Conserving culture and biodiversity? The role of Indigenous young adults in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

This paper assesses the potential of Indigenous youth to conserve their traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and their perceptions of biodiversity conservation. We used the Nature's Contributions to People framework to explore and co-identify with Indigenous co-authors the contributions that Indigenous youth recognize as related to traditional knowledge. There is a lack of evidence in global south literature regarding Indigenous youth and their relationship with nature, especially within the context of rural-urban mobility when attending universities. We interviewed 11 Indigenous undergraduate students from the Indigenous Lands of Paraná, Brazil, whose territories are affected by socioeconomic pressures and external drivers of deforestation and cultural heritage loss. Indigenous students self-reported that they disseminate and document traditional knowledge through academic projects while living in the city. The situation in their communities diverges from these urban experiences, especially concerning the differences between memories of the traditional practices and the current context. These young people are returning to the communities, developing projects and combining Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledge to address local challenges. Yet they remain excluded from local decision-making processes. Through their narratives, we, as researchers, gained insights into sustainable practices that can help address the loss of TEK and its linkages to forest degradation.