This contribution aims to share some experiences and methodological considerations that arose during an ethnobotanical research project with an Afro-Brazilian religious community in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. By presenting ontological features of plants used in religious practices, and the ways relations are created within this religious cosmology, this work opens a discussion about the political commitments of doing contemporary ethnobotanical science. When the ways of being and living in communities considered “traditional”—here referring to Afro-Brazilian religious communities, and specifically to the Umbanda Afro-Brazilian religion—are treated as equally valid, questions arise about the reaches of our own scientific practices, creating possibilities to construct practices and policies that preserve these communities’ vitality in the face of the overwhelming imposition of colonialism. In this sense, ethnobotanical research is at an analytical crossroads that can give the field an advantage over the political paralysis of the sciences and over the clandestine politicization of science as the spokesperson for a singular nature. These considerations lead to self-reflection on scientific expertise and democratic ways of producing knowledge about plants in plural cultural contexts.

中文翻译：

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如何进行民主的民族植物学研究

该贡献旨在与在巴西圣保罗市的一个非洲裔巴西宗教团体分享一项植物学研究项目期间产生的一些经验和方法上的考虑。通过介绍在宗教实践中使用的植物的本体论特征，以及在这种宗教宇宙学中建立关系的方式，这项工作开启了关于进行当代民族植物科学的政治承诺的讨论。当被视为“传统”的社区（在这里指非洲巴西宗教社区，特别是对乌干达非洲巴西宗教）的生活方式被认为具有同等效力时，就会对我们自己的科学实践的适用范围产生疑问，面对殖民主义势不可挡的情况，创造机会来保留这些社区活力的做法和政策。从这个意义上讲，民族植物学研究处于分析的十字路口，可以使该领域比科学的政治瘫痪和作为奇异性质的发言人将科学的秘密政治化具有优势。这些考虑导致对科学专门知识的自我反思，以及在多种文化背景下生产植物知识的民主方式。