Indigenous populations are rapidly losing their languages and culture, including traditional knowledge of nature, passed down
orally from generation to generation. Here we examine knowledge of bird and plant species among the young and educated
cohort of the Melpa people of Papua New Guinea and seek to understand the main causes of the decline in this knowledge.
We show that although the young, educated Melpa speakers remain fluent in their native language, they are losing their ethnobiological knowledge. We have uncovered the gaps in bird knowledge, including culturally important ones such as birds of paradise. Knowledge of traditionally used plant species is also limited, with a total of 117 species listed by 1,313 respondents. Nearly
half of the plant uses listed by respondents concerned nonnative plant species. The identified drivers of the decline in Melpa
language proficiency and ethnobiological knowledge include urbanization, the use of Neo-Melanesian pidgin and English at
home, mixed-language marriages, and the decline in traditional skills caused by lifestyle changes. These socioeconomic trends
are largely endogenous, reflecting the choices and aspirations of the Melpa people. Therefore, the ongoing loss of traditional
knowledge is difficult to reverse. Our study shows that ethnobiological knowledge can be endangered even in large and vigorously used Indigenous languages, such as Melpa.
Keywords
ethnozoology, ethnobotany, birds, traditional plant use, language skills
Introduction
The preservation of Indigenous languages and the wealth of
information they convey ultimately depends on the attitudes
of young speakers of these languages toward it. Traditional ethnobiological knowledge that is passed down orally from generation to generation is vulnerable to changes of lifestyle. Recent
lifestyle changes, particularly the pursuit of formal education
and limited contact with the natural world among young
peoples, could lead to a rapid decline in the use of Indigenous languages and consequent deterioration of traditional knowledge
(Soga and Gaston 2016; Hughes, Richardson, and Lumber
2018; Kik et al. 2023). It has been argued (Hunn 2002) that the
survival of biocultural diversity will ultimately depend not on
the survival of small, isolated communities in remote rural areas,
but rather on the attitudes of educated and urban cohorts of
these Indigenous populations toward their natural environment
and traditions. Regular contact with the natural environment
helps people to identify particular species and the value of these
species (Lindemann-Matthies 2005; Pilgrim et al. 2008; Cox
and Gaston 2018). Additionally, knowing the folk names of the
species including birds and plants reflects the depth of condensed
form of traditional ethnobiological knowledge, which also
depends on general language skills (Khasbagan and Soyolt
2008; Franco 2021; Hidayati, Franco, and Suhaimi 2022).
The island of New Guinea is characterized by an extraordinary diversity of plant and animal species as well as languages
(Stepp, Castaneda, and Cervone 2005). New Guinea is the
world’s largest hotspot of linguistic diversity with over 1,000
Indigenous languages, 75% of which are found in Papua New
Guinea (PNG) (Eberhard, Simons, and Fennig 2021). The
local people are mostly rural and practice swidden agriculture.
They also hunt and collect wild plants for cultural, economic,
and medicinal uses in the mostly rainforest environments.
They have therefore developed a deep understanding of their
extremely species-rich environment.
Does above information given have a explicitly?
1 answer
Yes, the provided abstract and introduction explicitly convey the following information:
Loss of Indigenous Knowledge: Indigenous populations, specifically the Melpa people of Papua New Guinea, are experiencing a decline in ethnobiological knowledge, particularly among the younger, educated cohort.
Fluency in Language vs. Knowledge Loss: Despite remaining fluent in their native language (Melpa), young speakers are losing important knowledge about bird and plant species, especially those of cultural significance.
Specific Findings:
Significant gaps in their knowledge of important species such as birds of paradise.
Limited knowledge of traditional plant uses, with many respondents listing nonnative plant species.
Drivers of Knowledge Decline: The decline is attributed to various factors, including:
Urbanization and lifestyle changes.
The use of Neo-Melanesian pidgin and English in homes.
Mixed-language marriages.
A drop in traditional skills and connection with the natural environment.
Impact of Socioeconomic Trends: The drivers of this knowledge loss are linked to the choices and aspirations of the Melpa people, indicating that reversing this trend may be challenging.
Wider Implications: The study emphasizes that ethnobiological knowledge can be at risk even within robust Indigenous languages like Melpa, echoing broader concerns about the preservation of biocultural diversity.
Overall, the text clearly articulates the issues surrounding the decline of traditional knowledge within an Indigenous context, along with the socio-cultural factors contributing to this trend.
