The authors offer a broad overview of how oral societies preserve accumulated knowledge on risks in their natural environment and transmit this knowledge through a variety of mnemonic devices, including (though not limited to) myths, stories, and song. This knowledge was exploited in the past by communities in their future planning, sometimes in the form of avoidance protocols. Examples from preliterate societies in various parts of the world are cited in support. It is further noted that input from this indigenous knowledge can still be useful for modern assessments of environmental risk.
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