Recapturing the status of indigenous knowledge and its relation to Western science

Western science has become epistemically and politically correct over the last two or three centuries (in the West, and then elsewhere). Its practical correctness has been underpinned by claims about utility, about technological and other goodies derived from science – a sort of internal cargo cult, but one which is coming under pressure in the risk society. Indigenous knowledge is becoming practically correct (as an as yet insufficiently tapped resource for development) and politically correct (cf. reconciliation). Is it now also epistemically correct? For that matter, how ‘correct’ is Western science here? I will use sociology of knowledge insights to address these questions, after outlining the structure of debate and practice on indigenous knowledge.