Tuesday, July 28, 2026

11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

---

Overview

FACILITATED BY Vitor Renck
PANEL MEMBERS: Vitor Renck, Janelle Baker, Ina Vandebroek, Linda Black Elk

---

Details

Ethnobiology has long been described as evolving through five distinct yet overlapping phases, moving from utilitarianism toward a deeply interdisciplinary and reflexive field responding to global environmental change. In 2021, McAlvay and several world distinguished ethnobiologists called for a sixth phase—one in which ethnobiologists actively confront colonialism, racism, and other oppressive structures embedded in our institutions, projects, and selves. Five years later, despite the paper’s broad influence and more than 150 citations, it remains uncertain whether the discipline has truly advanced toward this transformative vision. Many of the systemic challenges identified by McAlvay et al. persist, raising urgent questions about what continues to hinder progress and how we might collectively move forward. Aligned to develop respectful, community-centered research, transdisciplinary approaches promote knowledge exchange, mutual learning, and meaningful engagement among academic and non-academic actors, thereby enhancing collaborative quality. A key aspect of this approach is the inclusion of multiple knowledge systems and the recognition of diverse value frameworks, which form the basis of the context-specific, pluralistic, and cooperative perspectives that ethnobiologists strive to advance. This themed session seeks to open a critical dialogue around the state of Ethnobiology Phase VI. We aim to examine structural, institutional, and personal barriers that prevent deeper decolonial engagement, while also sharing practical examples of success. The panel discussion will open with brief presentations from Indigenous and local experts, practitioners, early-career researchers, and senior scholars who are addressing colonial legacies in innovative and impactful ways. By bringing together diverse voices and experiences, this session aspires not only to reflect on where we stand, but also to co-create pathways toward a more equitable, self-reflective, and socially accountable ethnobiology.

---

Speaker