Documenting ethnobotany

Abstract

How can basic ethnobotanical skills aid linguists in the process of language documentation? Why is this important? In this course we will discuss methods that ethnobotanists use to document plant and animal names and the traditional knowledge associated with them (uses, phenological and ecological information, stories, songs, chants etc). Topics include collection of plants in the field, preparation of voucher specimens, metadata, herbaria, recording of traditional ecological knowledge, as well as a discussion of ethical issues that can arise. We will conclude with a discussion of the importance of collaborations between linguists and ethnobotanists, and the opportunities and challenges this can present