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Traditional Ecological Knowledge for Application by Service Scientists

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Traditional Ecological Knowledge for Application by Service Scientists U.S. FishFish & & Wildlife Wildlife Service Service Traditional Ecological Knowledge for Application by Service Scientists Fishing at Ninepipe Natiomal Wildlife Refuge, Montana / USFWS Working Definition of Traditional Ecological Knowledge Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Rumphius’ index included the plant’s recognized, C. Hart Merriam was also called by other names including name, illustrations, description for also an amateur anthropologist who Indigenous Knowledge or Native nomenclature, place, discussion spent decades of five to six months Science, (hereafter, TEK) refers to of the plant’s use to the local each year traversing the country the evolving knowledge acquired by inhabitants, stories, folklore, and interviewing Native Americans and indigenous and local peoples over religious practices. During the 18th writing down voluminous records hundreds or thousands of years century, Carl Linnaeus referenced of what they were still able to tell through direct contact with the and relied upon Rumphius’s him. He recorded the distribution environment. This knowledge is work, and also corresponded with of words to ascertain the precise specific to a location and includes other people all around the world distribution of dialects, languages, the relationships between plants, when developing the biological tribes, families, and their beliefs animals, natural phenomena, classification scheme that now and customs, similar to the way he landscapes and timing of events underlies the arrangement of much recorded the distribution of song that are used for lifeways, including of the accumulated knowledge sparrows, grizzly bears, and wolves but not limited to hunting, fishing, of the biological sciences. In in order to delimit life zones. The trapping, agriculture, and forestry. addition, during the 19th century, idea that TEK has guided modern TEK is an accumulating body of Charles Darwin, the ‘father’ of biology (or Western science) should knowledge, practice, and belief, evolutionary theory, on his Voyage encourage conservation biologists to evolving by adaptive processes and of the Beagle took interest in investigate TEK more thoroughly. handed down through generations the local biological knowledge by cultural transmission, about of peoples he encountered. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Use the relationship of living beings of TEK (human and non-human) with one Contemporary naturalists and An increasing number of scientists another and with the environment. biologists also acknowledged the and Native people believe that It encompasses the world view of importance of TEK as it relates to Western Science and TEK are indigenous people which includes Western science. For example, C. complementary. Although an ecology, spirituality, human and Hart Merriam was one of the great integration of indigenous and animal relationships, and more. naturalists of his generation. In western scientific ways of knowing 1886, Merriam became the first The Use of TEK is Nothing New chief of the Division of Economic and Continues to Evolve Ornithology and Mammalogy of Local biological knowledge, collected the United States Department of and sampled over these early Agriculture, predecessor to the centuries, most likely informed National Wildlife Research Center the early development of modern and the United States Fish and biology. For example, during the Wildlife Service. He was one of the 17th century the German born original founders of the National botanist Georg Eberhard Rumphius Geographic Society in 1888 and benefited from local biological developed the “life zones” concept knowledge in producing his to classify biomes found in North catalogue, Herbarium Amboinense. America. Although not widely Grizzly bear in Wyoming / USFWS In Alaska, the Service, as well as the of the interview questions. For State of Alaska Department of Fish example, questions about a species and Game Subsistence Division, may include such topics as the collect and use TEK for research species itself, its habitat, interactions and monitoring fish populations with other species, traditions and under the Federal Subsistence ceremonies surrounding the species Management Program. The or its parts, identification of who primary objective is to collect and or what positions hold knowledge catalogue TEK observations from and rights to the species, taboos, local residents through interviews cyclical events, and vocabulary. with local experts on the ecology, harvest, and use of salmon and Focus groups have also been non-salmon fish species. Another used to provide direction for more recent objective has been to additional subject matter and Polar bear / USFWS produce a drainage-wide portrait of identification of experts. Focus climate and environmental change, groups can be helpful to determine and managing wildlife can be emphasizing those that are related who within an indigenous difficult to achieve, successful to subsistence fisheries. Use of TEK Tribe holds the knowledge for integrations have occurred. For also contributes to local capacity the species being studied. example, during the 1989 Exxon building by utilizing a framework of Valdez oil spill in Prince William community involvement in re search. Participant Observation is another Sound, Alaska, Federal and state research method used, which agencies recognized the vast Collection of TEK involves extensive time in a culture traditional knowledge of the Native Methods for documenting TEK watching and recording what community who could provide derive from the social sciences people do. Participant Observation detailed information on conditions and include ethnography. can be a source of information to in the years prior to the spill. The Social scientists and cultural verify that which has been spoken Native community had knowledge anthropologists use a wide range of and a source of information for of the historic population sizes techniques to collect ethnographic that which the Tribe forgets to and ranges of many of the species data. Below are some of the tell because it is considered either injured by the spill as well as methods that can be used, but universally known or assumed. observations concerning the diet, they are not necessarily in the behavior, and interrelationships order TEK should be collected. In addition, Linguistics can provide of injured species. Optimal use Permission from the indigenous insight into a culture and its view of scientific data and traditional government should be received prior of the natural world. Some Tribes knowledge while increasing the to beginning any research project. now have written dictionaries for involvement of communities in their languages. A native speaker oil spill restoration enhanced the Literature review is an important can provide information about success of restoration effort. component in any research words, their meanings, associations project. All most all of the Tribes and similarities. For example, the Most recently, the U.S. Fish and in the United States have been Yupik language on Nelson Island in Wildlife Service used both western studied by an anthropologist at Alaska is very intrinsically tied to scientific data and TEK to justify one time or another. During a the environment – there are words listing the polar bear (Ursus literature search, ethnographies to describe plants, activities, and maritimus) as a threatened as well as collections of stories/ elements in the Yupik language that species under the Endangered myths/legends and songs will be are non-existent in other languages. Species Act. Ecological knowledge instrumental to one’s research for These words help Yupik people to provided by Chukotka, Inuit, and information on societies, clans, other indigenous coastal residents keepers of knowledge, ceremonies, with regard to polar bear habitat, uses, processes, and interactions. density estimates and population numbers provided valuable data The semi-directive interview is used in making the decision. The a standard ethnographic method final listing rule stated that both for gathering information and traditional and contemporary can use both an open-ended and indigenous knowledge recognized close-ended (yes or no questions) climate-related changes occurring format. A skilled and experienced in the Arctic, and these changes are ethnographer can help a novice to negatively impacting polar bears. determine the appropriate reach Alaskan salmon / USFWS determine how they interact with who make and abide by decisions into formal management structures their immediate environment. based on that information. In cross- to address a changing environment. cultural settings, the latter is often Ethnography is the process which difficult. The use of TEK offers one TEK in Journals and Professional non-indigenous people interpret way of bridging gaps in perspective Organizations indigenous people’s lifeways. The and understanding, especially when Interest in TEK has been growing ethnographic process for collecting used in conjunction with knowledge in recent years, partly due to a TEK results in a wealth of derived from the scientific method. recognition that such knowledge information that must be carefully can contribute to the conservation considered for its use in a specific TEK and Climate Change of biodiversity and sustainable project. The researcher will get As mentioned above, the Service resource use in general. In 2000, more than he needs and should often uses TEK in Alaska. For the journal Ecological Applications accept all that is given during the
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