From Traditional Environmental Knowledge to Traditional Knowledge of the Landscape. The role of the local language

Abstract

The works on traditional knowledge of the landscape are relatively less compared to the rest of the studies on traditional environmental knowledge. We can corroborate this by the number of publications and the existence of scientific societies on topics related to ethnobiology and ethnoecology. Additionally, the linguistic dimension in studies related to traditional knowledge of the landscape has been relatively little studied compared to practical aspects, such as local environmental suitability and agricultural management. This article aims to clarify the importance of the local language in studies on traditional knowledge of the landscape. We conduct a bibliographic review using search engines and conventional databases to establish the scopes and limitations of traditional or indigenous knowledge about the landscape within the framework of traditional environmental knowledge. We then analyze the role of language in works on traditional knowledge of the landscape based on the field and academic experience of the first author, whose native language is chinanteco. Next, we indicate the particularities related to the linguistic dimension immersed in the traditional knowledge of the landscape, including a brief description of a study in the region of Chinantla, Oaxaca. Finally, we conclude with a balance around the problems related to using the local language in studies on traditional knowledge of the landscape.