FOREST EPISTEMOLOGIES: INTERDISCIPLINARY PATHWAYS IN THE AMAZON

Abstract

This article aims to reflect on the complexity of scientific practice in the Amazon, highlighting the need for an interdisciplinary approach that recognizes the plurality of knowledge systems present in the region. It is the result of theoretical-analytical and documentary research, drawing on contributions from authors such as Edgar Morin, Boaventura de Sousa Santos, and scholars of Amazonian education, as well as institutional and academic experiences within the region. The methodological approach is qualitative and critical-reflective, grounded in a literature review and an analysis of contextualized educational and scientific practices. The results indicate that Western science—historically marked by practices of predatory exploitation and categorization—has neglected the ancestral knowledge of Indigenous, *Quilombola*, riverine, and other Amazonian communities. However, a growing movement to value this knowledge is evident, featuring initiatives that foster dialogue between ancestral and scientific epistemologies and contribute to the development of school curricula that are more inclusive, contextualized, and socially grounded. The article emphasizes the importance of effectively integrating science and tradition to address the Amazon's socio-environmental challenges. This integration strengthens the autonomy of traditional peoples, promotes cognitive justice, and expands possibilities for sustainable environmental conservation. The article advocates for ancestral knowledge systems as legitimate epistemological frameworks capable of renewing and enriching the scientific field itself. Thus, it proposes a science that is contextualized within the Amazonian reality and committed to diversity, ethics, and social transformation.