Program on the Environment

Indigenous peoples have been excluded from the environmental conversation, overlooked and casted aside as their traditional wisdom is labelled as irrelevant, generally known, and dated. Although having this knowledge has been gathered over millennia and passed from generation to generation, its value is often overshadowed by western sciences. My research investigated and highlighted the importance of bridging the use of western science and traditional ecological knowledge in natural resource management. I conducted a literature review of scholarly sources that highlighted the value in creating a system that encourages cooperation between indigenous peoples and western science in the management of natural resources, as well as case studies of projects that incorporate traditional ecological knowledge into management practices. I also sought out first-hand insight and input from indigenous community members from the area I worked in, Tulalip WA, as well as speaking with the experts in Tulalip Tribes Natural Resources. The results from both all my research and findings were that there is a holistic perspective brought when bridging the two systems of knowledge as well as the importance of inclusivity in this field of environmental science. Increasing the cooperation between traditional knowledge keepers and natural resource managers creates inclusive management practices that not only protects resources for future generations but has the potential to benefit indigenous communities and protect their tribal rights and intellectual property.