Native Science and Climate Change

For many Native communities, a shifting climate means a dramatic change in the abundance and accessibility of plants and animals they depend on. As migration patterns, water flows, and plant propagation patterns shift, Native communities will need to change locations and practices to adapt to these changes in climate and mitigate harmful impacts. How does this look when a tribe is limited to a small piece of reserved land to do all of their food and resource gathering? The federal government is obligated by the constitution to respect the rights of Native people to gather food and resources off reservations. How do we make sure that obligation is upheld?

This is one of the major themes discussed last week at a conference I attended about the role of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) in facing the challenges of climate change. It was hosted by Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians up in Seattle and featured speakers from various tribal communities, governments and federal agencies.

How do we facilitate the blending of Western and Native science to help Native and non-native communities lesson the impacts of climate change while preserving and respecting Native science and communities?

Many attendees shared stories about the innumerable abuses done to them and their communities after TEK was shared with federal agencies. Traditional fishing grounds, once exposed, have been opened up to commercial interests forcing locals to travel miles away to fish. Traditional huckleberry-gathering sights have been overrun and damaged by people who do not respect the land, the plant, or the rights of Native peoples to use the land. Information about salmon and river ecology has been exploited for the sake of profits...and the list goes on. Naturally, many Native communities are hesitant to reveal TEK to Western Scientists or Federal agencies. At the same time, TEK is proving to be a vital tool for Native and non-Native communities alike in the struggle to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

What steps can we take to ensure that Traditional Ecological Knowledge is respected and preserved, not abused? How do we protect ecological knowledge that tribes depend on while making elements of it accessible to Western science?

Some conclusions from conference participants include the need to consistently reserve a place at the table for Native communities to be consulted about how their land or knowledge is being used. Consultation is required by law, but often takes the form of Government agencies or Industry simply informing Native communities of their plans. Conference participants also sighted the need for Western scientists to formally acknowledge the legitimacy of the outcomes and decisions that are based on TEK, and respect the need to preserve the knowledge and use it respectfully and with consent from tribes.

The Tribal Climate Change Project, based out of the University of Oregon, is doing great work in these areas. Check em out!