The Chorotega Indigenous System of Earth-Responsive Material Transformation

IPBES Task Force on Indigenous and Local Knowledge ILK Concept Note Submitted March 2026

Author: Stephanie Zabriskie
ORCID: 0009-0000-9273-1529
Affiliation: Humanculture (Indigenous-led nonprofit organization)
Capacity: Founder and Executive Director

Contributors: Valentín López, Chorotega Master Practitioner, Dervin López, Chorotega Practitioner

Associated Platforms

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
UNFCCC Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform (LCIPP)
UNESCO Open Science Documentation

 Overview

The Chorotega Indigenous system of earth-responsive material transformation represents a functioning Indigenous knowledge system through which soils, minerals, seasonal moisture, atmospheric conditions, and material behavior are continuously observed, interpreted, and enacted in the transformation of earth into durable vessels and household infrastructure. The system operates across volcanic, upland, lake and coastal ecological environments that are part of the broader biodiversity landscapes of western Nicaragua.

Within this system, geological materials and environmental signals function as informational inputs guiding decision-making. Environmental variability is interpreted through structured ecological observation rather than treated as disruption. Material transformation therefore operates as a form of environmental knowledge production, in which practitioners read soil composition, mineral behavior, humidity conditions, and seasonal wind patterns to determine readiness for sourcing, preparation, drying, and firing.

The system integrates ecological observation, apprenticeship-based learning, collective governance, and place-based material science. Knowledge is generated through sustained interaction with landscape conditions and transmitted through relational participation across generations.

This concept note introduces the Chorotega Indigenous system as an example of Indigenous and local knowledge operating as a structured environmental knowledge system relevant to IPBES work on biodiversity, land systems, and sustainable use of natural resources.

The system also demonstrates relationships between mineral resources, soil systems, material production, and household food and water infrastructures, illustrating linkages between ecological processes and human well-being that align with emerging IPBES nexus assessment priorities.

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The Chorotega Indigenous System of Earth-Responsive Material Transformation IPBES ILK Concept Note