An Indigenous Scientist Wants Us to Look at Conservation Differently

By Kara Holsopple
The Allegheny Front
February 11, 2022

Conservation has a long history in the U.S., looking back to the creation of the national parks, and to all of the efforts since to protect species from extinction and preserve habitats. A new book asks readers to take another look at conservation through the lived experiences of Indigenous people and their environmental knowledge.

Jessica Hernandez, Ph.D. is an Indigenous scholar, scientist and community advocate from the Maya Ch’orti’ and Zapotec Nations. In Fresh Banana Leaves: Healing Indigenous Landscapes Through Indigenous Science, Hernandez uses stories of her own family and other first-hand accounts by Indigenous people to shift the perspective of how conservation is practiced and who benefits from it.

Read the full article here.