To what extent could ignorance of indigenous knowledge lie at the heart of the global

ecological crisis?
Nowadays, the usage of the term global ecological crisis is getting more and more frequent.
The reason for this hopefully is that we are slowly getting aware of our role in causing this
crisis. Indigenous knowledge in this sense refers to the knowledge our ancestors had and
made into practice in their everyday life. It also refers to the knowledge that todays
generation usually does not have or has forgotten to appreciate preferring instead of it
technical devices and more modern methods.
First of all, what our ancestors did in other ways than today is the issue of medicines. They
used the kind of medicines which we call today as the alternative ones. This is not the best
expression, as they should be called as the original kind of medicines, and the ones we use
today in western societies should be called as the alternative ones. Once herbs were used for
curing, women in villages and tribes knew what kind of herbs should be used and how. They
had one for every illness and disease and they were more effective and healthy than medicines
we mostly use today. In the 21st century in western societies, a huge industry is based on
producing modern, artificial medicines. The procedure of producing them involves the usage
of chemicals and factories, which results in pollution of the air and the water as well. These
medicines just treat the symptoms of the illness, and usually not cure them, while the ones
used in the old times cured the patient, thus were more effective. Todays medicines have
side-effects, which generate the never-ending procedure of taking medicines for treating (and
not curing!) the side-effects of previously taken medicines. Pollution of air and water results
in causing the deterioration of the flora and fauna which is the beginning of an ecological
crisis.
Secondly, what our ancestors did in other ways is agriculture. Their methods might have been
less modern, but were more healthy and natural. They knew when the rain was due to come,
they deduced the season-circle, and cultivated the land according to their natural knowledge
and beliefs. Nowadays, modern agricultural methods and devices are not healthy for the
environment; pesticides are used against insects and bugs, the pesticides stream in the soil,
pollute it and the water supply as a whole. The result of it will be that the soil will become
uncultivable, the water supplies will be polluted to such an extent that they wont be able to
be used for irrigation or drinking. This procedure will slowly result in the culmination of an
ecological crisis.

To conclude, the usage of medicines and practicing agriculture might be more modern than
what our ancestors used and practiced, but they have been clearly causing ecological crisis.
The solution would be to mix the methods of modern western societies and the methods of
indigenous people and their knowledge to result in a more healthy Earth and to keep it
liveable.
Kovcs Tnde 13. IB