Episode Four | Nittaya Earkanna: Ancestral Knowledge Is Science

🎙️Episode Four | Nittaya Earkanna: Ancestral Knowledge Is Science

This February 2026, in celebration of the UN International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we’re launching a special three-part podcast series that challenges how we define science, and who shapes it.

Our series, Indigenous Women Redefining Science, amplifies the voices of Indigenous women who are leading research, conservation, and community health through the power of ancestral knowledge. Produced under the Inclusive Conservation Initiative (ICI), the series explores how traditional and Western knowledge systems can work together to protect biodiversity, strengthen livelihoods, and care for future generations.

As the world marks International Women’s Day and leaders gather for the Commission on the Status of Women, we’re releasing Part II of our conversation with Indigenous leader Nittaya (Mee) as part of our podcast series Indigenous Women Redefining Science.

In this second installment of Episode Three, Nittaya, who goes by Mee, reflects on why intergenerational knowledge is essential for the future of communities and the planet. The conversation also explores the barriers Indigenous women face in accessing funding and leadership spaces, despite being central to conservation, food systems, and cultural knowledge.

Yet the episode ultimately points toward hope: a new generation of Indigenous women who are confidently carrying both scientific training and ancestral knowledge forward, reshaping how we understand science, leadership, and conservation.