Jul-Sep (2025)

Bridging Ancestral Wisdom and Modern Sustainability: Reinterpreting Traditional Knowledge Systems for Contemporary Ecological Resilience

Taveinii TM

Ph.D Research Scholar, Department of History and Archaeology, Nagaland University, Kohima, Nagaland.

Jangkhomang Guite

Professor, Department of History and Archaeology, Nagaland University, Kohima, Nagaland

This study highlights the ethical and epistemological significance of indigenous knowledge systems in addressing today's ecological crises by critically examining the relationship between traditional wisdom and modern sustainability paradigms. The concepts of reciprocity, harmony, and interdependence between humans and the natural world are embodied in traditional knowledge that is based on generations of empirical observation, adaptive learning, and cultural continuity. The resurgence of environmental issues like biodiversity loss, climate instability, and ecological degradation has rekindled scholarly and policy interest in indigenous epistemologies, despite their historical marginalization under industrial and scientific rationalities. In order to clarify the conceptual connections between conventional ecological knowledge and contemporary sustainability discourses, this paper conducts a thematic synthesis of peer-reviewed literature using a qualitative interpretive framework. According to the analysis, indigenous knowledge systems provide morally sound and culturally grounded models of resource management and social-ecological balance. They are also dynamic, resilient, and contextually adaptive. The study also examines the difficulties in combining scientific and indigenous knowledge, emphasizing problems with intellectual property, cultural appropriation, and epistemic justice. Instead of viewing indigenous communities as passive informants, it promotes dialogic and participatory approaches that acknowledge them as co-producers of knowledge. In order to achieve inclusive, resilient, and sustainable futures, the paper concludes that integrating scientific research with traditional wisdom is not just a methodological advancement but also a transformative ethical imperative.

Keywords: Indigenous Knowledge Systems, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Sustainability, Epistemic Justice, Ecological Resilience, Environmental Ethics
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