We need to Listen and Watch! Indigenous Knowledge of Living in Concert with the Sea
Dublin Core
Title
We need to Listen and Watch! Indigenous Knowledge of Living in Concert with the Sea
Description
The topic of this paper hopes to anticipate the discussion about the integration of traditions and sciences to ensure
the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the sea in the sustainable development dialogue now and in the
future. In light of the ‘Ocean Decade’, this paper is to realise the potential of indigenous knowledge as an
opportunity for ocean literacy and to identify some issues revolving around the risk of losing such ability. There
is a wealth of indigenous knowledge we can benefit from. For a long time, Western principles of science have
dominated modern society and policy based on their observability, testability, quantifiability and generalisation.
There exists a tension between Western epistemology and indigenous worldview. A question is therefore asked:
How does indigenous knowledge help create the ocean we want?
Coastal zones are vulnerable to natural disasters, including tsunamis, coastal erosions, storm surges, sealevel rise, and sudden floods. The current international ambition for sustainable marine resource development and
improving coastal living quality has unavoidable effects on indigenous living. On several occasions, traditional
knowledge has been proven efficient for friendly living with nature and risk reduction. The ability is, however, on
the brink of fading away due to external forces (i.e. mass tourism, laws prohibiting the harvesting of forest
resources, and an unsupported educational system). No one knows the sea better than those who have lived with
and relied upon it.
the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the sea in the sustainable development dialogue now and in the
future. In light of the ‘Ocean Decade’, this paper is to realise the potential of indigenous knowledge as an
opportunity for ocean literacy and to identify some issues revolving around the risk of losing such ability. There
is a wealth of indigenous knowledge we can benefit from. For a long time, Western principles of science have
dominated modern society and policy based on their observability, testability, quantifiability and generalisation.
There exists a tension between Western epistemology and indigenous worldview. A question is therefore asked:
How does indigenous knowledge help create the ocean we want?
Coastal zones are vulnerable to natural disasters, including tsunamis, coastal erosions, storm surges, sealevel rise, and sudden floods. The current international ambition for sustainable marine resource development and
improving coastal living quality has unavoidable effects on indigenous living. On several occasions, traditional
knowledge has been proven efficient for friendly living with nature and risk reduction. The ability is, however, on
the brink of fading away due to external forces (i.e. mass tourism, laws prohibiting the harvesting of forest
resources, and an unsupported educational system). No one knows the sea better than those who have lived with
and relied upon it.
Creator
Abhirada Pook Komoot
Publisher
The Museum of Underwater Archaeology
Date
2023
Language
English
Bibliographic Citation
Komoot, Abhirada Pook. 2023. “We Need to Listen and Watch! Indigenous Knowledge of Living in Concert with the Sea.” Edited by Jennifer Craig, Jay Mok, T. Kurt Knoerl, and Abhirada Komoot. In Proceedings of Fifth Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage: Gwangju, The Republic of Korea, November 13-18 2023. The Museum of Underwater Archaeology. URL:
Files
Citation
Abhirada Pook Komoot, “We need to Listen and Watch! Indigenous Knowledge of Living in Concert with the Sea,” Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage Proceedings, accessed September 16, 2026, https://apconf.omeka.net/items/show/1931.