A propósito da construção de conhecimentos sobre o ecossistema amazônico a partir de uma instituição científica brasileira

Abstract

Since expeditions by naturalists in the 18th century, the production of modern knowledge about the flora and fauna of the Amazon has included people who know the ecosystem from experience. At the National Institute for Amazon Research (INPA), located in Manaus (Amazonia, Brazil) and created in 1952, the production of this knowledge predominantly takes place through relationships between so-called mateiros [people of the forest], fishermen, and other “technicians”; as well as Brazilian and foreign researchers. This article proposes that analyses of the construction of this knowledge should incorporate a sociology of this scientific triad, in the light of the theoretical and political debate on traditional knowledge.