Ms Shehana Gomez

(she/her)

Research

I examine the term bioculturalism, 'the inextricable link between nature and culture' seen in the lifestyles of indigenous and traditional communities.

These lifestyles are said to have a strong conservation ethic. This link has been supported by research in the sciences and social sciences, and recognised in international human rights law, and international environmental treaties such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and Nagoya Protocol, as well as other conservation efforts. Related to this is the concept of biocultural rights developed by Sanjay Kabir Bavikatte. They include rights of indigenous and local communities (ILCs) to self-determination, prior informed consent, land, natural resources, culture and traditional knowledge. The term 'biocultural nexus' describes the connection between these different aspects of bioculturalism.

My PhD focuses on biocultural community protocols, which are documents used by ILCs to set out their history, values, customs and procedures. As well as being a record of this information, they are intended to regulate their interactions with actors who wish to access their land, natural resources and traditional knowledge. They could be government authorities, scientific researchers or private companies. 

I analyse the biocultural community protocols of two indigenous Kenyan communities to see how they reflect biocultural rights, and the context and reasons for creating them.