CULTURAL RESPONSIBILITY IN THE PRESERVATION OF LOCAL ECONOMIC PLANT RESOURCES

Understanding the relationships between indigenous people and their threatened economic plants can aid the conservation effort on many levels. Understanding ethnic perceptions of the taxon is critical to in situ and ex situ conservation projects and enhances the accompanying educational effort. Examples are discussed from the experience of a grassroots conservation group in southwestern United States, Native Seed/SEARCH. Four levels of economic plant vulnerability are examined among 1) wild-harvested plants, 2) husbanded wild plants, 3) domesticates, and 4) wild relatives of domesticates. Legal interpretations of endangered husbanded and domestic plants are discussed, and further documentation encouraged. Genetic dynamism of threatened indigenous crops is examined and the concept of Systems Conservation (i.e. the plant/human interactive systems) is introduced. Guidelines are offered for incorporating better cultural responsibility into ex situ conservation strategies. The concept of Biocultural Restoration is introduced with an example from an O'odham community. Examples are given of ways indigenous peoples and their knowledge can assist in the conservation effort.