February 11 celebrates International Day of Girls and Women in Science, but what do we really mean by science? The results of a biological assessment in the northern Peruvian Amazon have caused a stir in the national and international media as 27 new species for science have been discovered. However, some of these species were already known by the ancient inhabitants of these territories, the Awajún, leading us to rethink the importance of the exchange of knowledge between the western world and the indigenous cosmovision, and, above all, the valuable contribution of women in these expeditions.
We share the experience of Yulisa Tiwi, a young Awajún woman who participated for 38 days in these scientific investigations as an assistant, gathering herpetological information on amphibians and reptiles. This is Yulisa:
Why did you decide to participate?
When they came to my community asking the pamuk (chief of the community) for authorization to conduct research and request support from the community members to learn about the species that live in our territories, I was very curious. I wanted to know more about my territory, to be able to explore it and learn more about how it is now. Since no woman wanted to participate, I volunteered. They told me that I would not stand it, that it was too many days and too long a walk, but I was already determined.
Why was it important for a woman to participate?
Women have a different relationship with the forest than men. We know the medicinal plants, with which to cure our families. We are also in charge of feeding them and we know how and where to find these products. In addition, we women are the ones who transmit cultural values. But as young people, and especially women, we often do not have the opportunity to participate in many spaces where decisions are made that affect our territory, which in recent years has been greatly affected by land leasing. Our identity is linked to the forest and the Awajún without its forest, are no longer Awajún. Participating in this expedition has been an opportunity to get to know and value our territory even more, and to work harder to protect it.
What was the hardest part of the experience, and what was the most rewarding?
The long day and night hikes have been, without a doubt, a great challenge for me. And despite knowing our territory well and being from indigenous communities, there is always a great fear about some species, such as worms and snakes, especially snakes, and I had to grab them, measure them and weigh them! But the most beautiful thing about participating was the unity that was generated in the team. I was the only Awajún woman and they were very understanding; we shared our traditions and they always knew how to respect them. I loved learning about new species and the scientific names of the ones we already knew. When they found the nayum, as we call it, or the blob headed fish that caused so much commotion, it made me laugh; for us it is very common and we always eat it and the enthusiasm that all the scientists felt when they found it made me laugh a lot.
What have you learned the most?
Working and being part of a scientific research like this has allowed me to integrate the ancestral knowledge of my culture to scientific knowledge through participatory actions. I have been able to contribute knowledge from my community, learn and contribute to solutions based on scientific evidence, while ensuring that our identity and values are respected. The experience has helped me feel more empowered as an indigenous woman by allowing me to be a bridge between my community and the scientific world.
Yulisa adds, “Sometimes it's not just about scientific discoveries, but also about cultural knowledge”. This experience has shown that the link and relationship with the territory goes beyond science and has to do with the cosmovision and traditional practices of the people who have inhabited it for centuries. “It is important to recognize that, although science has made important discoveries, many of these species were already known by the local communities before the research. Such exchanges between science and local knowledge are essential for respectful conservation of indigenous ways of life,” she adds.
This sensitive reflection by Yulisa Tiwi invites us to reevaluate the importance of bringing new female perspectives to the fields of science and technology, so largely composed of the male gender.