ES 321 Midterm

Ethnoecology

  • Definition: The study of cultural ecological knowledge and the interactions between human societies and their environments.

Participatory Mapping

  • Definition: A process by which Indigenous people and local communities map their lands and land features.

Approaches to Ethnoecology

  • Etic Approach:

    • Study of people's knowledge of their natural world measured against scientific knowledge, typically from an observer outside a culture.

  • Emic Approach:

    • Representation of local understandings and perspectives within their own context, focusing on beliefs from a person within a culture.

Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)

  • Definition: A cumulative body of knowledge, practice, and belief evolving by adaptive processes and passed down through generations, regarding the relationships of living beings with one another and their environment.

  • Threats to Cultural Resources:

    1. Change of economy/environment.

    2. Loss of languages.

TEK and Indigenous Rights

  • Legal Frameworks:

    • UNDRIP (United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples).

    • BCDRIP (British Columbia Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples).

Research Approaches

  • Participatory Research: Emphasizes community participation in research.

  • Anti-Oppressive Research: Focuses on understanding the history and struggles related to colonization when working with marginalized communities, ensuring no harm and contributing positively to communities.

Case Study: Nias

  • Context: An island in Indonesia impacted by earthquakes and tsunamis.

  • Findings: Livelihood programs that ignored Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) failed and caused harm.

Worldview

  • Definition: The entirety of our perception and understanding of the world, encompassing ethics, values, and epistemology.

  • Western Worldview:

    • Rooted in various philosophical, religious, and cultural traditions emphasizing anthropocentrism, dualism, technological optimism, and consumerism.

Kincentric Ecology

  • Definition: The belief that humans and all natural elements are part of an extended family, caring for each other.

  • Examples:

    • Ramamuri Indigenous people of the Sierra Madres.

    • Iwigara: Total interconnectedness in the Sierra Madres.

    • Nvu-Chah-Nulth: "Hishuk ish Ts'awalk" meaning everything is one.

    • Salmon peoples' interconnectedness.

Governance and Rights

  • Ecuador and Chile: Addressing kincentricity by granting rights to non-human entities.

WSANEC and Lekwungen Traditional Seasons

  • Seasonal Activities:

    • Late Fall/Early Winter: Winter villages, ceremony, art, and food preservation.

    • Winter-Early Spring: Herring spawn.

    • Late June-August: Salmon run activities including reef-net fishing.

    • Summer: Gathering clams, halibut, and berries.

    • Late Summer: Fire stewardship.

    • Year-round: Waterfowl hunting and gathering marine invertebrates.

Shell Midden

  • Definition: Purposefully constructed landforms composed of black sediment and shell deposits, utilized for various ecological purposes.

Garry Oak Ecosystems

  • Environmental Features:

    • Typically seral to conifer forests; replaced by Douglas fir when undisturbed.

    • Characteristics of stewarded Garry Oak: open, mature ecosystems with occasional Douglas-fir trees.