Indigenous peoples have lived in harmony with the natural world for thousands of years, developing unique ways of understanding and interacting with their surroundings.
This knowledge is often passed down from generation to generation through oral tradition, and includes a wide range of information about the environment, culture and history of the community. In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of preserving and utilising these indigenous funds of knowledge in order to improve the lives of indigenous peoples and protect the planet’s natural resources.
In our present study in Brunei Darussalam (henceforth Brunei), we found that indigenous peoples have developed a deep understanding of the natural world through generations of living in close relationship with the land.
This knowledge, known as ‘local ecological knowledge’, includes information about the different plant and animal species in the area, their seasonal patterns, and how they can be used sustainably (Davis & Wagner, 2003). For example, the traditional ecological knowledge of the Iban people of Brunei has been practised sustainably to preserve the delicate ecosystem of the Ulu Temburong, where they live.
