A Biocultural Ethics Approach 81
p. 780) who express concern about the potential of scientists, funding bodies and
research institutions to underestimate what reconciliation means for Canada:
“Reconciliation will necessarily be long and deep, and must not devolve into a
shallow series of box-ticking exercises”. Wong et al. (2020, p. 779) urge that “true
reconciliation requires going beyond what is required” and underscore the “need
to resist the urge to colonize the process of reconciliation itself ” (2020, p. 780).
Emerging Ethical Guidance for Sharing Knowledge across
Knowledge Systems
From a biocultural ethics perspective, something that will help prevent the
pursuit of biocultural rights for protection of culture and environment from
becoming paint-by-numbers or box-ticking exercises is enabling Indigenous values and principles to be living and embodied (rather than merely aspirational)
through co-creation of intentional and meaningful relationships and fostering
concomitant relational accountability. An example of ethical guidance that
embraces this objective has recently emerged in Canada. Rather than starting
from Western ethical principles that prioritize the rights of autonomous individuals and duties to one another, this Ethical Guidance for Knowledge Sharing Across
Indigenous and Western Scientific Knowledge Systems (Ethics Circle, 2021) builds
upon foundational Indigenous principles and values that uphold broader interconnected r elationships of care and responsibility.
Inspired by Indigenous ethics, relational ethics and ethics of care, and i nformed
by existing national and international ethical norms, this Ethical Guidance extends
ethical thought and action beyond “research” and beyond “humans”, to offer
far-reaching voluntary guidance for respectful knowledge sharing across diverse
knowledge systems (Ethics Circle, 2021).
11 Development of the Ethical Guidance
was supported indirectly by government and academic institutions but primarily
led by Indigenous and non-Indigenous experts in a voluntary capacity, outside
the constraints of these Western systems. The Ethical Guidance is intended to
complement, not replace or contradict, other existing forms of voluntary and
mandatory ethical guidance and regulatory measures that are in place.
Instead of offering a prescription of ethical conduct, the Ethical Guidance fosters
“working together to create capacities that transform ethical thought, sensibility
and action through increasing awareness, understanding and connection” and
“seeks to elevate and encourage ethics as a core awareness and practice within
research, monitoring, education, curriculum development and other endeavours
in a facilitative way” (Ethics Circle, 2021, p. 6). It is meant to support
all those who seek better ways to work together respectfully and equitably
across our diversities by drawing upon those diverse ways of knowing to
reach and share new understandings, insights and approaches to action for
the wellbeing of all beings and Mother Earth.
(Ethics Circle, 2021, p. 6)
p. 780) who express concern about the potential of scientists, funding bodies and
research institutions to underestimate what reconciliation means for Canada:
“Reconciliation will necessarily be long and deep, and must not devolve into a
shallow series of box-ticking exercises”. Wong et al. (2020, p. 779) urge that “true
reconciliation requires going beyond what is required” and underscore the “need
to resist the urge to colonize the process of reconciliation itself ” (2020, p. 780).
Emerging Ethical Guidance for Sharing Knowledge across
Knowledge Systems
From a biocultural ethics perspective, something that will help prevent the
pursuit of biocultural rights for protection of culture and environment from
becoming paint-by-numbers or box-ticking exercises is enabling Indigenous values and principles to be living and embodied (rather than merely aspirational)
through co-creation of intentional and meaningful relationships and fostering
concomitant relational accountability. An example of ethical guidance that
embraces this objective has recently emerged in Canada. Rather than starting
from Western ethical principles that prioritize the rights of autonomous individuals and duties to one another, this Ethical Guidance for Knowledge Sharing Across
Indigenous and Western Scientific Knowledge Systems (Ethics Circle, 2021) builds
upon foundational Indigenous principles and values that uphold broader interconnected r elationships of care and responsibility.
Inspired by Indigenous ethics, relational ethics and ethics of care, and i nformed
by existing national and international ethical norms, this Ethical Guidance extends
ethical thought and action beyond “research” and beyond “humans”, to offer
far-reaching voluntary guidance for respectful knowledge sharing across diverse
knowledge systems (Ethics Circle, 2021).
11 Development of the Ethical Guidance
was supported indirectly by government and academic institutions but primarily
led by Indigenous and non-Indigenous experts in a voluntary capacity, outside
the constraints of these Western systems. The Ethical Guidance is intended to
complement, not replace or contradict, other existing forms of voluntary and
mandatory ethical guidance and regulatory measures that are in place.
Instead of offering a prescription of ethical conduct, the Ethical Guidance fosters
“working together to create capacities that transform ethical thought, sensibility
and action through increasing awareness, understanding and connection” and
“seeks to elevate and encourage ethics as a core awareness and practice within
research, monitoring, education, curriculum development and other endeavours
in a facilitative way” (Ethics Circle, 2021, p. 6). It is meant to support
all those who seek better ways to work together respectfully and equitably
across our diversities by drawing upon those diverse ways of knowing to
reach and share new understandings, insights and approaches to action for
the wellbeing of all beings and Mother Earth.
(Ethics Circle, 2021, p. 6)