Our language and metaphors about environmental issues reflect and affect how we perceive and manage them. Discourse on invasive species is dominated by aggressive language of aliens and invasion, which contributes to the use of war-like metaphors to promote combative control. This language has been criticised for undermining scientific objectivity, misleading discourse, and restricting how invasive species are perceived and managed. Calls have been made for alternative metaphors that open up new management possibilities and reconnect with a deeper conservation ethic. Here, we turn to Indigenous perspectives because they are increasingly recognised as offering important and novel voices in invasive species discourse. We examine how Australian Aboriginal elders and land managers (rangers) speak about ‘environmental weeds’ (the term used to describe invasive plants in Australia) and weed management. Based on qualitative research with five Aboriginal groups in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, our findings indicate that Aboriginal elders speak about weeds through passive, neutral language and prefer metaphors for weed management that focus on health, care and creation. We outline the influence that this language has for how rangers practice weed work and discuss its implications for the mainstream paradigm.

中文翻译：

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谈论杂草：土著长者对入侵物种及其管理的隐喻

我们关于环境问题的语言和隐喻反映并影响我们如何看待和管理它们。关于入侵物种的话语以外星人和入侵的侵略性语言为主，这有助于使用类似战争的隐喻来促进好斗的控制。这种语言因破坏科学客观性、误导性言论以及限制入侵物种的感知和管理方式而受到批评。人们呼吁使用替代隐喻，开辟新的管理可能性，并与更深层次的保护伦理重新联系起来。在这里，我们转向土著观点，因为它们越来越被认为在入侵物种的讨论中提供了重要而新颖的声音。我们研究了澳大利亚土著长者和土地管理者（护林员）如何谈论“环境杂草”（该术语用于描述澳大利亚的入侵植物）和杂草管理。基于对西澳大利亚金伯利地区五个土著群体的定性研究，我们的研究结果表明，土著长者通过被动、中性的语言谈论杂草，并且更喜欢关注健康、护理和创造的杂草管理隐喻。我们概述了这种语言对护林员如何练习杂草工作的影响，并讨论了它对主流范式的影响。中性语言，更喜欢以健康、护理和创造为重点的杂草管理隐喻。我们概述了这种语言对护林员如何练习杂草工作的影响，并讨论了它对主流范式的影响。中性语言，更喜欢以健康、护理和创造为重点的杂草管理隐喻。我们概述了这种语言对护林员如何练习杂草工作的影响，并讨论了它对主流范式的影响。