The Khipu Model: An Indigenous Knowledge-Based Research Framework
A History and Theory of New Media lecture, presented as part of BCNM's Indigenous Technologies program, co-sponsored by the Arts Research Center (ARC)
with Mariaelena Huambachano
Professor, Environmental Humanities and Indigenous Studies, Syracuse University
This presentation focuses on the Khipu Model, inspired by the Andean Khipu, an Indigenous technological system of weaving and recording knowledge, and its use in reclaiming intellectual sovereignty and transforming food justice/sovereignty justice. Research has been a powerful tool of colonization. For centuries, we have witnessed the dismissal of Indigenous peoples’ knowledge and agency in academia and policymaking. However, times are changing, and we are experiencing a re-emergence of cultures and civilizations historically undermined by global coloniality. We (speaking as one of them) are not only aware of the need to bring Indigenous methodologies into higher education and the research arena to enhance social justice and human rights, but are developing Indigenous-centered research frameworks that are more attentive to Indigenous ways of being, knowing, cultural protocols, and modes of inquiry. I’ll discuss how I draw from Andean technological ingenuity, such as the Andean Khipu, to develop an Indigenous-based research framework that underscores the significance of Indigenous ways of knowing and autonomy over data sovereignty. The Khipu Model provides a counter-story to mainstream research by bringing together Indigenous intellectual traditions, cultures, and imagery to inform innovative research models for food systems transformation.
About Mariaelena Huambachano
A native Peruvian Indigenous scholar, Dr. Mariaelena Huambachano, is an Assistant Professor at Syracuse University, helping to build the Global Indigenous Cultures and Environmental Justice Center. Dr. Huambachano’s research and teaching are rooted in an interdisciplinary approach to Indigenous Studies, Food Systems, Environmental Studies, and Sustainable Development. Dr. Huambachano is a lead author in the UNESCO IPBES ‘values’ assessment of nature and in the High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition Reports. Her upcoming book, Recovering our Ancestral Foodways: Indigenous Traditions as a Recipe for Living Well, is a celebration of the lore of Quechua and Māori and of the world’s Indigenous peoples in safeguarding food systems, innovation, practices, and, ultimately, the well-being of humankind.
More Info
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