Alkuperäiskansojen biokulttuurinen ympäristönsuojelu ja hyvinvointi

There are no prerequisites for this study unit.

• Students achieve in-depth knowledge of Indigenous peoples’ traditional ecological knowledge, and how Indigenous peoples manage their human-environment collectives.

• Students have a good understanding of biocultural heritage and how to analytically approach human-environment relationality.

• Students understand Indigenous notions of the environment, well-being, sustainability, and biodiversity, which creates critical approaches to conservation acts and conservation history.

• Students gain new tools to solve environment conflicts by understanding ontological and epistemological differences.

Study material for an independent study or examination covering the content of this study unit: 

1) Nelson, Melissa K. & Daniel Shilling 2018: Traditional Ecological Knowledge. Learning from Indigenous Practices for Environmental Sustainability. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

2) and choose two of the following:

Berkes, Fikret 2012: Sacred ecology. New York: Routledge.

De Cadena, Marisol 2014: Earth Beings: Ecologies of Practice across Andean Worlds. Durham: Duke.

Dowie, Mark 2009: Conservation Refugees: The Hundred-year Conflict between Global Conservation and Native Peoples. Cambridge (Massachusetts): MIT Press.

Elenius, Lars, Christina Allard & Camilla Sandström 2016: Indigenous rights in modern landscapes: Nordic conservation regimes in global context. London: Routledge.

Helander-Renvall, Elina 2016: Sámi Society Matters. Rovaniemi: Lapland University Press.

Kimmerer, Robin Wall. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants. London: Penguin Books, 2020.

Methods of completion

Lectures or independent study (exam or essay). The lecture course is organized in period 2. Independent study is possible throughout the year.

Recommended time or stage of studies for completion

Indigenous Studies study units can be taken in the student’s own preferred order.

Target group

Indigenous Studies is open for students from all degree programmes of the University of Helsinki.

Opintojakso on osa Kestävyysopintojen verkoston (KOV)(Avautuu uuteen välilehteen) opetustarjontaa. Verkoston kautta ilmoittautuvia opiskelijoita hyväksytään kurssille enintään 3. Verkosto-opiskelijat hyväksytään ilmoittautumisjärjestyksessä.