From 2018: #Native Knowledge: What #Ecologists Are Learning from #IndigenousPeople

From Alaska to Australia, scientists are turning to the knowledge of traditional people for a deeper understanding of the natural world. What they are learning is helping them discover more about everything from melting Arctic ice, to protecting fish stocks, to controlling wildfires.

By Jim Robbins • April 26, 2018

"While he was interviewing Inuit elders in Alaska to find out more about their knowledge of beluga whales and how the mammals might respond to the changing Arctic, researcher Henry Huntington lost track of the conversation as the hunters suddenly switched from the subject of belugas to beavers.

"It turned out though, that the hunters were still really talking about whales. There had been an increase in beaver populations, they explained, which had reduced spawning habitat for salmon and other fish, which meant less prey for the belugas and so fewer whales.

"'It was a more holistic view of the ecosystem,' said Huntington. And an important tip for whale researchers. 'It would be pretty rare for someone studying belugas to be thinking about freshwater ecology.'

"Around the globe, researchers are turning to what is known as Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) to fill out an understanding of the natural world. TEK is deep knowledge of a place that has been painstakingly discovered by those who have adapted to it over thousands of years. 'People have relied on this detailed knowledge for their survival,' Huntington and a colleague wrote in an article on the subject. 'They have literally staked their lives on its accuracy and repeatability.'

"This realm has long been studied by disciplines under headings such as ethno-biology, ethno-ornithology, and biocultural diversity. But it has gotten more attention from mainstream scientists lately because of efforts to better understand the world in the face of climate change and the accelerating loss of biodiversity.

"Anthropologist Wade Davis, now at the University of British Columbia, refers to the constellation of the world’s cultures as the 'ethnosphere,' or 'the sum total of all thoughts and dreams, myths, ideas, inspirations, intuitions, brought into being by human imagination since the dawn of consciousness. It’s a symbol of all that we are, and all that we can be, as an astonishingly inquisitive species.'

"One estimate says that while native peoples only comprise some 4 or 5 percent of the world’s population, they use almost a quarter of the world’s land surface and manage 11 percent of its forests. 'In doing so, they maintain 80 percent of the planet’s biodiversity in, or adjacent to, 85 percent of the world’s protected areas,' writes Gleb Raygorodetsky, a researcher with the POLIS Project on Ecological Governance at the University of Victoria and the author of The Archipelago of Hope: Wisdom and Resilience from the Edge of Climate Change."

Read more: https://e360.yale.edu/features/native-knowledge-what-ecologists-are-learning-from-indigenous-people

#SolarPunkSunday #Resiliency
#Biodiversity #CulturalPreservation
#ClimateChange #Ethnosphere #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #SustainableDevelopment #TEK #TIK #TraditionalIndigenousKnowledge

#TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge (#TEK): A Comprehensive Guide

by Dr. Emily Greenfield | Apr 1, 2024

What is Traditional Ecological Knowledge?

"Traditional Ecological Knowledge represents indigenous and local communities’ cumulative knowledge, practices, and beliefs concerning the relationships between living beings and their environments. It is transmitted orally or experientially from one generation to another and is deeply rooted in cultural traditions, spiritual beliefs, and social systems. TEK encompasses a holistic understanding of ecosystems, incorporating environmental, spiritual, social, and economic dimensions. Some key aspects and importance of TEK include:

- Sustainable Resource Management: It offers time-tested practices for sustainable agriculture, fishing, and hunting, maintaining ecological balance.

- Biodiversity Conservation: It provides insights into local biodiversity, aiding conservation efforts and identifying threatened species.

- Climate Change Adaptation: It informs adaptive strategies for climate variability, including seasonal forecasting and resilience-building practices.

- Cultural Preservation: It preserves cultural identity, spirituality, and traditional practices, fostering community cohesion and cultural heritage.

- Community Resilience: TEK empowers communities to address environmental challenges, promoting self-reliance and community-based decision-making.
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Complementarity with Science: It complements Western science, offering alternative perspectives and methodologies for holistic environmental management.

- Social Justice and Equity: Valuing TEK promotes social justice by acknowledging indigenous rights, cultural diversity, and contributions to sustainable development.

"Traditional Ecological Knowledge is vital for sustainable development, biodiversity conservation, cultural preservation, and social justice. Its importance lies in its holistic understanding of human-environment relationships, adaptive strategies for coping with environmental changes, and contributions to community resilience and empowerment.

What are the Features of TEK?

"Traditional Ecological Knowledge exhibits several distinctive features, which set it apart from scientific knowledge and make it a unique and valuable system of understanding the natural world. Some key features of TEK include:

a. Holistic Perspective: TEK views nature as an interconnected system with interdependent components. It considers not only the physical aspects of the environment but also spiritual, cultural, and social dimensions.

b. Oral Transmission: TEK is typically transmitted orally from one generation to another, often through storytelling, rituals, songs, and other cultural practices. It ensures its preservation and continuity over time.

c. Place-based Knowledge: TEK is deeply rooted in specific landscapes and ecosystems. It reflects the intimate relationship between indigenous and local communities and their environments, shaped by generations of observation and interaction.

d. Adaptation and Resilience: TEK embodies adaptive strategies developed over time to cope with environmental changes and uncertainties. It often includes diverse coping mechanisms, such as flexible resource management practices and local ecological calendars.

e. Local and Context-Specific: TEK is highly localized and context-specific, reflecting the unique environmental conditions, cultural values, and socio-economic contexts of particular communities. It may vary even within different communities inhabiting the same region.

f. Embedded Ethics and Values: TEK incorporates ethical principles and cultural values that guide human interactions with nature. These values often emphasize respect, reciprocity, and stewardship towards the environment and other living beings.

g. Integration of Science and Tradition: TEK may incorporate elements of scientific knowledge that complement traditional understanding. Indigenous peoples often integrate new information and technologies into traditional practices while retaining core cultural values and beliefs.

h. Long-term Perspective: TEK often encompasses knowledge accumulated over centuries or even millennia, providing insights into the long-term dynamics of ecosystems and human-environment interactions.

"These features underscore Traditional Ecological Knowledge’s richness, complexity, and resilience as a vital resource for sustainable development, biodiversity conservation, and cultural preservation."

Read more (includes examples):
https://sigmaearth.com/traditional-ecological-knowledge-tek-a-comprehensive-guide/