Systems for Indigenous knowledge stewardship in Australian seed bank institutions
Systems for Indigenous knowledge stewardship in Australian seed bank institutions Journal Article
The Botanic Gardener
- Author(s): Shepheard, Mark
- Published: 2016
- Volume: 45
Abstract: Botanical institutions are strategically positioned as cultural institutions providing the physical space and information systems to enhance people-plant interactions and be a hub for social, cultural, economic and environmental knowledge about plants. This represents a shift of institutional paradigm from repository for objective scientific data alone to sites of interchange for botanical knowledge in partnership with communities. The stewardship of traditional Indigenous knowledge by botanical institutions is a social wellbeing concern for Indigenous communities because it involves negotiation of cultural impacts within the community1.The arrangements for the stewardship of traditional Indigenous knowledge by botanical institutions are part of a partnership that should allow for access to plants and knowledge. This should be with support of the relevant Indigenous community and demonstrated by the granting of formal access and/or social licence. The partnership is also, through networks, likely to be impacted by a range of other stakeholders, including governments, land owners, donors/supporters, media, and conservation and/or Indigenous rights interest groups. My analysis emphasises that recognition of socio-cultural wellbeing in the strategic discourse and its implementation into botanical institution practice is the way to foster productive and effective partnerships including traditional Indigenous knowledge.
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- Urls: https://issuu.com/bganz/docs/tbg_iss45_jul2016_final_160710 Available from