This Decade of Ocean Science gives us an extraordinary opportunity
to recognize the value of social and human sciences and in particular
of anthropology, which is my field of study.
We anthropologists are the receptacles of
the traditions and knowledge of the indigenous peoples,
communities often isolated but
which live on the front lines of climate change caused by disturbances in the ocean.
These communities seldom have a way to share
their voices, to make their situation known.
This opportunity to voice their concerns allows us to show
In a very ethical way, when these communities cannot do it themselves,
to unveil a fact, not always known
that there are alternative, traditional ways of living with the ocean, of using the
ocean, or even of conceiving/thinking about
the ocean from a symbolic, poetic, imaginative perspective.
There are multiple ways of embracing the ocean
on our day to day, and Anthropology serves
as well to alert and remind us that there
is no hierarchy between these concepts and values of "ocean"
they coexist in this planet,
and none has an upper hand over the other.
This bring us us to the interest point of
how do we mix Western sciences with traditional sciences, or indigenous knowledge, as we call
them today.
It means bringing together two systems of thinking with different origins, originating from different cradles in human societies,
but which stand to gain a lot by their mixing and interconnection
when addressing climate, ocean and natural resources
We know these issues are extremely manaced,
but the indigenous communities still rely
on them for their food, physical and intellectual
security.
The continuity that creates cultural value for the ocean and the ideal and philosophical concepts it brings to human beings to this day.
These are so-called indigenous societies which are in constant intellectual fervor, connected to nature and the living.
