Indigenous Spirituality Surrounding Serianthes Trees in Micronesia: Traditional Practice, Conservation, and Resistance

Demeulenaere, Else; Yamin-Pasternak, Sveta; Rubinstein, Donald H; Lovecraft, Amy Lauren; Ickert-Bond, Stefanie M (2021-08-03). "Indigenous Spirituality Surrounding Serianthes Trees in Micronesia: Traditional Practice, Conservation, and Resistance". 68 (4): 548–561. doi:10.1177/00377686211032769. ISSN 0037-7686.

Abstract: Spiritual connections to the natural world are fundamental to Micronesian worldviews. Structured interviews gathered ethnoecological information about Serianthes. The kosmos-corpus-praxis conceptual framework analyzed spirituality surrounding this leguminous tree and its connection with Indigenous cosmology, traditional knowledge, and practices. We can summarize the results as follows: (a) interspecies relationships expressed through rituals and oral history guide ethnobotanical practices in Belau (Palau) and Wa’ab (Yap); (b) the tree is critically endangered on Guåhan (Guam) and Luta (Rota). In Luta, the tree is celebrated as a flagship species for endangered plant recovery, while the last Guåhan tree has become a rallying point for spiritual resistance when its habitat became threatened by military plans to construct a firing range; (c) spirituality is a fundamental value for island communities; and (d) traditional knowledge holders and scholars strive to work together toward a co-production of knowledge, using spirituality as a fundamental principle toward respectful and sustainable biocultural conservation.

Extra details:

MAG: 3189464782
OpenAlex: W3189464782
QID: Q129003689