Advocating inclusion and knowledge pluralism for human-ocean relations

The ocean is a global common subject to competing uses, claims and interests. The UN Ocean Decade represents a global cooperative effort to transform ocean science to support sustainable development. Rather than articulating a universalised understanding of the ocean or claiming a singular conception of human-ocean relations, however, the need to embrace plural and diverse knowledges and values has been increasingly promoted. In seeking to foster a relationship based on stewardship and in recognising the need to take seriously the social, cultural and political dimensions of human-ocean relationships, Indigenous peoples and Indigenous knowledge are recognised as playing an important role. In contrast to the natural sciences, which have dominated ocean sciences, Indigenous knowledge emphasises relationality, reciprocity and ethical coordinates that position humans as part of/inseparable from nature. Indigenous knowledge about the oceans, and the relationships between humans and non-human/more-than-human others, accumulates through practices in place and across generations. While we support the inclusion of Indigenous peoples and Indigenous knowledge in actions to improve human-ocean outcomes, we are cautious and argue that care must be taken to ensure the integrity of Indigenous peoples, and their knowledge are upheld. This arises from our perspective as researchers engaged in Indigenous research, and as Indigenous researchers, in Aotearoa New Zealand. We are attentive to the ongoing struggles many Indigenous peoples face in trying to secure their rights, along with the legacy of epistemic violence and multiple forms of social and environmental injustices linked to colonisation. In this paper, we contemplate what an Indigenous approach to the UN Ocean Decade might look like and suggest that, in achieving the ‘ocean we want’, a key challenge rests on “we” and whose voices count.