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Understanding transmission of traditional knowledge across north-western South America: a cross-cultural study in palms (Arecaceae)

Abstract:

The transmission of traditional knowledge (TK) depends largely on the ability of people to preserve and learn new knowledge. Different and opposing evidence about loss, persistence and generation of TK has been reported, but cross-cultural comparisons are notably missing. We interviewed 2050 informants at 25 localities in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia, across three ecoregions (Amazon, Andes, Chocó) and three cultural groups (Indigenous, Mestizos, African-Americans). Our main aims were to: (1) explore the transmission of palm use knowledge for 10 use categories across five age cohorts; and (2) identify the use categories in which knowledge is widely shared by all age cohorts or unique to one cohort. TK was heterogeneous between different age cohorts in the Amazon and the Chocó and increased with age. TK in the Andes was more evenly distributed between generations, with divergent tendencies in relation to age. TK about the categories Human food and Construction was widely distributed. TK in the categories Medicinal and veterinary, Utensils and tools and Cultural uses were more narrowly distributed. Our cross-cultural and multiple-scale study indirectly shows that the maintenance of TK relies on multiple variables, including ecological, social, cultural and economical factors. Our results provide a strong argument that conservation of TK should be embedded in local strategies that recognize all possible influences on knowledge transmission.