Tag Archives: BC

Module 3 – Post #5 – TEK in BC

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TRADITIONAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM OF ABORIGINAL PEOPLES IN BRITISH COLUMBIA

This paper was written in 2000 by Nancy Turner. Examples of TEK are provided by the Secwepemc (Shuswap), Interior Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw and Nuu-Chah-Nulth peoples of the Northwest Coast. Many TEK topics are discussed, such as: knowledge of ecological principles, such as succession and interrelatedness of all components of the environment; use of ecological indicators; adaptive strategies for monitoring, enhancing, and sustainably harvesting resources; effective systems of knowledge acquisition and transfer; respectful and interactive attitudes and philosophies; close identification with ancestral lands; and beliefs that recognize the power and spirituality of nature.

Going though this valuable resource, there are many sections describing specific methods and knowledge that has allowed Aboriginal people live in a sustainable manner for years and years.

Here is an example of plant resource use: “Plant resource use was (and is) imbued with ecological knowledge and wisdom that take many forms. Contemporaneous life cycles of different species; seasonal signals such as position and size of snow patches on the mountains, or the arrival of the first snow in the fall; relative numbers of particular birds in a given location; flowering of certain plants; and productivity of certain berries: all of these provide indicators for people to know when to expect a salmon run, when the clams are ready to be dug, or when particular roots are ready for harvesting (Turner 1997b). Regeneration of individual plants also has been widely recognized. Pruning or burning of certain berry bushes, for example, was formerly a common practice, and resulted in long-term enhanced yields. Basketry materials, too, were and are managed and enhanced by focused cutting, pruning, and burning (Turner 1996)”

Module 3 – Post #4

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Linking Indigenous Peoples’ Knowledge and Western Science in Natural Resource Management (paper)

“This two-day event, held in March 2001, brought together 110 people to talk about both the  practical and theoretical aspects of linking Indigenous Peoples’ Knowledge (IPK) and Western science in natural resource management. Participants were from both native and non-native communities, and represented Indigenous knowledge keepers, scientists, resource managers, elders, and academics. The conference consisted of observing cultural protocol, presentations from diverse perspectives, structured workshops, and informal discussions.”

In 2001, this conference took place near the Shuswap. Many different people attended the conference, from environmentalists, policy makers, people working in resource management sectors, Indigenous experts, etc. The conference seeked to find out more about IPK and how it can be applied to resource management in BC. This document will help guide me in writing my final paper, especially with discussing how TEK/IPK is different from western science. For instance, Henry Michael speaks about the challenges to this conference in his opening introduction,

“I realize that there are risks involved in linking IPK to Western science. For example, there has not been a lot of trust built between Indigenous people and the natural resources sector. Researchers, policy developers, and government and industry personnel have historically been lumped together as being opposed to or exploiting Indigenous people and threatening their traditional land use rights. Risks are particularly great for Indigenous organizations that have sought to participate in integration activities and have to justify their work to their suspicious Elders”.

Another worthy quote from the introduction is this:

“Indigenous participants pointed out another risk during the conference discussion table sessions: the scientific community’s misunderstanding of how IPK fits in a Western scientific paradigm. People acknowledge the danger in seeing IPK as the same as Western science, and likewise, Western science is not IPK. This misunderstanding occurs when Indigenous intellectual property is treated as a commodity, another bit of knowledge that becomes part of a larger scientific database.”

Aboriginal Tourism BC

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Module #1, post #4

http://www.aboriginalbc.com/

Provided by tourism BC, this site offers links to arts & culture, aboriginal hospitality, and outdoor adventures! This site was appealing because it offers a way to view BC through aboriginal eyes as opposed to the general public. It offers a way to see BC in another way and experience it. I specifically enjoyed a link that takes to Our Story Your Experience which is a collection of stories told by BC’s First Nations and Métis. Through my learnings about aboriginal culture, I have learned that story telling and the sharing of these stories is central to their culture.