Melissa K. Nelson and Dan Shilling (eds.), Traditional Ecological Knowledge: Learning from Indigenous Practices for Environmental Sustainability (original) (raw)
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BOOK REVIEW TRADITIONAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE
JSRNC, 2019
Review of: Melissa K. Nelson & Dan Shilling, eds. Traditional Ecological Knowledge. Learning from Indigenous Practices for Environmental Sustainability. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2018), xiv + 267 pp., ISBN 978-1-108-42856-9 Hardback.
Revitalizing Indigenous Knowledge and shaping a new approach to sustainability
BC Journal of Ecosystems and Management, 2011
here continues to be a great need for the inclusion of traditional ecological knowledge in natural resource management. This was addressed by the conference titled Indigenous Earth: Praxis and Transformation, held in Penticton, B.C., last year. Over the course of 4 days (March 9-12, 2010), more than 30 scholars (both Indigenous and non-Indigenous) from around the world shared their theories and methods for applying Indigenous Knowledge to complex environmental and social realities. This diverse group of academics and practitioners presented their research work and experiences on the possible applications of Indigenous Knowledge to our environment and society. Significant messages were delivered at the conference. Presentations contained powerful messages concerning conservation biology, sustainable forestry, hydrology, cultural heritage, water and land rights, Indigenous environmental ethics, biocolonialsim, and traditional laws and Indigenous governance issues.
2012
The earth is presently experiencing dramatic changes in both social and physical environments; consequent upon this, the human race is faced with grave environmental problems and challenges. Towards the resolution of these grave environmental problems, indigenous knowledge has been cited as an important approach for shaping value, orientations, social action and in mobilizing people (including indigenous peoples), to be interested in our environment, to learn about it as well as taking action to protect and preserve it. This is because indigenous people and their communities have an historical relationship with their lands and are generally descendants of the original inhabitants of such lands. As a result, they have developed over many generations a broad knowledge of how to live sustainably. In this paper, efforts are made to establish the potentials of indigenous ways of knowledge as a coherent and potent approach towards promoting sustainable living and environmental sustainabil...
Promoting Indigenous Knowledge Systems for Sustainable Environmental Resources Management
2017
Though population changes have been noted to have effects on the state of the environment; the initiatives adopted to mitigate these eco-imbalances are still not in tandem with sustainable environmental development. This is reflected in the lack of significant eco-behaviour change by the populace, which at the same time has revealed strong attachment to their environment reflected in different cultural practices that were pro-environmental. This suggests that the ills of climate change are not foreign to different inhabitants, but rather they are historical phenomena that communities constantly struggled to mitigate. The paper argues for the employment of indigenous environment protection methods as the only sustainable solution to the ever complicated eco-challenges. Also, it advocates for the need of specific environmental projects/programmes to be organised in such a way as to suit specific geographical locations so as to accommodate the necessary indigenous environmental knowled...
How Can We Achieve Sustainable Living Using Indigenous Knowledge.pdf
Humanity is not separate from the earth's ecosystem, as one might think. In fact, the quality of the earth's ecosystem and its services have a significant effect on the health of humans. Cultural ecosystem services are the most important services of the ecosystems, which are vital for a sustainable living of humans on the earth. These services include the non-material benefits of the earth's ecosystem in the form of recreation, aesthetic experiences, educational benefits, spiritual improvement and cultural heritage. Overall, these services help us to enrich our social and economic conditions, manage the earth's resources in a better way, and to provide us with a good physical and mental health. However, due to a lack of information and interest for these services in our economic, social and environmental aspects of life, and in the governmental policies on the land-use changes and land management practices, these ecosystem services are in danger of being either diminished, altered or destroyed entirely. This study reviews the experiences and knowledge of indigenous peoples that are deep-rooted in nature to highlight the cultural ecosystem services and their potential role in living in harmony with nature today.
Placing Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge at the Center of Our Research and Teaching
As we consider the theme of this special issue, "Common Ground: People and Our Places," we recognize that we are all living on Indigenous homelands. In our case, our university-the University of Oregon-is on k'alap h uya iliʔi ('Kalapuya lands', from Chinuk Wawa), the Indigenous homeland of Kalapuya peoples, who were forcibly removed in the fervor of westward expansion that took place in Oregon. We begin with an acknowledgement of place because we have a commitment to honoring Indigenous knowledges, which are place-based wisdom and tied to Indigenous homelands (Jacob 2016). We come together to write this article because of our shared interest in Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), an important, growing field of research and methodology that advances educational sovereignty and decolonization efforts (Cederström, DuBois, Frandy, and Connors 2016; Jacob and Blackhorn 2018). While folkloristic discourse typically includes traditional knowledge, cultural expressions, skills, practices, aesthetics, and sensibilities passed on from person to person within folk groups in an informal context, TEK refers very specifically to the issues that emerge when researchers work with Tribes, Tribal councils, Tribal members, Native American knowledge, and First People's heritage traditions. Therefore, TEK projects may be a part of folklore research but may also This article represents decades of ongoing collaborations with Indigenous peoples. We offer wholehearted thanks to all community members and co-researchers who have helped with these projects over the years. For the Yakama Ichishkíin project, we acknowledge and thank project co-PI Phil Rigdon, and Elders Levina Wilkins and Dr. Virginia Beavert as advisors, co-researchers, and Ichishkíin language and culture specialists. We acknowledge the support of the National Science Foundation (NSF), Ichishkíin/Sahaptin (yak): Language Documentation of Natural and Cultural Resources.
The challenges of maintaining indigenous ecological knowledge
Increased interest in indigenous ecological knowledge (IEK) has led to concern that it is vulnerable amidst social and ecological change. In response, multiple authors have recommended the establishment of programs for the maintenance and revitalization of IEK systems. However, few studies have analyzed the methods, opportunities, and challenges of these programs. This is a critical gap, as IEK maintenance is challenging and will require layered and evidence-based solutions. We seek to build a foundation for future approaches to IEK maintenance. First, we present a systematic literature review of IEK maintenance programs (n = 39) and discuss the opportunities and challenges inherent in five broad groups of published approaches. Second, we use two case studies from the Republic of Vanuatu to illustrate these challenges in more depth. The first case study takes a community-based approach, which has inherent strengths (e.g., localized organization). It has, however, faced practical (e.g., funding) and epistemological (changing modes of knowledge transmission) challenges. The second case study seeks to facilitate IEK transmission within the formal school system. Although this model has potential, it has faced significant challenges (e.g., lack of institutional linkages). We conclude that supporting and strengthening IEK is important but that serious attention is needed to account for the social, situated, and dynamic nature of IEK. In closing, we use the review and case studies to propose four principles that may guide adaptive and flexible approaches for the future maintenance of IEK systems.
Traditional Ecological Knowledge
Situating Sustainability: A Handbook of Contexts and Concepts, 2021
This chapter argues that the concept of Traditional Ecological Knowlegde means more than the accumulated environmental knowledge and comprehension of natural phenomena. Rather, it is constituted by a set of evolving beliefs and practices that understands its own dynamic relationship with other beings in the environment. The examples of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) illustrated in this chapter include Apurinã and Manchineri communities in Brazilian Amazonia, and Sámi communities in the Arctic.
Do you know what you know?: Perspectives on traditional ecological knowledge
In order to achieve a meaningful and acceptable economic transition to a position of self reliance, the people of the Kitsumkalum First Nation stress that all resource management within their territory should be coop~ratively directed within their community by their members in association with the federal and provincial governments. Consequently, the Kitsumkalum First Nation recognize the importance of establishing a community-based land and resource management plan for their traditional territory, one that takes into consideration their Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), but which will also harmonize with Western Scientific Knowledge (WSK). Therefore, this paper is an examination ofhow TEK is understood within academic TEK literature, by academic TEK researchers, and within the Kitsumkalum First Nation traditional territory. The author hoped this study would produce a LIST OF TABLES 1. Berkes, F. 1993, Traditional Ecological Knowledge 2. Traditional Knowledge Terminology 49 3. Characteristics ofTraditional Ecological Knowledge by Key Authors 58 4. Themes in the Disagreement of what Constitutes TEK 59 5. Fundamental Elements differentiating TEK and WSK 6. Distinctions between Traditional and Scientific Knowledge 7. Distinctions between Western Science and Indigenous Knowledge 8. Distinctions between Indigenous and Western Scientific Knowledge 9. Differences between Traditional and Modem Science 10. Responses to "What does Tradition in an Indigenous context mean to you?" 11. Responses to TEK and WSK Commonalities 12. Responses to TEK and WSK Differences 13. Responses to the Integration ofTEK and WSK 14. Researcher Thematic Analysis of the Kitsumkalum Community ro~ 15. Researcher Thematic Analysis ofthe Non-Kitsumkalum Group 16. Researcher Content Analysis 17. TextAnz Content Analysis 90 18. Kitsumkalum Participants Combined 94 19. Non-Kitsumkalum Participants Combined 95 20. Academic TEK Literature 96 21. Academic TEK Researcher Survey 97 22. Summary of Content Analysis Re-Examination Coding 99 23. Comparison ofResearcher Coding with TextAnz Coding 100 24. Comparison ofResearcher Coding with Diction Coding 101 25. Comparison ofTextAnz Coding with Diction Coding 102 v LIST OF FIGURES 1. Kitsumkalum and Tsimshian Nation Territory 2. Proposed Differences and Commonalities of TEK with WSK 3. Chart of Activity Scores 4. Chart of Optimism Scores 5. Chart of Certainty Scores 6. Chart ofRealism Scores 7. Chart of Commonality Scores 8. Chart of Insistence Scores 9. Chart of Embellishment Scores 10. Chart ofVariety Scores 11. Chart of Complexity Scores VI 2 104 113 115 LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix 1. Survey of Academic TEK Researchers: Questionnaire Appendix 2. Definitions for Question 5 and 6 Appendix 3. Traditional Knowledge Questionnaire Interview Appendix 4. Diction: Description of Scores Vll ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS A person cannot go through a process such as this study without the support and encouragement of friends and family. I thank all those that supported me throughout this study. I would be remiss ifi did not make special mention of my mother though, who has always been a pillar in my life. I would like to thank the Chief and Council and Treaty Office ofthe Kitsumkalum First Nation for providing me with the support and authority to conduct this project within their traditional territory. A special thank you also goes out to the people ofKitsumkalum who participated in this research and to the Non-Kitsumkalum individuals that agreed to participate as well, without all of whom there would not have been a study. A special thank you goes to my committee members: Annie Booth, Ray Chipeniuk, and Alex Hawley. Not only has your direction and guidance been invaluable to me, but your support for my work has been sincerely appreciated. I also extend thanks to my external examiner, Michael Murphy, for his insight and assistance. I could not possibly thank each of you enough.