Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) Resources

Traditional Ecological Knowledge (or TEK) refers to the evolving knowledge acquired by indigenous and local peoples over hundreds or thousands of years through direct contact with the environment. This knowledge is specific to a location and includes the relationships between plants, animals, natural phenomena, and the landscape that are used for lifeways, such as hunting, fishing, trapping, agriculture, and forestry. TEK is an accumulating body of knowledge, practice, and belief, that encompasses the world view of indigenous people which includes ecology, spirituality, human and animal relationships, and more. TEK has become increasingly recognized as being valuable for natural resource management, including adaptation to climate change. Below is a set of resources that were compiled for an LCC training workshop on traditional ecological knowledge held in Sacramento, CA in September 2014.

Tribal History in California

• Map of Tribal lands in California, US Census Bureau
• Edward D. Castillo. 1998. “Short overview of California Indian History”.
• “California Tribes & Languages at Contact.” Map. Wikimedia Commons, 2013.
• Institute of the Environment, University of Arizona. 2013. Unique Challenges Facing Southwestern Tribes (Fact Sheet)
• Native Languages of the Americas, 2014. Native American Tribes of California.

Introduction to Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2011. Traditional Ecological Knowledge for Application by Service Scientists.
• Vinyeta K. 2012. A Synthesis of Literature on Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Climate Change. Pacific Northwest Tribal Climate Change Project.
• Vinyeta, K., and K. Lynn. 2013. Exploring the Role of Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Climate Change Initiatives. US Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station. General Technical Report PNW-GTR-879.
• Viles, C. 2013. Indigenous Peoples and Northwest Climate Initiatives: Exploring the Role of Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Resource Management. Northwest Climate Science Center.
• Cunningham, F. 2005. Take Care of the Land and the Land Will Take Care of You: Traditional Ecology in Native California. Notes from Native California 18:24–34.

TEK and the Policy Environment

• Brugnach, M., M. Craps, and A. Dewulf. 2014. Including indigenous peoples in climate change mitigation: addressing issues of scale, knowledge and power. Climatic Change.
• Department of Interior Climate Change Advisory Committee (ACCCNRS). 2014. Working Draft– Guidelines for Considering Traditional Knowledges in Climate Change Initiatives. Prepared for: Advisory Committee on Climate Change and Natural Resource Science.
• Krakoff, S. 2008. American Indians, climate change, and ethics for a warming world. Denver University Law Review 85:865.
• Williams T and Hardison P. 2013. Culture, Law, Risk and Governance: Contexts of Traditional Knowledge in Climate Change Adaptation. Tulalip (WA).

TEK and Ethnobiology

• Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration. 2009. Culture Card - A Guide to Build Cultural Awareness - American Indian and Alaska Native. Department of Health and Human Services.
• Rosales H. 2010. “The InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness– Ten Tribes Reclaiming, Stewarding, and Restoring Ancestral Lands.” International Journal of Wilderness Volume 16 (Number 1): Pages 8-12
• Rossier C. and Lake F. 2014. Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Agroforestry. AF Note– 44. USDA National Agroforestry Center.
• Shebitz D. 2005. “Weaving Traditional Ecological Knowledge into the Restoration of Basketry Plants.” Journal of Ecological Anthropology Volume 9: Pages 51-68.
• Anderson, M. K. Traditional ecological knowledge: an important facel of natural resources conservation. Technical Note 1. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Cross-walking of TEK and Western Science

• Henn M, Ostergren D, and Nielsen E. 2011. “Integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) into Natural Resource Management”. Park Science Volume 27 (Number 3): Pages 54- 61.
• Lertzman, D. A. 2010. Best of two worlds: Traditional ecological knowledge and Western science in ecosystem-based management. Journal of Ecosystems and Management 10.
• Vinyeta, K., and K. Lynn. 2013. Exploring the Role of Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Climate Change Initiatives. US Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station. General Technical Report PNW-GTR-879.
• Fragoso, J. M. V., and N. J. Reo. 2013. Complex interactions between biota, landscapes and native peoples. Ecological Processes.

Successful Partnerships that Advance Resource Co-Management

• Native American Student Internship: Remote Sensing, U.S. Department of Interior Program
• Burn Severity Analysis in the San Carlos Apache Nation, U.S. Department of Interior Program
• Hansen T. 2013. “8 Tribes That Are Way Ahead of the Climate-Adaptation Curve.” Indian Country Today Media Network.
• ICTMN Staff. 2014. “Klamath Youth Program Melding Science and Traditional Knowledge Wins National Award.” Indian Country Today Media Network.

Tribes and Climate Change

Also see the October 2013 special issue of Climatic Change on "Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples in the United States: Impacts, Experiences and Actions".

• Chief K, Daigle JJ, Lynn K, and Powys Whyte K. 2014. Indigenous Experiences in the U.S. with Climate Change and Environmental Stewardship in the Anthropocene.
• Intertribal Climate Change Working Group. 2009. A Tribal White Paper on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation.
• Redsteer MH, Bemis K, Chief K, Gautam M, Middleton BR, and Tsosie R. Unique Challenges Facing Southwestern Tribes. In Assessment of Climate Change in the Southwest United States: A Report Prepared for the National Climate Assessment. Washington (DC).
• Rose KA. 2010. Tribal Climate Change Adaptation Opinions: A Review of the Scientific Literature.
• The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation. 2013. Climate Change Strategic Plan. Resolution No. 13-52.
• Tulalip Natural Resources Department. 2006. Climate change impacts on tribal resources.
• Schuster, Paul F., and Karonhiakta’tie Bryan Maracle. Studies of Climate Change in the Yukon River Basin—Connecting Community and Science Through a Unique Partnership. Fact Sheet. US Geological Survey, 2010.
• National Wildlife Federation, 2011. Facing the Storm: Indian Tribes, Climate-Induced Weather
  Extremes, and the Future for Indian Country
• National Tribal Air Association, 2009. Impacts of Climate Change on Tribes in the United States.
• Cochran, P., O. H. Huntitngton, C. Pungowiyi, S. Tom, F. S. I. Chapin, H. P. Huntington, N. G. Maynard, and S. F. Trainor. 2013. Indigenous frameworks for observing and responding to climate change in Alaska. Climatic Change 120:557–567.
• Pacific Northwest Tribal Climate Change Project, 2013. A Tribal Planning Framework - Climate Change Adaptation Strategies by Sector.
• Tribal Climate Change Project, 2011. A Guide for Tribal Leaders on U.S. Climate Change Programs.
• Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals, 2012. Southwest Tribal Climate Change Project.
• Nakashima, D. J., K. Galloway McLean, H. D. Thulstrup, A. R. Castillo, and J. Rubis. 2012. Weathering uncertainty: traditional knowledge for climate change assessment and adaptation. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and United Nations University, Paris and Darwin

Cross-cultural World Views and Ethics

• Hardison, P. 2012, Emics, etics, ethics and equity in the dialogue between worlds: Beyond bridges, integration, partnerships, scales and other common concepts in the utilization of traditional ecological knowledge. Ecological Society of America. Portland, Oregon.
• Higgs, E. 2005. The two-culture problem: ecological restoration and the integration of knowledge. Restoration Ecology 13:159–164.
• Houde, N. 2007. The six faces of traditional ecological knowledge: challenges and opportunities for Canadian co-management arrangements. Ecology and Society 12.
• Pierotti, R., and D. Wildcat. 2000. Traditional ecological knowledge: the third alternative (commentary). Ecological Applications 10:1333–1340.
• Shackeroff, J.M. and Campbell, L.M., 2010. Traditional ecological knowledge in conservation research: problems and prospects for their constructive engagement. Conservation and Society 5:343-360.
• Reo, N. 2011. The importance of belief systems in traditional ecological knowledge initiatives. The International Indigenous Policy Journal 2.

Integrating TEK in Environmental Decision Making

• Karuk Tribe Department of Natural Resources.
• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, 2010. Indigenous Stewardship Methods and NRCS Conservation Practices
• Donoghue, E.M., Thompson, S.A. and Bliss, J.C. 2010. Tribal-Federal collaboration in resource management. Journal of Ecological Anthropology 14:22-38
• Uprety, Y. et al. 2012. Contribution of traditional knowledge to ecological restoration: practices and approaches. Ecoscience 19:225-237.

Policy Declarations and Frameworks

• National Congress of American Indians, 2010.
• Report of the Indigenous Peoples' Global Summit on Climate Change, 2009.
• Swinomish Indian Senate, 2007. Proclamation of The Swinomish Indian Senate on a Swinomish Climate Change Initiative.
• United Nations General Assembly, 2007. United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Other Relevant Resources

• Lynn K. 2012. Fostering Tribal Engagement in Climate Science Centers and Landscape Conservation Cooperatives. Pacific Northwest Tribal.
• Rodriguez M. 2009. 2013 California Tribal Water Summit Proceedings.
• Salazar K. 2009. Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change on America’s Water, Land, and Other Natural and Cultural Resources. Order No. 3289. U.S. Department of the Interior. Washington (DC).
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. 2014. “Item 3– Nairobi Work Programme on Impacts, Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change.” Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice. Fortieth Session. 4-15 June 2014.