Bridging indigenous and western-science knowledges in the anthropocene

This paper explores how Indigenous knowledge systems and Western science intersect in addressing Anthropocene challenges, focusing on creation stories from the Mundas’ (Adivasi) of India and the Nishnaabeg of Canada. Through textual analysis of Sosobonga (Ram Dayal Munda, R. S. Manki) and Dancing on Our Turtle’s Back (Leanne Betasamosake Simpson), it identifies three themes: storytelling as an ecological pedagogy; embedded empirical knowledge in cosmologies and rituals; and creation stories as ethical frameworks for resilience. The Munda-Asur myth and the Nishnaabeg flood narrative articulate principles of balance, reciprocity, and collective responsibility, framing environmental crises as both material and epistemological. These narratives function as living governance systems, encoding adaptive strategies for sustainability and cultural survival. The study argues for decolonizing environmental governance by integrating Indigenous epistemologies, ethical frameworks, and governance models alongside scientific approaches, fostering pluralistic, relational, and more-than-human strategies for ecological stewardship.