© Amber Stevens, Pixabay

Acknowledging Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) Many cultures and traditions recognize that Nature is sacred. Nature is often associated with deities or family members and so for many traditions, Nature is a living being. In some cultures, this recognition even requires those who wish to visit, document, or eventually use its resources to undergo some form of ritual or way of honoring the spirits of the land and asking the ancestors for permission. For example, to visit with the Talaandig tribe of Bukidnon, Philippines, one must first seek permission from the spirit guides and other keepers of the land through ritual.

Currently, in our work in Kalinga and South Cotabato, these climate vulnerable indigenous communities have rituals for planting and harvesting and food sharing systems. They even have rituals before cutting trees to invite the spirits of the tree to move to another location out of respect. Thus, as much as we can, every workshop we hold invites the local people to share their knowledge relating to their ecosystem first, always referring to their IKSPs (Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices) as the original permaculture. The sharing of permaculture as we know it universally becomes a means of validation and reference.

There are many ways of acknowledging the identity of Nature. In my culture, we often announce our presence and ask permission from Nature spirits when we pass by a grove of trees or any uninhabited place and say, “Tabi (a)po” which means, “Excuse me, may I pass?” Buddhist monks in Thailand ordain trees to make sure they are not cut down. Some Australians and North Americans acknowledge the original custodians of the land they live in as part of their self-introductions. Today, there is a growing movement to recognize the Rights of Nature, giving it a voice and role in its protection and to all of us who depend on it for our survival.

This doesn’t have to be an indigenous approach. One must rethink what ‘indigenous’ really means, as it is in its essence a way of remembering our original relationship with our place. In contexts where land is not owned as ancestral domains or indigenous territories, Principle 0 can be applied as a simple consent or permission for use of the land, its wisdom, and its resources from the previous owner with clear agreements for managing it. As Nature’s elements are beyond political boundaries, developing ways of referencing the collective narrative of the ecosystem can be one way to truly recognize the identity of an ecosystem and design a permaculture plan along with it.

issue 110  winter 2021

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