigenous science” is not fully inclusive as we work with local communities that are not Indigenous communities, therefore, for inclusivity purposes, we will use different terms at different times.

The phrase, “Local Community,” refers to non-indigenous communities with historical linkages to places and livelihoods characterized by long-term relationships with the natural environment, often over generations (source: Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services - Glossary definitions).

“Braiding” is also a very intentional word. It reflects that genomic science, traditional knowledge systems and our equitable, decentralized approach are independent entities on their own and while they do not need each other to function, braiding these areas of expertise together creates a unified strand or approach that is even stronger than the individuals, an approach that we feel is needed to protect biodiversity in these unprecedented times.

We would be happy to hear what you think about this terminology and the meaning behind the words we use. And we do apologize if our line of thinking misses an essential component, historical association, or meaning behind a given word. Let us know through our contact page.


References:
1. Dawson, N. M., Coolsaet, B., Bhardwaj, A., Brown, D., Lliso, B., Loos, J., Mannocci, L., Martin, A., Oliva, M., Pascual, U., Sherpa, P., & Worsdell, T. (2024). Reviewing the science on 50 years of conservation: Knowledge production biases and lessons for practice. In Ambio (Vol. 53, Issue 10, pp. 1395–1413). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-024-02049-w