Natalia Hanazaki's essay challenges the oversimplified causal argument that the maintenance of local and traditional knowledge systems (TEK and LEK) is primarily due to less-advantaged circumstances. She argues against a colonialist perspective that equates less-advantaged circumstances with poverty and deprivation, ignoring the struggles and resistance of traditional knowledge holders. Hanazaki emphasizes the need for socioenvironmental justice and inclusiveness in science, particularly in ethnobiology. She highlights that TEK and LEK are adaptive, intergenerational, and constantly evolving, and their maintenance is not solely driven by economic factors. The essay discusses various layers of economic disadvantages, including inequality, access to territories, and social injustices, which affect traditional communities. It also explores how local and traditional knowledge systems thrive in urban contexts and through religious practices, demonstrating that these systems are often a choice of resistance and survival rather than a last resort. Hanazaki concludes that while poverty can be a factor, it is crucial to recognize the complex and multifaceted nature of the challenges faced by traditional knowledge holders.Natalia Hanazaki's essay challenges the oversimplified causal argument that the maintenance of local and traditional knowledge systems (TEK and LEK) is primarily due to less-advantaged circumstances. She argues against a colonialist perspective that equates less-advantaged circumstances with poverty and deprivation, ignoring the struggles and resistance of traditional knowledge holders. Hanazaki emphasizes the need for socioenvironmental justice and inclusiveness in science, particularly in ethnobiology. She highlights that TEK and LEK are adaptive, intergenerational, and constantly evolving, and their maintenance is not solely driven by economic factors. The essay discusses various layers of economic disadvantages, including inequality, access to territories, and social injustices, which affect traditional communities. It also explores how local and traditional knowledge systems thrive in urban contexts and through religious practices, demonstrating that these systems are often a choice of resistance and survival rather than a last resort. Hanazaki concludes that while poverty can be a factor, it is crucial to recognize the complex and multifaceted nature of the challenges faced by traditional knowledge holders.