In today’s world, integrating traditional knowledge with Western science cannot be ignored, especially with all of the current environmental challenges we must all face together. Across the world, Indigenous peoples have lived in their ancestral homelands for thousands of years, forming relationships based on observations and interactions with plant and animal life, water systems, soils, and weather.
The knowledge that stands the test of time requires an intimate knowledge of seasons in order to know when to gather, when to fish or hunt, and how much of a particular resource to leave behind for the next harvest, the next season, or the next generation. The time has come to turn to all sources of knowledge to help confront our present challenges. People are now beginning to see the advantage of traditional knowledge combined with scientific data. Take a look (clic)
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) is a term that has only recently entered the lexicon of Western science. But to Native communities in California, the concept of TEK is not new. In fact, it is not even a concept — it is a way of life. TEK is knowledge gleaned from millennia of living in one’s environment. Across the world, Indigenous peoples have lived in their ancestral homelands for thousands of years, forming relationships based on observations and interactions with plant and animal life, water systems, soils, and weather. TEK requires an intimate knowledge of seasons in order to know when to gather, when to fish or hunt, and how much of a particular resource to leave behind for the next harvest, the next season, or the next generation. We have the Sami people and Naturakademin has our wisdom keeper Laila Spik as one of our pathfinders. Welcome to participate in our programs.
