Digital model for the preservation of Tsáchila ethnobotanical knowledge
Keywords:
Ethnobotany, indigenous peoples, data sovereignty, intangible cultural heritage, computer systemAbstract
This study proposes the design of a computerized ethnobotanical knowledge management system for the Tsáchila Chigüilpe community in the province of Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Ecuador. The research is based on the recognition of ancestral knowledge as intangible cultural heritage and a strategic resource for health sovereignty and biocultural conservation. In the face of threats such as acculturation, the loss of the Tsáfiki language, deforestation, and the predominantly oral transmission of knowledge, a culturally relevant technological solution is proposed. The study adopted an applied, mixed, and user-centered design approach, incorporating a bibliographic and bibliometric review, a local diagnosis, and participatory workshops with traditional elders, teachers, young people, and community authorities. As a result, a web platform based on three-layer client-server architecture is proposed, with authentication by differentiated roles, access levels, a geospatial module, an advanced search engine, and a community validation system. The proposal integrates principles of data sovereignty, prior informed consent, and community control. A technical, functional, cultural, and legal validation model is established. The proposal seeks to strengthen the intergenerational transmission of knowledge, preventing its fragmentation and promoting community technological autonomy.
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