Feminist and Indigenous Perspectives on Socio-Ecological Dynamics in Ecuador

Discover the fifth session of the 2025–2026 Americanist Anthropology seminar: "Feminist and Indigenous perspectives on socio-ecological dynamics in Ecuador: what intercultural knowledge is needed for páramo management?"

"How can indigenous perspectives on nature, particularly those of the Kayambi people of northern Ecuador, engage with mainstream conceptions of climate change? The study presented focuses on the páramos, high-altitude ecosystems that are essential for water supply and carbon sequestration but threatened by climate change and human activities. Using a pluralistic methodological approach—combining ethnographic work with the Kayambi communities of Cayambe and at the COP30 climate summit, as well as consultation of historical archives—the aim is to document Kayambi conceptualizations of nature and páramos management. The goal is to understand how this ecological knowledge interacts with, challenges, and enriches scientific interpretations in order to foster fruitful intercultural dialogue. The research uses feminist and indigenous perspectives as an analytical lens to revisit dominant socio-ecological models, particularly those of the IPCC."

Larissa Da Silva Araujo – University of Geneva, LAS

Discussant: Pascale De Robert – IRD, PALOC