Workshop on Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Biodiversity (Portland, Oregon)

University Of Kansas Center For Research Inc, Lawrence KS

Investigators

Abstract

Pierotti DEB-9988717 Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) of indigenous peoples has become recognized in recent years as a potential source of both specific information and insight by ecologists and biodiversity researchers. Knowledge held by indigenous people has been compared to information gathered by western scientists and it has been demonstrated that TEK yields information whose quality is as useful as other sources of research data. One concern of indigenous people is that studies of TEK may become dominated by non-indigenous investigators. This symposium will bring together Native American trained as scientists and in touch with their cultural traditions to speak on the problems and solutions associated with the collection, use, and analysis of TEK. The short-term goal is to familiarize students and other colleagues with the advantages and limitations of TEK; however, the long term goals for the symposium is to help develop recognition in Native American communities that rigorous but culturally sensitive routes exist to careers in science.