The role of indigenous knowledge in the development of botanical gardens and the science of botany since 1492

On December 18th, 2021 at 12:00, you are welcome to attend Tinde van Andel’s lecture on “The role of indigenous knowledge in the development of botanical gardens and the science of botany since 1492” at Nest.

About the lecture:
Ethnobotanist Tinde van Andel will narrate the story of the first plants that were taken from the Americas to Europe, namely potatoes, tomatoes, and chili peppers. She will give examples of how living and dead plant specimens and drawings were taken to the Netherlands from its colonies, with or without traditional knowledge, and why this was the case. The lecture will then especially focus on the situation in Dutch-Brazil and Suriname in the 17th and 18th centuries. Approaches to museums’ decolonization will be presented and the rarely acknowledged voices of those indigenous peoples who have helped botanists for centuries to collect information will be shown. The lecture concludes with van Andel’s presentation of her own research in the realm of interconnecting ethnobotanical studies and collections with the descendants of those people that once supplied information to botanists all these centuries ago.

The lecture will be held in English and will be followed by a Q&A session.
Prior to the lecture, you can join a guided tour, which starts at 11:30.