Reckoning with the ways in which the mechanistic worldview is embedded in chemicals management and how Indigenous Knowledge Systems might help account for the complexities of chemical risk.

Abstract

Governmental institutions in nations that have adopted the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) are working to create appropriate institutional structures to support the implementation of the declaration. This opens up a window of opportunity to learn from and engage with Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) and promote transformational change, provided that communication challenges are overcome. Canada recently elevated the inclusion of Indigenous Knowledge into existing practices as a top priority, following the revision of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) and the adoption of the UNDRIP Act. In this paper, we explore ways to support meaningful inclusion of IKS and Indigenous knowledge holders in chemicals management, areas that are highlighted in the revised CEPA. The study is based on a series of guided conversations that included government staff as well as Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars, all with relevant expertise. We found that the invisibility of the ways in which the mechanistic worldview is embedded in regulatory science and the risk assessment system more broadly hinders meaningful engagement with IKS and Indigenous knowledge holders. We advocate that there is an urgent need to make the colonial legacies of chemicals management visible, in order to enable government staff to find concrete and effective ways to bring this legacy to light. We also advocate the need for governmental participants in conversational and consultational processes to enhance their understanding of the ways in which the inconspicuousness of mechanistic worldviews contributes to challenges in meaningful consultation and communication.