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Accepted Paper:

Popularisation of science: reliable interpretation of local knowledge  
Renata Sõukand (Università Ca' Foscari Venezia) Raivo Kalle (Estonian Literary Museum)

Paper short abstract:

Despite the speedy changes of living standards and widespread image that all “traditional” can be potentially treated as a “trap for tourists”, many Estonians do live the tradition and seeing ethnobiologist approaching it properly, learn to appreciate the knowledge.

Paper long abstract:

Urban majority of Estonians lost its ties to the land during and after soviet regime.

The vacuum of ecological knowledge caused the phenomenon of rapidly opened door, when in late 1990ies, supported by economical rise, everything already available outside flushed into the homes and minds of Estonians, including new knowledge on the use of plants. Tens translated books on the medical, edible, garden, etc plants were published in a relatively short period, influencing not only the knowledge system, but also the nomenclature of species grown in the gardens. Finally, the original books by Estonian authors on "traditional plant knowledge" started to evolve, mixing international plant use and plants alien to Estonia with bits of local flora and mind.

On the other hand, in front of joining EU, all "traditional" suddenly became commercially valuable, as certain initiatives supported tourism. Every little tourist-farm developed their traditional recipes (some really were original), local "traditional soap" brands were manufactured from materials brought almost 100% from abroad etc. Entertainment is going even future, there are specific thematic sorceress park in nature reservation area Karula, created to preserve folk heritage as well. Ironically, nothing the sorceress "teaches" there or at the numerous invited lectures comes form neither old nor even new folk heritage. But who will tell the difference?

In our opinion the task of ethnobotanists is to educate the people to appreciate the knowledge they already have and to resist not the changes, but absurd substitutions for the knowledge suitable for given culture and nature.

Panel P24
An ambiguous position: traditional knowledge, economic exploitation and research
  Session 1