Managing academic literacy practices in specific disciplinary courses
TEK rooted and grounded presentation edited
1. Traditional Ecological
Knowledge (TEK) and
Ecological Restoration
THE IMPORTANCE OF RELATIONSHIPS TO INFORM COLLABORATIVE
EFFORTS
Dave Ostergren and Hannah
Barg
Merry Lea Environmental Learning
Center
3. What is Traditional Ecological Knowledge?
Main Components:
-Generational
-transmitted orally
-Place-Based
-experiential: personal and communal
-multi-faceted: physical and spiritual
-dynamic/ changing
-Combines interconnectedness, use, and preservation of a landscape
7. Research- Southwest
For Dave to fill out
-perhaps share some of the stories and graphics that you put together for the JDCF presentation
8. Research- Midwest, Spirituality
For Dave to Fill out
-talk about pilot survey
-why was spirituality identified as a barrier? What are the reasons for discovering it was not?
What were the actual findings of the study- what presented a barrier? Any success stories?
9. Research- Midwest expanded (2015)
-A review of the 2015 TEK literature
-Survey through the Society of Ecological Restoration (SER)
◦ If spirituality is not a main barrier to engaging TEK, than what is?
◦ Expanding the sample population to nationwide participants
-oral interviews with NGOs
-opportunity to expand research to South America through SER
-Basis for future Management Plan/ Best Practices for NGOs and tribes to collaborate
10. Case Study- Jo Daviess County, IL
-Co Management opportunities with Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation and
Ho Chunk Nation
-Thunderbird, Bear and burial mounds exist on 3 preserved properties in Jo
Daviess County
◦ Claimed by the Ho Chunk Nation (Black River Falls, WI)
◦ Spiritually sacred mound sites (effigy) and burial mounds (conical, linear)
◦ Mounds cared for according to Wisconsin DNR protocol
-plans for green burial site on the Portage Property
TEK is an interconnected web linking worldview, processing, and life purpose. There are several components that make up TEK, though it differs greatly between possessors. In general, TEK is generational, passed on through oral traditions. It is rooted in a deep understanding, sense and familiarity with a particular place or region, and is possessed both personally and communally. A common misconception of TEK is that because it is “traditional” it is static. However, TEK is ever-changing as the possessors and their environment evolve together. Finally, unlike many understandings of resources and land, TEK possessors are known to stress the interconnectedness, use, and preservation of a landscape holistically, not separating these factors from one another. This is a key point for restoration ecologists and others seeking to engage TEK possessors, and a sometimes difficult concept to grasp.
Traditional Ecological Knowledge is much more than environmental awareness/ stewardship or mere observations. It encompasses the spiritual, emotional, physical, and psychological realms. Houde (2007) defines the 5 faces of TEK: factual observations, management systems, past and current uses, ethics and values, and culture and identity. Each of these faces of TEK is intricately connected and dependent on the others, and cannot be separated from the whole. The spiritual component of TEK is woven into each of these faces, informing not only how possessors interpret the landscape in which they dwell, but also their entire worldview. Similar to creation care, this understanding is rooted in a spiritual motivation and ethic. This holistic outlook is what makes it challenging for scientists to engage TEK possessors, because usually they are only “interested” in incorporating information from a few of these faces. Forming a relationship with mutual trust and respect is an essential part of the engagement process.
Traditional Ecological Knowledge grows out of oral tradition passed down through generations about a particular place/region. We can think of this kind of knowledge of being deeply specific, personal, and life-informing. In contrast, “scientific” ecological knowledge is grounded in factual knowledge and seeks to understand the natural world broadly, by identifying key species, processes, and complex interactions, conducting studies and creating theory. While both of these knowledge bases are rooted in the same soil- ecological understanding- the processes used to accumulate knowledge as well as the motivations that inform each are potentially quite different. This can make it difficult for individuals from each of these knowledge bases to engage one another. Despite these differences, however, there is also much overlap in the lenses to look at the natural world. For example, both recognize the importance of factual knowledge in understanding a landscape. These areas of overlap provide hope for continued collaboration between Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Ecology.
Traditional Ecological Knowledge has been studied worldwide extensively in the last 30 years to create an incredible literature spread.
-TEK has come to the forefront of land management in the past 30 years. This has been a challenge because of sovereignty
-Australia: Geospatial mapping and modeling of TEK ( Barber and Jackson 2015)
-Ecuador: Rural indigenous communities and NGOs working together to legally preserve a communally owned forest (Becker et. al 2003)
-China: Pressures to strengthen the centralized state threatening the cultural and environmental diverse southwestern region of the country- How can conservation policies protect these precious places and people? (Xu et. al 2005)
-Ghana: Equitable land distribution policies post independence- how effective are they and what issues arise with indigenous worldview? (Awuah-Nyamekye & Sarfo-Mensah 2011)
Databases to connect resources and groups are a growing need in the ecological restoration and interdisciplinary fields.
As Dave mentioned, the findings from the 2014 pilot survey suggested that spirituality was not a main barrier in engaging TEK. This raises the question of what is a barrier, and how these things can and have been overcome. We are going to conduct a second survey with questions based on the 2014 responses in order to get a better idea of the specific things preventing and challenging restoration ecologists with regards to working with sovereign nations. Perhaps spirituality is a barrier, and our sample size did not reflect this (mainly Midwestern respondents), which is why we plan on expanding our sample population pool to nationwide. Additionally, I will be conducting interviews with several NGOs who have or are currently collaborating with tribes on land management projects in hopes of combining this with the survey results to create a best practices/ management plan for NGOs to work with individuals who possess TEK.
The Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation, located in Northwestern Illinois, has preserved several properties that contain sacred Native American sites. One of the last remaining bear effigies, a symbol of the underworld, and the last intact thunderbird effigy, a symbol of the upperworld, are located on properties preserved by JDCF. Both the Thunderbird (eagle) and a bear are depicted on the Great Seal of the Ho Chunk.
Chloris Lowe, a former Ho Chunk president and elder, has been meeting with JDCF as the key representative of the Nation. Lowe and JDCF have been collaborating on several key events and agenda items, including ceremonial blessing of discovered mounds and also to develop the restoration goals for the Portage reserve, which include a green burial site on a separate end of the property. This is a creative way to make the site spiritually significant for all. The Ho-Chunk believe that the spirits of deceased live on in the trees, plants, and animals that roam the ground they were buried on– What better way than to offer up earthly bodies as a source of new life?
This can be an example of hope and healing amidst a great challenge of listening to, understanding, and incorporating TEK into restoration models. It is a learning process that takes time and effort in order to build relationships and trust, but ultimately leads to more holistic land restoration that can fit the needs and goals of both entities. This relationship provides a potential model for restoration guidelines/ management plans/ best practices for NGOs.
