Guardians of biodiversity: unraveling Guarani-Kaiowá biocultural memories and ecological wisdom in Atlantic rainforests

This collaborative study represents a partnership between indigenous researchers from the Guarani-Kaiowá people in Brazil and non-indigenous collaborators, aiming to explore the rich biocultural heritage of the Guarani-Kaiowá concerning the forest and its biodiversity. The research methodology involved a diverse array of techniques, including interviews, guided tours, and free listing, a systematic approach to elicit cultural knowledge by asking participants to list items within defined categories. Grounded in participatory research, the study engaged three shamans and two traditional knowledge holders from two Guarani-Kaiowá villages, which was pivotal to the research. We documented, categorized, and analyzed 33 ethnospecies of flora and 17 of fauna. Our observations highlight the substantial complexity of Guarani-Kaiowá knowledge, integrating material, cosmological, and spiritual elements. The biocultural memories shared in this research offer invaluable insights into the ecosystems inhabited by the Guarani-Kaiowá. These intricate relationships emphasize the forest’s spiritual aspects and its guardianship of diverse orders and classifications, intertwining ecology with historical, social-ecological, geographical, and cosmological references. Narratives from shamans and traditional knowledge holders reveal the profound impact of environmental destruction on the Guarani-Kaiowá territory resulting from the prevalent agribusiness model, affecting various life forms and the community’s way of life. Understanding the processes that have impacted socio-biodiversity and territories, embracing aspects of political ecology, is fundamental for devising effective strategies for the restoration and conservation of social-ecological-cosmological systems.