Between Science and the Expertise of the Elders

Drawing on the work of Bruno Latour, Brill traces the distinction between “Science” as the producer of hegemonic knowledge, and the “sciences” as a multiplicity of disciplines and emplaced practices. Through a discussion of cooperative research with Indigenous Nations in Canada, Brill suggests that successful environmental communication needs to grapple with both of these aspects, which are usually subsumed under the term science—integrating more voices, including nonhuman voices, into the “sciences” can put scientific results on a firmer political footing, yet the authority of Science can act as a lingua franca and be used by non-elite groups to communicate beyond particular settings.