Local and Indigenous knowledge and scientific evidence: The importance of navigating between assimilation, squeezing out, and isolation

How can the relationship between science, local knowledge, and Indigenous knowledge be understood in ways that support well-informed decision-making, both now and in the future? This paper addresses this question by comparing contemporary and historical discussions of knowledge exchange between science, local knowledge, and Indigenous knowledge with evolving conceptions of local and Indigenous knowledge systems. We examine the implications and tensions arising from different understandings of these systems, focusing on the risks of assimilation, squeezing out, and isolation. We argue that, because science fundamentally involves personal experience and practical skills—qualities often associated with local and Indigenous knowledge—a strict separation between these forms of knowledge is neither viable nor productive. To illustrate these dynamics, we analyze selected cases, including the introduction of real-time GPS collars in reindeer husbandry. Drawing on the problem-feeding model, these examples demonstrate that meaningful knowledge exchange and communication between knowledge systems rarely occur without deliberate effort. Finally, we contend that some interpretations of local and Indigenous knowledge, particularly those inspired by Berkes, may impede knowledge exchange and contribute to isolation or exclusion. Such outcomes are problematic both for informed decision-making and for the long-term development of knowledge systems, regardless of whether they are local, Indigenous, or scientific.