Volume 1, Issue 2 June 2009 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: ISE’S 1ST ASIAN 2 THE ISE’S FIRST ASIAN CONFERENCE OF ETHNOBIOLOGY CONFERENCE TAIWAN, 21-29 OCTOBER 2009 Profile: Dr. Yih-Ren 3 During the 11th International In order to demonstrate the Resource Management Profile: RECAP 4 Congress of Ethnobiology in unique and diverse cultural 3. Natural Disaster Zones UPDATES ON ISE 4 Peru, the idea of an Asian characteristics of the area, and and Environmental ACTIVITIES regional conference was therefore the topic of “Sacred Mastery posited. When Dr. Yih-Ren Places”, which bears great 4. Local Indigenous Scientific Re-Evisioning Activity 4 Lin, Director of the Research local representation, was Education Global Coalition and 5 Centre for Austronesian chosen as an entrance point Ethics Committee Peoples at Providence into this conference. In order 5. Indigenous Policies and University, was elected as the to reflect the commitment to Biological/Cultural Ethics Toolkit 6 Asian Representative for ISE, research ethics and explore Diversity Conservation 2009-2011 Darrell 7 he was encouraged to hold the academic and practical 6. Traditional Ecological Posey Fellowship the First Asian Conference of dialectical spirit in this Recipients Knowledge Ethnobiology (FACE; www.ise- interdisciplinary field, the topic 7. Indigenous Area Reports: 2006-2008 8 asia.org). of participatory research Research and Research Darrell Posey Small The aim of this conference is methodology was specifically Methodology added. CONFERENCE 10 to address topics that have 8. Religion and Indigenous been long-term priorities for The focus of the ISE FACE is REPORTS Sacred Spaces the ISE that also relate to the “The Position of Indigenous Snowchange 10 portrayal of Indigenous culture Peoples, Sacred Places and 9. Austronesian Endangered by bringing together scholars Participatory Methodology in Language and Culture Indigenous Peoples 11 Conservation. Climate Change and practitioners across Asia Conservation of Cultural and Summit who share an interest in the Biological Diversity”. To The conference is scheduled following topics: understanding further clarify the purpose of for October 21-29, 2009, with The Anchorage 12 the worldly organizational the conference, there will be the main activities being held Declaration methods of society, social nine subtopics of discussion: at three different locations: Shei-pa National Park and Interests of Ethno- 15 organizations, material 1. Indigenous Literature and biology students practice, and interest in Sacred Spaces surrounding Tayal villages, spiritual and world views. (continued on page 2) Planning meeting for 15 2. Participatory Natural the 12th ISE Congress FROM THE EDITORIAL TEAM Society of Ethno- 17 biology Conference In this issue you will read ethnobiology in the news and We invite your feedback, about the upcoming ISE First activities in international policy suggestions, and submissions. IN MEMORIAM: 17 Asian Conference of Ethno- fora, updates on ISE activities, With warm regards, DR. NINA ETKIN biology and host institution, and book reviews and Leslie Main Johnson, ANNOUNCEMENTS 18 updates on current ISE announcements. We plan to activities, short reports on include profiles of community ISE Secretary, GET INVOLVED 19 recent conferences, and news knowledge holders, academic Newsletter Editor and announcements. researchers, and policy UPCOMING 20 Natasha Duarte, ISE The ISE Newsletter will have experts as well as feature EVENTS Coordinator articles on research, different sub-disciplines of ISE MEMBERSHIP 22 community, and students, ethnobiology. DRIVE www.ethnobiology.net Page 2 ISE Newsletter THE ISE’S FIRST ASIAN CONFERENCE OF ETHNOBIOLOGY TAIWAN, 21-29 OCTOBER 2009 Providence University, and Jade Mountain conservation, visits and tours of various National Park and the Bunun villages within. Bunun tribes within the park, workshops, The first three days of the conference nightly festivities, and Indigenous panels. (October 21-23) will be spent at Shei-pa Currently, we are looking specifically National Park, where a special screening of for graduate student submissions of papers, Once upon a Time, an award-winning posters, panels, and tables. Submissions will documentary of Tayal cultural knowledge, be judged by a panel of experts in the field, will be shown to all in attendance. This will and the best young scholars will be asked be followed by various activities including to present their papers at the conference. Indigenous panel discussions, village tours, Scholars may also submit papers, although night festivities, talks by the Tayal on local most spaces have already been filled. issues such as the cypress debate and their People interested in the conference may efforts in flood control, and a visit to a Tayal email [email protected] for more farm that promotes natural farming information. techniques. Days four and five (October 24-25) will be spent at Providence University (Taichung County, Taiwan), where scholars will be able to present their papers on the sub-topics. Graduate students may also present their papers as this conference, as separate graduate sessions will be held to accommodate both groups. Indigenous representatives will host panels and discussions, and poster and table exhibits will also be open for attendees to view. A cultural night will take place on the night of the 24th, where Indigenous and Taiwanese culture will be on full display. The last four days of the conference (October 26-29) will be spent at Jade Mountain National Park and in the Bunun villages. Activities include visits to Tatachia to see a successful case of biological diversity www.ethnobiology.net ISE Newsletter Page 3 Profile: Dr. Yih-ren Lin Dr. Yih-Ren Lin is the In 2008, Dr. Lin hosted same movie that will be on Director of the Research Professor Holmes Rolston III, display during the Shei-pa Centre for Austronesian founding father of National Park portion of the Peoples at Providence environmental philosophy and conference. This film won the University, the ISE Asia founding president of ISEE, Platinum first prize in the Regional Representative, and for the St. Francis Lectures at ethnic/culture category at the the organizer of the ISE‟s Providence University, April 2008 Remi Awards in First Asian Conference of serving as the translator for Houston. This movie displays Ethno-biology. his talk on “God‟s Providence the topics of traditional From a scientific social- and Eco-centrism.” After this Indigenous knowledge and cultural analysis perspective, academic interaction, Dr. Lin related issues to the general Dr. Lin explores the wrote the paper “Pondering public through the relationship between Professor Holmes Rolston III networking of community environmental values and - A Perspective on Traditional universities and Indigenous Dr. Yih-Ren Lin: social migration of different Ecological Knowledge,” which villages. social groups. His main was accepted by the highly In the past few years, Dr. Lin Director of the research topics during the regarded Christian scholarly has actively participated in past five years include: publication Solitude and is set related international Research (1) the diverse cultural to be published in 2009. conferences, and has invited perspective on the ecological Other than his scholarly American, Canadian, English, Centre for value of the Chi-lan cypress work, he has used his Australian, and other key Austronesian forests; (2) Indigenous map research to successfully scholars to Taiwan for making and traditional transform the general scholarly exchange. Peoples, territories; (3) traditional education curriculum, with In addition to serving as the Indigenous ecological numerous awards from the current Asian Representative ISE Asia knowledge; political ecology Department of Education. He on the ISE Board, Dr. Lin has of natural disasters; (4) risks has also been chosen by the been a long-time active Regional and environmental Department of Education as a member of the ISE, management; and (5) distinguished scholar for his participated in the Representative, exploration of participatory work in a course entitled development of the ISE Code action research methodology. “People and the Environment.” of Ethics, assisted in organizer of the Dr. Lin has published many of From the perspective of translation of the Code of his findings in Chinese and action research, he combined Ethics into Chinese, and is ISE‟s First Asian English, including his research the ideals of general currently involved in the Conference of pertaining to the dispute education and the usage of development of the ISE Code behind Makao National Park. pedagogy to delve into the of Ethics Toolkit. Ethnobiology. In 2005 he was invited by social practice field with Professor J. B. Callicott, the “service learning” and president of the International received the Department of Society of Environmental Education‟s National 2007 Ethics (ISEE), to contribute a service learning/volunteerism case study on why teacher of the year award. environmental values are Starting in 2006, with the important for the textbook support of Shei-pa National Principles of Conservation Park and the News Bureau, Biology (Sunderland, Dr. Lin worked alongside the Massachusetts: Sinauer Wu Village Workshop and Associates), one of the few the company Path of Light in cases of environmental the production of the movie conservation in Taiwan Once upon a Time, a video published on an display of Tayal traditional international level. ecological knowledge, the www.ethnobiology.net