Comic · Springer

Epistemologies of Ecological Regeneration

Indigenous and Afrodescendant Knowledge from Colombia and Mexico

This work examines regeneration as a vital principle of resistance rooted in the worldviews of Indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples of Latin America. Through various case studies, the authors analyze ancestral practices such as weaving, the management of the chagra (traditional agricultural plots), and water harvesting, which strengthen territorial autonomy and food security. The crucial role of women's leadership and the care economy in preserving cultural identity in the face of threats such as extractivism and urban sprawl is highlighted. The chapters propose that this traditional knowledge is not merely a relic of the past, but rather an indispensable social technology for confronting the current global environmental crisis. Collectively, these communities defend a form of self-governance based on collective memory, spirituality, and a radical interdependence with nature. The book Epistemologies of Ecological Regeneration: Indigenous and Afro-descendant Knowledge of Colombia and Mexico is presented as evidence of the central thesis that ecological and social regeneration cannot be reduced to a modern restoration technique, but is based on the articulation and survival of ancestral epistemologies of resistance, reciprocity, and autonomy. The findings derived from the case studies of the Cofán, Nasa, Totoroez, Pastos, and the Afro-descendant community of Alto San Juan in Colombia and the Nahuatl and Otomí peoples in Mexico demonstrate inescapably that conventional approaches to sustainability are insufficient to address the current socio-ecological crisis. The true path to regeneration requires the ethical and political restoration of the radical interdependence between human beings and territory. In doing so, Indigenous and Afrodescendant Knowledge Contributions to the Concept of Regeneration promotes intercultural dialogue and the recognition of biocultural diversity, advocating for governance models that include Indigenous voices. It addresses the exclusion of these knowledge systems from formal education and decision-making processes, aiming to empower communities and inform policy-making. By integrating traditional knowledge into contemporary solutions, the book aspires to contribute to a more just, inclusive, sustainable and regenerative future.