#traditionalecologicalknowledge — Public Fediverse posts

10 #IndigenousGardening Techniques Still Used Today

By: Robin Sweetser, May 3, 2026

"As gardeners, we are connected to all people who have come before us, caring for the earth and learning how to best grow crops. Ready for the best gardening techniques? Let’s have a look at some age-old gardening wisdom that’s still relevant today.

A Long History of #Gardening

#Gourds, #beans, and #peppers were being cultivated in #Mexico by 5500 BC, and by 5000 BC, #maize was being grown in #Mesoamerica, and #potatoes in #SouthAmerica. The success or failure of these crops had a major impact on people’s survival. It was critical not only that the land provided sustenance but that it sustained them year after year, which required knowledge of #sustainable growing techniques to preserve the land for future generations.

We hear buzzwords like 'sustainable' or 'permaculture' and 'organic' today. But these techniques were here long before we started talking about 'going green.' Perhaps your grandparents also knew some of the older, gentler ways. Many are simply intuitive and based on fostering a closer relationship with nature and the land. If you don’t already, you might want to think about integrating some of these techniques into your own landscape.

Many of the following practices are often viewed as 'new' to the gardening world, but they’ve been around for a long, long time. They have all been traditionally used by #NativeAmerican peoples, but that is not to say that all of these techniques were used by all Native American cultures. Just like separate countries, #Indigenous cultures vary widely in their gardening philosophies and techniques. Below are just a few #sustainable, Earth-conscious ways to grow a better garden.

These practices originate from diverse Indigenous nations across North and South America, including the #Haudenosaunee (#Iroquois), #Hopi, #Wampanoag, and many others. Agricultural traditions varied widely by climate, geography, and culture.

Companion Planting (the #ThreeSisters Method)

Time-honored gardening wisdom says that certain plants, when grown together, improve each other’s health and yields. For instance, some plants attract beneficial insects that help to protect a companion, while other plants (particularly herbs) act as repellents.

A commonly cited example is the Three Sisters Garden, which has been traditionally practiced by the Wampanoag people of what is now the northeastern United States. A prime demonstration of companion planting at its best, corn provides support for pole beans to climb, the beans add nitrogen to the soil for future crops to use, and squash leaves shade the soil around the taller plants, like a living mulch. Squash’s prickly leaves also deter marauding animal pests. Some would add a fourth sister—a flowering plant such as #sunflowers—to draw in #pollinators.

#Intercropping or #polyculture of plants that have mutual benefits (aka companion planting) mimics the way different species grow together in nature. #Monoculture, on the other hand, leads to the exhaustion of soil nutrients. Indigenous people also discovered that plant diversity meant diet diversity. If one crop should fail, the others could fill that void.

Try 'intercropping' in your vegetable garden. Sneak small crops in between bigger ones; the small crops will be ready before the big ones need the space.

#Terracing for #SoilConservation

Terracing creates flat planting beds in hilly terrain. Taming the steep slopes slows runoff, allowing water to seep into the beds and curb erosion.

Creating terraces in which to garden is an especially good way to garden where rain is seasonal, sporadic, and often comes in heavy downpours. In the southwestern U.S., for example, terracing was key to the agricultural success of the Anasazi and their descendants, the #Hopi, who still use terraced gardens today. This can be seen in the village of #HotevillaBacavi, in northern Arizona, where traditional #TerracedGardens were restored in the 1990s.

If you wish to garden sustainably on sloped land for years to come, the use of terracing is essential in avoiding soil erosion that carries your precious topsoil away.

There are different types of #terracing. If you have a slope, consider using some rocks or retaining walls to create a series of flattened areas, mitigating runoff. Ancient terraces are seen all over the steep terrain in #Greece, too.

Traditional Irrigation Methods

Thousands of years ago, the Anasazi people inhabited what is now the Four Corners region of the U.S., an area known for its low annual rainfall. They traditionally built catchments, check dams (dams made of rock that held onto soil but allowed water to pass through), and reservoirs to collect the infrequent stormwater. The Hopi people of northern Arizona also use these age-old techniques to irrigate their gardens in this arid landscape, although modern technology has allowed for expanded #WaterConservation efforts.

If you live in a dry area, storing water in ponds, cisterns, or even a #RainBarrel is a wise idea, as the reserved water can be used for irrigation as needed.

Conversely, in areas with floods, people learned how to use what could be destructive as a way to boost productivity. For example, one technique was to create shallow depressions so that when the floodwaters rose, the water could be stored. Another technique was to use #canals near rivers to divert water to nearby farmland."

Read more:
https://www.almanac.com/10-indigenous-gardening-techniques-still-used-today

#SolarPunkSunday #GrowYourOwnFood #NativeAmericans #TraditionalTechnology #ClimateChangeGardening #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #TEK #TerracedGardens #RainGardens

10 #IndigenousGardening Techniques Still Used Today

By: Robin Sweetser, May 3, 2026

"As gardeners, we are connected to all people who have come before us, caring for the earth and learning how to best grow crops. Ready for the best gardening techniques? Let’s have a look at some age-old gardening wisdom that’s still relevant today.

A Long History of #Gardening

#Gourds, #beans, and #peppers were being cultivated in #Mexico by 5500 BC, and by 5000 BC, #maize was being grown in #Mesoamerica, and #potatoes in #SouthAmerica. The success or failure of these crops had a major impact on people’s survival. It was critical not only that the land provided sustenance but that it sustained them year after year, which required knowledge of #sustainable growing techniques to preserve the land for future generations.

We hear buzzwords like 'sustainable' or 'permaculture' and 'organic' today. But these techniques were here long before we started talking about 'going green.' Perhaps your grandparents also knew some of the older, gentler ways. Many are simply intuitive and based on fostering a closer relationship with nature and the land. If you don’t already, you might want to think about integrating some of these techniques into your own landscape.

Many of the following practices are often viewed as 'new' to the gardening world, but they’ve been around for a long, long time. They have all been traditionally used by #NativeAmerican peoples, but that is not to say that all of these techniques were used by all Native American cultures. Just like separate countries, #Indigenous cultures vary widely in their gardening philosophies and techniques. Below are just a few #sustainable, Earth-conscious ways to grow a better garden.

These practices originate from diverse Indigenous nations across North and South America, including the #Haudenosaunee (#Iroquois), #Hopi, #Wampanoag, and many others. Agricultural traditions varied widely by climate, geography, and culture.

Companion Planting (the #ThreeSisters Method)

Time-honored gardening wisdom says that certain plants, when grown together, improve each other’s health and yields. For instance, some plants attract beneficial insects that help to protect a companion, while other plants (particularly herbs) act as repellents.

A commonly cited example is the Three Sisters Garden, which has been traditionally practiced by the Wampanoag people of what is now the northeastern United States. A prime demonstration of companion planting at its best, corn provides support for pole beans to climb, the beans add nitrogen to the soil for future crops to use, and squash leaves shade the soil around the taller plants, like a living mulch. Squash’s prickly leaves also deter marauding animal pests. Some would add a fourth sister—a flowering plant such as #sunflowers—to draw in #pollinators.

#Intercropping or #polyculture of plants that have mutual benefits (aka companion planting) mimics the way different species grow together in nature. #Monoculture, on the other hand, leads to the exhaustion of soil nutrients. Indigenous people also discovered that plant diversity meant diet diversity. If one crop should fail, the others could fill that void.

Try 'intercropping' in your vegetable garden. Sneak small crops in between bigger ones; the small crops will be ready before the big ones need the space.

#Terracing for #SoilConservation

Terracing creates flat planting beds in hilly terrain. Taming the steep slopes slows runoff, allowing water to seep into the beds and curb erosion.

Creating terraces in which to garden is an especially good way to garden where rain is seasonal, sporadic, and often comes in heavy downpours. In the southwestern U.S., for example, terracing was key to the agricultural success of the Anasazi and their descendants, the #Hopi, who still use terraced gardens today. This can be seen in the village of #HotevillaBacavi, in northern Arizona, where traditional #TerracedGardens were restored in the 1990s.

If you wish to garden sustainably on sloped land for years to come, the use of terracing is essential in avoiding soil erosion that carries your precious topsoil away.

There are different types of #terracing. If you have a slope, consider using some rocks or retaining walls to create a series of flattened areas, mitigating runoff. Ancient terraces are seen all over the steep terrain in #Greece, too.

Traditional Irrigation Methods

Thousands of years ago, the Anasazi people inhabited what is now the Four Corners region of the U.S., an area known for its low annual rainfall. They traditionally built catchments, check dams (dams made of rock that held onto soil but allowed water to pass through), and reservoirs to collect the infrequent stormwater. The Hopi people of northern Arizona also use these age-old techniques to irrigate their gardens in this arid landscape, although modern technology has allowed for expanded #WaterConservation efforts.

If you live in a dry area, storing water in ponds, cisterns, or even a #RainBarrel is a wise idea, as the reserved water can be used for irrigation as needed.

Conversely, in areas with floods, people learned how to use what could be destructive as a way to boost productivity. For example, one technique was to create shallow depressions so that when the floodwaters rose, the water could be stored. Another technique was to use #canals near rivers to divert water to nearby farmland."

Read more:
https://www.almanac.com/10-indigenous-gardening-techniques-still-used-today

#SolarPunkSunday #GrowYourOwnFood #NativeAmericans #TraditionalTechnology #ClimateChangeGardening #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #TEK #TerracedGardens #RainGardens

#IndigenousKnowledge is crucial in the fight against #ClimateChange – here’s why

Explainers
July 31, 2024

Summary

- Indigenous Peoples are custodians of unique knowledge and practices that emphasize the balance between humans and the natural world.
- Many Indigenous traditional practices offer effective climate solutions, such as sustainable agriculture systems and climate-resilient water management.
- By safeguarding key ecosystems that act as carbon sinks and protect #biodiversity, #IndigenousPeoples provide an environmental service to the rest of the world. However, they are frequently excluded from decision-making processes and their rights to lands and resources are not always respected.
- It is impossible to achieve the goals of the #ParisAgreement without full and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples and their free, prior and #InformedConsent.
- Governments must fully recognize the rights of Indigenous Peoples, provide them with direct access to climate finance and capacity building, and integrate Indigenous knowledge into climate policy."

Read more:
https://climatepromise.undp.org/news-and-stories/indigenous-knowledge-crucial-fight-against-climate-change-heres-why

#SolarPunkSunday #LandBack #Conservation #Biodiversity
#CommunityMonitoring #Stewardship
#TEK #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge

#IndigenousKnowledge is crucial in the fight against #ClimateChange – here’s why

Explainers
July 31, 2024

Summary

- Indigenous Peoples are custodians of unique knowledge and practices that emphasize the balance between humans and the natural world.
- Many Indigenous traditional practices offer effective climate solutions, such as sustainable agriculture systems and climate-resilient water management.
- By safeguarding key ecosystems that act as carbon sinks and protect #biodiversity, #IndigenousPeoples provide an environmental service to the rest of the world. However, they are frequently excluded from decision-making processes and their rights to lands and resources are not always respected.
- It is impossible to achieve the goals of the #ParisAgreement without full and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples and their free, prior and #InformedConsent.
- Governments must fully recognize the rights of Indigenous Peoples, provide them with direct access to climate finance and capacity building, and integrate Indigenous knowledge into climate policy."

Read more:
https://climatepromise.undp.org/news-and-stories/indigenous-knowledge-crucial-fight-against-climate-change-heres-why

#SolarPunkSunday #LandBack #Conservation #Biodiversity
#CommunityMonitoring #Stewardship
#TEK #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge

I found this via @supersquirrel !

#IndigenousLands are crucial for #ClimateMitigation and #resilience.

Research shows their health is a direct result of #IndigenousStewardship.

"As the impacts of #ClimateChange continue to escalate, a growing number of climate scientists and policymakers cite Indigenous lands as a model for their rich #biodiversity and effective carbon storage. But that recognition has not always translated into space for Indigenous leaders in climate negotiations, access to #ClimateResilience funding, or enforcement of #HumanRights standards.

"That has been the case for decades. But the problems do not stop there. New research shows that approach overlooks the key role that Indigenous knowledge and culture can play in mitigating climate change. It also reveals a dangerous misconception that has taken hold in global climate discussions: the idea that Indigenous lands are so rich because they are remote or sparsely populated.

"Nothing could be further from the truth. The health of Indigenous lands and their ability to store vast quantities of carbon stem from the stewardship of the people who inhabit them.

"That’s the finding of research from Conservation International, which shows that traditional knowledge, community protocol, and Indigenous culture play a direct role in protecting forests, wildlife, and the environment. Sushma Shrestha, who is #Indigenous #Newar from #Nepal and the study’s lead author, said the research comes at a critical time.

" 'All of humanity relies on everything that #IndigenousPeoples have to contribute and offer in terms of their lands, in terms of carbon storage, in terms of biodiversity conservation,' she said.

"The study, released as a narrative report and a peer-reviewed study, explores how #IndigenousKnowledge and practices benefit the planet. It also found that all 43 of the surveyed communities are experiencing drought, extreme weather, and other adverse impacts from climate change. More than half are affected by #ExtractiveIndustries like #mining and #logging.

"Researchers interviewed 49 Indigenous leaders from six continents about how they steward their land, which ranged from the Amazon rainforest to East African savannas and Pacific Islands. They found that traditional management practices like avoiding #overfishing, maintaining sacred spaces, watching for fires and other threats, and direct resistance against extraction contribute to the remarkable health of Indigenous territory. Ninety-six percent of respondents said they had land set aside for special uses, like spiritual practices, that also benefit the environment by protecting those spaces and ecosystems. Shrestha stressed that although each Indigenous community is distinct, there are shared lessons the entire world can learn from.

" 'It’s a time where all hands need to be on deck,' Shrestha said. 'And collectively, actions need to be taken, and indigenous peoples have been doing this on their own for a very long time.'

"The study builds on years of research that shows, among other things, that the world’s healthiest forests are on Indigenous lands and conservation efforts are more effective when they incorporate Indigenous autonomy and decision-making at every step."

Read more [includes some really good links to articles]:
https://sopuli.xyz/post/47753605

#SolarPunkSunday #SolarPunk #LandBack #CommunityMonitoring #Stewardship #TEK #IndigenousSolarPunk #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge

I found this via @supersquirrel !

#IndigenousLands are crucial for #ClimateMitigation and #resilience.

Research shows their health is a direct result of #IndigenousStewardship.

"As the impacts of #ClimateChange continue to escalate, a growing number of climate scientists and policymakers cite Indigenous lands as a model for their rich #biodiversity and effective carbon storage. But that recognition has not always translated into space for Indigenous leaders in climate negotiations, access to #ClimateResilience funding, or enforcement of #HumanRights standards.

"That has been the case for decades. But the problems do not stop there. New research shows that approach overlooks the key role that Indigenous knowledge and culture can play in mitigating climate change. It also reveals a dangerous misconception that has taken hold in global climate discussions: the idea that Indigenous lands are so rich because they are remote or sparsely populated.

"Nothing could be further from the truth. The health of Indigenous lands and their ability to store vast quantities of carbon stem from the stewardship of the people who inhabit them.

"That’s the finding of research from Conservation International, which shows that traditional knowledge, community protocol, and Indigenous culture play a direct role in protecting forests, wildlife, and the environment. Sushma Shrestha, who is #Indigenous #Newar from #Nepal and the study’s lead author, said the research comes at a critical time.

" 'All of humanity relies on everything that #IndigenousPeoples have to contribute and offer in terms of their lands, in terms of carbon storage, in terms of biodiversity conservation,' she said.

"The study, released as a narrative report and a peer-reviewed study, explores how #IndigenousKnowledge and practices benefit the planet. It also found that all 43 of the surveyed communities are experiencing drought, extreme weather, and other adverse impacts from climate change. More than half are affected by #ExtractiveIndustries like #mining and #logging.

"Researchers interviewed 49 Indigenous leaders from six continents about how they steward their land, which ranged from the Amazon rainforest to East African savannas and Pacific Islands. They found that traditional management practices like avoiding #overfishing, maintaining sacred spaces, watching for fires and other threats, and direct resistance against extraction contribute to the remarkable health of Indigenous territory. Ninety-six percent of respondents said they had land set aside for special uses, like spiritual practices, that also benefit the environment by protecting those spaces and ecosystems. Shrestha stressed that although each Indigenous community is distinct, there are shared lessons the entire world can learn from.

" 'It’s a time where all hands need to be on deck,' Shrestha said. 'And collectively, actions need to be taken, and indigenous peoples have been doing this on their own for a very long time.'

"The study builds on years of research that shows, among other things, that the world’s healthiest forests are on Indigenous lands and conservation efforts are more effective when they incorporate Indigenous autonomy and decision-making at every step."

Read more [includes some really good links to articles]:
https://sopuli.xyz/post/47753605

#SolarPunkSunday #SolarPunk #LandBack #CommunityMonitoring #Stewardship #TEK #IndigenousSolarPunk #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge

Legacy of #Indigenous #stewardship of #camas dates back more than 3,500 years, #OSU study finds

May 20, 2024

Excerpt: CORVALLIS, Ore. — "An #Oregon State University study found evidence that Indigenous groups in the #PacificNorthwest were intentionally harvesting edible #CamasBulbs at optimal stages of the plant’s maturation as far back as 3,500 years ago.

"The findings contribute to the growing body of research around #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge and practices, demonstrating the care and specificity with which Indigenous groups have been stewarding and cultivating natural resources for millennia.

"Camas is an #ecological and cultural keystone, meaning it is a species that many other organisms depend on and that features prominently within many cultural practices.

" 'If you think about #salmon as being a charismatic species that people are very familiar with, camas is kind of the plant equivalent,' said Molly Carney, an assistant professor of anthropology in OSU’s College of Liberal Arts and lead author on the study. 'It is one of those species that really holds up greater #ecosystems, a fundamental species which everything is related to.'

"An eye-catching blue flower that grows widely throughout the Pacific Northwest, camas is referred to in Indigenous calendars across the region, with the plant’s growth stages used as a sort of seasonal benchmark. It is often included in traditional #FirstFood ceremonies, in which tribal communities mark the coming of spring with the first #SalmonRun or the first #EdibleRoots after a long winter, Carney said.

"Camas bulbs must be baked for two to three days to render them edible. Once soft, the bulbs taste a bit like sweet potato, Carney said. Traditional baking was done in underground ovens using heated rocks."

Read more:
https://news.oregonstate.edu/news/legacy-indigenous-stewardship-camas-dates-back-more-3500-years-osu-study-finds

#SolarPunkSunday #LandUse
#IndigenousFoods #CulturalPreservation
#NativeAmericanHistory #IndigenousStewardship #IndigenousHistory #TraditionalFoods
#TraditionalFoodSources #KeystoneSpecies #PNW #TEK

Legacy of #Indigenous #stewardship of #camas dates back more than 3,500 years, #OSU study finds

May 20, 2024

Excerpt: CORVALLIS, Ore. — "An #Oregon State University study found evidence that Indigenous groups in the #PacificNorthwest were intentionally harvesting edible #CamasBulbs at optimal stages of the plant’s maturation as far back as 3,500 years ago.

"The findings contribute to the growing body of research around #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge and practices, demonstrating the care and specificity with which Indigenous groups have been stewarding and cultivating natural resources for millennia.

"Camas is an #ecological and cultural keystone, meaning it is a species that many other organisms depend on and that features prominently within many cultural practices.

" 'If you think about #salmon as being a charismatic species that people are very familiar with, camas is kind of the plant equivalent,' said Molly Carney, an assistant professor of anthropology in OSU’s College of Liberal Arts and lead author on the study. 'It is one of those species that really holds up greater #ecosystems, a fundamental species which everything is related to.'

"An eye-catching blue flower that grows widely throughout the Pacific Northwest, camas is referred to in Indigenous calendars across the region, with the plant’s growth stages used as a sort of seasonal benchmark. It is often included in traditional #FirstFood ceremonies, in which tribal communities mark the coming of spring with the first #SalmonRun or the first #EdibleRoots after a long winter, Carney said.

"Camas bulbs must be baked for two to three days to render them edible. Once soft, the bulbs taste a bit like sweet potato, Carney said. Traditional baking was done in underground ovens using heated rocks."

Read more:
https://news.oregonstate.edu/news/legacy-indigenous-stewardship-camas-dates-back-more-3500-years-osu-study-finds

#SolarPunkSunday #LandUse
#IndigenousFoods #CulturalPreservation
#NativeAmericanHistory #IndigenousStewardship #IndigenousHistory #TraditionalFoods
#TraditionalFoodSources #KeystoneSpecies #PNW #TEK

Why Western scientists are turning to Indigenous knowledge

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.optimistdaily.com/2026/04/why-western-scientists-are-turning-to-indigenous-knowledge/

RE: https://mastodon.social/@Snoro/116294542500709281

Tagging for #SolarPunkSunday!

#IndigenousFoodSovereignty #IndigenousFarming #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #TEK #ClimateChange

RE: https://mastodon.social/@Snoro/116294542500709281

Tagging for #SolarPunkSunday!

#IndigenousFoodSovereignty #IndigenousFarming #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #TEK #ClimateChange

A new dawn rises in the #Arctic: the #Inuit plan to reclaim their sea

By Ossie Michelin in Rigolet, #Nunatsiavut , Sun 27 Aug 2023

Excerpt: "While there are other Inuit-led marine conservation programs in Canada, this will be the first to bear the title of #InuitProtectedArea. This #ConservationZone, which is now the subject of a feasibility study, would span nearly 15,000 sq km (5,800 sq miles) of the #LabradorSea bordering the #TorngatMountains national park.

"Built on Inuit values and culture, this type of conservation area would allow Indigenous people to continue traditional practices of hunting and fishing.
That was not always the case. Past conservation policies saw Inuit at best only consulted and at worst completely ignored. Many Inuit hunters and fishers faced fines, had their equipment confiscated and their catches from hunting and fishing taken.

"Despite being granted the power to self-govern in 2005 (after 30 years of negotiations with the Canadian government), Nunatsiavut still lacked the final say over conservation in its waters. Final decisions defaulted to federal or provincial ministers.

"Now, at last, Nunatsiavut can jointly create and co-manage the protected area, based on Inuit priorities, as an equal authority. This will allow Inuit to practise #TraditionalHunting and #fishing in the area, while protecting the waters from industry and development.

" 'Just because we’re small doesn’t mean we can’t do something,' says #JamesGoudie, deputy minister of lands and natural resources in the Nunatsiavut government. 'We can show the world that a small region can protect a massive amount of #BioDiversity.'

"The Inuit Protected Area would only cover about a third of Nunatsiavut’s nearly 50,000 sq km of offshore waters, but the region is home to important populations of fish such as #salmon and #ArcticChar, the breeding grounds for many #MigratoryBirds, and the habitat of Arctic marine mammals including #PolarBears, #BelugaWhales and #Seals.

"Establishing a protected area is also a pre-emptive strike against #ResourceExploitation. Significant #NaturalGas deposits have been found offshore along the #LabradorShelf, but it has remained largely unexplored because of the ice. As the climate warms, however, the region is becoming more accessible – the Inuit Protected Area would prevent such resource exploration."

Read more:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/27/arctic-horizon-inuit-first-protected-zone-nunatsiavut-canada-photo-essay

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/LfYRZ

#SolarPunkSunday #ProtectingTheArctic #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #TraditionalKnowledge #FirstNations #InuitValues #TraditionalFishing #AnimalProducts #Conservation #Nature

A new dawn rises in the #Arctic: the #Inuit plan to reclaim their sea

By Ossie Michelin in Rigolet, #Nunatsiavut , Sun 27 Aug 2023

Excerpt: "While there are other Inuit-led marine conservation programs in Canada, this will be the first to bear the title of #InuitProtectedArea. This #ConservationZone, which is now the subject of a feasibility study, would span nearly 15,000 sq km (5,800 sq miles) of the #LabradorSea bordering the #TorngatMountains national park.

"Built on Inuit values and culture, this type of conservation area would allow Indigenous people to continue traditional practices of hunting and fishing.
That was not always the case. Past conservation policies saw Inuit at best only consulted and at worst completely ignored. Many Inuit hunters and fishers faced fines, had their equipment confiscated and their catches from hunting and fishing taken.

"Despite being granted the power to self-govern in 2005 (after 30 years of negotiations with the Canadian government), Nunatsiavut still lacked the final say over conservation in its waters. Final decisions defaulted to federal or provincial ministers.

"Now, at last, Nunatsiavut can jointly create and co-manage the protected area, based on Inuit priorities, as an equal authority. This will allow Inuit to practise #TraditionalHunting and #fishing in the area, while protecting the waters from industry and development.

" 'Just because we’re small doesn’t mean we can’t do something,' says #JamesGoudie, deputy minister of lands and natural resources in the Nunatsiavut government. 'We can show the world that a small region can protect a massive amount of #BioDiversity.'

"The Inuit Protected Area would only cover about a third of Nunatsiavut’s nearly 50,000 sq km of offshore waters, but the region is home to important populations of fish such as #salmon and #ArcticChar, the breeding grounds for many #MigratoryBirds, and the habitat of Arctic marine mammals including #PolarBears, #BelugaWhales and #Seals.

"Establishing a protected area is also a pre-emptive strike against #ResourceExploitation. Significant #NaturalGas deposits have been found offshore along the #LabradorShelf, but it has remained largely unexplored because of the ice. As the climate warms, however, the region is becoming more accessible – the Inuit Protected Area would prevent such resource exploration."

Read more:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/27/arctic-horizon-inuit-first-protected-zone-nunatsiavut-canada-photo-essay

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/LfYRZ

#SolarPunkSunday #ProtectingTheArctic #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #TraditionalKnowledge #FirstNations #InuitValues #TraditionalFishing #AnimalProducts #Conservation #Nature

Uncovering #decolonial pedagogies for learning #agroecological transitions: comparative analysis of #SouthAmerica cases

Michelle Bonatti, et al, October 2025, published in Global Environmental Change.

Highlights:

• Decolonial pedagogies can facilitate agroecological transition processes.
• Pedagogical models facilitate agroecological transitions by integrating diverse epistemologies in agriculture practices.
• This study identifies three contextual learning narratives: Living, Resistance, and Hybrid Pedagogies.
• A main archetype has been discovered, known as the 'South pedagogies archetype'.
• The operational decolonial pedagogies framework shows how agroecological knowledge is created in the territory.

Conclusion:

"This study reflects on the strengths, nuances, and contextual factors shaping three distinct learning processes, offering insights into the effectiveness of diverse pedagogical approaches for agroecology that value the epistemologies of the South. The research recognizes that potential agroecological transitions face challenges from entrenched power structures and the historical #erasure of knowledge systems, calling for more than technical adjustments—rather a fundamental revaluing of diverse ways of knowing and being is essential. In this context, this research responds to the pressing need for a deeper understanding of pluriversal knowledge systems, epistemologies of the South, and learning approaches that have emerged organically within the Latin American context, where agroecological movements have deep and strong roots.

The growth of agroecology, also as an academic discipline, presents both opportunities and challenges. While it validates traditional agricultural practices within Western scientific frameworks, it risks perpetuating colonial knowledge hierarchies if not grounded in decolonial perspectives. Decolonial pedagogies are fundamental for accelerating agroecological transitions. As shown in this study, traditional communities in #Colombia and #Peru have preserved and evolved their #agroecology knowledge systems through generations of #CollectiveLearning, offering profound insights into #Sustainable #FoodProduction that transcend the limitations of Western scientific methodologies. In parallel, decolonial pedagogies in the Brazilian case were essential to promote agroecological transition that started recently in the last decades.

"The three contextual narratives that emerged from the South pedagogy archetype are intricate and interconnected, defying simplistic categorization. This study shows how the South pedagogy archetype serves as a model of resistance to poverty and social exclusion through agroecology. As research understanding deepens, there is a pressing need to explore Indigenous pedagogies to unveil additional valuable approaches to learning that lead to more inclusive educational models that resonate with diverse learners and address complex global challenges.

"By showcasing the rich knowledge systems and alternative learning structures present in these three cases, this research provides valuable insights for policymakers, educators, and practitioners. These findings can inform the co-creation of strategies that nurture agroecological systems and transitions, embrace the growing diversity of agroecology approaches, and navigate the complexities inherent in designing learning processes that value multiple ways of being."

Read more:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959378025000792#ab005

#SolarPunkSunday #Decolonize #Agroecology #Brasil #SouthAmerica #SustainableFoodProduction #SustainableAgriculture #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #TEK

Uncovering #decolonial pedagogies for learning #agroecological transitions: comparative analysis of #SouthAmerica cases

Michelle Bonatti, et al, October 2025, published in Global Environmental Change.

Highlights:

• Decolonial pedagogies can facilitate agroecological transition processes.
• Pedagogical models facilitate agroecological transitions by integrating diverse epistemologies in agriculture practices.
• This study identifies three contextual learning narratives: Living, Resistance, and Hybrid Pedagogies.
• A main archetype has been discovered, known as the 'South pedagogies archetype'.
• The operational decolonial pedagogies framework shows how agroecological knowledge is created in the territory.

Conclusion:

"This study reflects on the strengths, nuances, and contextual factors shaping three distinct learning processes, offering insights into the effectiveness of diverse pedagogical approaches for agroecology that value the epistemologies of the South. The research recognizes that potential agroecological transitions face challenges from entrenched power structures and the historical #erasure of knowledge systems, calling for more than technical adjustments—rather a fundamental revaluing of diverse ways of knowing and being is essential. In this context, this research responds to the pressing need for a deeper understanding of pluriversal knowledge systems, epistemologies of the South, and learning approaches that have emerged organically within the Latin American context, where agroecological movements have deep and strong roots.

The growth of agroecology, also as an academic discipline, presents both opportunities and challenges. While it validates traditional agricultural practices within Western scientific frameworks, it risks perpetuating colonial knowledge hierarchies if not grounded in decolonial perspectives. Decolonial pedagogies are fundamental for accelerating agroecological transitions. As shown in this study, traditional communities in #Colombia and #Peru have preserved and evolved their #agroecology knowledge systems through generations of #CollectiveLearning, offering profound insights into #Sustainable #FoodProduction that transcend the limitations of Western scientific methodologies. In parallel, decolonial pedagogies in the Brazilian case were essential to promote agroecological transition that started recently in the last decades.

"The three contextual narratives that emerged from the South pedagogy archetype are intricate and interconnected, defying simplistic categorization. This study shows how the South pedagogy archetype serves as a model of resistance to poverty and social exclusion through agroecology. As research understanding deepens, there is a pressing need to explore Indigenous pedagogies to unveil additional valuable approaches to learning that lead to more inclusive educational models that resonate with diverse learners and address complex global challenges.

"By showcasing the rich knowledge systems and alternative learning structures present in these three cases, this research provides valuable insights for policymakers, educators, and practitioners. These findings can inform the co-creation of strategies that nurture agroecological systems and transitions, embrace the growing diversity of agroecology approaches, and navigate the complexities inherent in designing learning processes that value multiple ways of being."

Read more:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959378025000792#ab005

#SolarPunkSunday #Decolonize #Agroecology #Brasil #SouthAmerica #SustainableFoodProduction #SustainableAgriculture #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #TEK

Native Knowledge: What Ecologists Are Learning from Indigenous People

From Alaska to Australia, scientists are turning to the knowledge of traditional people for a deeper understanding of the natural world. What they are learning is helping them discover more about everything from melting Arctic ice, to protecting fish stocks, to controlling wildfires.

By Jim Robbins • April 26, 2018

Excerpt: "The #Skolt #Sami people of #Finland, for example, participated in a study that was published in the journal Science last year, which adopted indicators of #EnvironmentalChanges based on #TEK. The Sami have seen and documented a decline in salmon in the #NäätämöRiver, for instance. Now, based on their knowledge, they are adapting – reducing the number of seine nets they use to catch fish, restoring spawning sites, and also taking more pike, which prey on young salmon, as part of their catch. The project is part of a co-management process between the Sami and the government of Finland.

"The project has also gathered information from the Sami about insects, which are temperature dependent and provide an important indicator of a changing Arctic. The Sami have witnessed dramatic changes in the range of insects that are making their way north. The scarbaeid beetle, for example, was documented by Sami people as the invader arrived in the forests of Finland and Norway, far north of its customary range. It has also become part of the Sami oral history.

"It’s not only in the Arctic. Around the world there are efforts to make use of traditional wisdom to gain a better and deeper understanding of the planet – and there is sometimes a lot at stake."

Read more:
https://e360.yale.edu/features/native-knowledge-what-ecologists-are-learning-from-indigenous-people

#SolarPunkSunday #Science #TraditionalKnowledge #Biodiversity #ForestGardeners #Australia #IndigenousPeoples #IndigenousKnowledge #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #TEK

Native Knowledge: What Ecologists Are Learning from Indigenous People

From Alaska to Australia, scientists are turning to the knowledge of traditional people for a deeper understanding of the natural world. What they are learning is helping them discover more about everything from melting Arctic ice, to protecting fish stocks, to controlling wildfires.

By Jim Robbins • April 26, 2018

Excerpt: "The #Skolt #Sami people of #Finland, for example, participated in a study that was published in the journal Science last year, which adopted indicators of #EnvironmentalChanges based on #TEK. The Sami have seen and documented a decline in salmon in the #NäätämöRiver, for instance. Now, based on their knowledge, they are adapting – reducing the number of seine nets they use to catch fish, restoring spawning sites, and also taking more pike, which prey on young salmon, as part of their catch. The project is part of a co-management process between the Sami and the government of Finland.

"The project has also gathered information from the Sami about insects, which are temperature dependent and provide an important indicator of a changing Arctic. The Sami have witnessed dramatic changes in the range of insects that are making their way north. The scarbaeid beetle, for example, was documented by Sami people as the invader arrived in the forests of Finland and Norway, far north of its customary range. It has also become part of the Sami oral history.

"It’s not only in the Arctic. Around the world there are efforts to make use of traditional wisdom to gain a better and deeper understanding of the planet – and there is sometimes a lot at stake."

Read more:
https://e360.yale.edu/features/native-knowledge-what-ecologists-are-learning-from-indigenous-people

#SolarPunkSunday #Science #TraditionalKnowledge #Biodiversity #ForestGardeners #Australia #IndigenousPeoples #IndigenousKnowledge #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #TEK

The Case for Returning U.S. #PublicLands to #IndigenousPeople

by Joe Whittle, Mar 6, 2025

"Since the start of Trump’s second term, his administration has fired thousands of federal workers across multiple public lands agencies, including the National Park Service, the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The effects of this are vast: It’s going to have a profoundly negative impact on the environment and the way millions of Americans enjoy public lands, cause immeasurable harm to America’s wildest places, and devastate the economies built around them.

"After serving 12 years as a backcountry wilderness ranger for the U.S. Forest Service, I'm convinced there is an alternative: the U.S. needs to return its public lands to Native Americans. In fact, I believe that might be the only way to save our parks and forests from corporate privatization and destruction, as well as preserve public access to them. If the U.S. won’t properly care for its public lands, why not return them to their original caretakers?

"This isn’t a new idea. #NativeAmericans argued that treaty law required
'abandoned' federal land to be returned to tribes during the occupation of #Alcatraz Island by the #AmericanIndianMovement in the 1960s. In more recent years, the #LandbackMovement has given rise to increased calls for the return of territorial land to #IndigenousNations, and the return of land management based in #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge—expertise gathered from thousands of years of having deep relationships with specific environments. There’s a strong legal argument that land return is constitutionally required as damages due for hundreds of treaty violations. However, there’s also a lot of data showing Indigenous land management is more ecologically sound than government or industrially managed land. For instance, #ProjectDrawdown, a global leader in science-based #ClimateChange solutions, estimates that returning 1,000 million hectares of land to Indigenous tenureship by 2050 would sequester over 12 gigatons of carbon dioxide."

Read more:
https://time.com/7262838/us-public-lands-return-indigenous-people/

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/QnF32

#LandBack #AIM #StolenLand #StolenLands #NationalParks #TEK #ClimateCrisis #ClimateSolutions #IndigenousPeoples #IndigenousPeoplesMonth #GiveItBack #Stewardship #LandIsLife #WaterIsLife #AlcatrazIsland #Resistance #USPol #TrumpSucks #RespectTheTreaties

The Case for Returning U.S. #PublicLands to #IndigenousPeople

by Joe Whittle, Mar 6, 2025

"Since the start of Trump’s second term, his administration has fired thousands of federal workers across multiple public lands agencies, including the National Park Service, the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The effects of this are vast: It’s going to have a profoundly negative impact on the environment and the way millions of Americans enjoy public lands, cause immeasurable harm to America’s wildest places, and devastate the economies built around them.

"After serving 12 years as a backcountry wilderness ranger for the U.S. Forest Service, I'm convinced there is an alternative: the U.S. needs to return its public lands to Native Americans. In fact, I believe that might be the only way to save our parks and forests from corporate privatization and destruction, as well as preserve public access to them. If the U.S. won’t properly care for its public lands, why not return them to their original caretakers?

"This isn’t a new idea. #NativeAmericans argued that treaty law required
'abandoned' federal land to be returned to tribes during the occupation of #Alcatraz Island by the #AmericanIndianMovement in the 1960s. In more recent years, the #LandbackMovement has given rise to increased calls for the return of territorial land to #IndigenousNations, and the return of land management based in #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge—expertise gathered from thousands of years of having deep relationships with specific environments. There’s a strong legal argument that land return is constitutionally required as damages due for hundreds of treaty violations. However, there’s also a lot of data showing Indigenous land management is more ecologically sound than government or industrially managed land. For instance, #ProjectDrawdown, a global leader in science-based #ClimateChange solutions, estimates that returning 1,000 million hectares of land to Indigenous tenureship by 2050 would sequester over 12 gigatons of carbon dioxide."

Read more:
https://time.com/7262838/us-public-lands-return-indigenous-people/

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/QnF32

#LandBack #AIM #StolenLand #StolenLands #NationalParks #TEK #ClimateCrisis #ClimateSolutions #IndigenousPeoples #IndigenousPeoplesMonth #GiveItBack #Stewardship #LandIsLife #WaterIsLife #AlcatrazIsland #Resistance #USPol #TrumpSucks #RespectTheTreaties

The Enduring Harvest: Reshaping Food Systems on Turtle Island

Posted on November 13, 2025

"On Turtle Island, the land now largely known as North America, traditional food harvesting is far more than a means of sustenance; it is the very bedrock of cultural identity, spiritual connection, and sovereign resilience for Indigenous peoples. For millennia, before the arrival of European colonizers, communities across this vast continent thrived on intricate systems of hunting, fishing, gathering, and agriculture, guided by a profound understanding of the land and its cycles. This #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge (#TEK), passed down through countless generations, represents a sophisticated science of sustainability, reciprocity, and interconnectedness that continues to shape modern efforts to reclaim and revitalize Indigenous foodways.

"The concept of Turtle Island itself is rooted in creation stories shared by many Indigenous nations, where a giant turtle forms the foundation of the world. This narrative underscores an inherent and sacred relationship between people and the land—a relationship that mandates stewardship rather than domination. Traditional harvesting practices are not merely about taking from the land, but about participating in a continuous cycle of giving and receiving, ensuring the health of both the ecosystem and the community.

A Tapestry of Traditional Foods

"Across Turtle Island, the diversity of traditional food systems reflects the continent’s varied ecosystems. In the Pacific Northwest, the #salmon run is not just a seasonal event but the pulse of life itself. Nations like the #NezPerce, #Kwakwakawakw, and #Haida have relied on salmon for thousands of years, developing complex fishing techniques, preservation methods, and ceremonies that honor the fish as a sacred relative.

" 'Salmon is our first food, our medicine, our economy, and our culture,' states a representative from the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission. However, the construction of #dams, #logging, and #IndustrialPollution have severely impacted salmon populations, disrupting a lifeline for these communities. Despite these challenges, nations are actively working on habitat restoration, dam removal advocacy, and culturally informed fisheries management to bring the salmon home.

"On the vast plains, the #bison (or buffalo) was once the lifeblood of nations such as the #Lakota, #Cheyenne, and #Blackfeet. Millions roamed freely, providing not only food but also shelter, tools, and spiritual guidance. Every part of the animal was utilized, embodying a profound respect for its sacrifice.

"European #colonization, driven by a deliberate policy to destroy Indigenous economies and cultures, led to the near extinction of the bison, reducing their numbers from an estimated 30-60 million to a mere few hundred by the late 19th century. Today, through initiatives like the InterTribal Buffalo Council, Indigenous nations are reintroducing bison to tribal lands, a powerful act of cultural and ecological restoration. 'Bringing the buffalo back is bringing our people back,' remarks Ervin Carlson, former president of the InterTribal Buffalo Council. "It’s healing, it’s hope, it’s sovereignty."

Read more (archived version):
https://archive.ph/BLZiA

#SolarPunkSunday #TraditionalFoods #TribalFoodSovereignty #NativeAmericanMonth
#NativeAmericanHeritageMonth
#NativeAmericanFoodSovereignty #DecolonizeYourDiet #AnimalProducts #BuffaloHarvest

The Enduring Harvest: Reshaping Food Systems on Turtle Island

Posted on November 13, 2025

"On Turtle Island, the land now largely known as North America, traditional food harvesting is far more than a means of sustenance; it is the very bedrock of cultural identity, spiritual connection, and sovereign resilience for Indigenous peoples. For millennia, before the arrival of European colonizers, communities across this vast continent thrived on intricate systems of hunting, fishing, gathering, and agriculture, guided by a profound understanding of the land and its cycles. This #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge (#TEK), passed down through countless generations, represents a sophisticated science of sustainability, reciprocity, and interconnectedness that continues to shape modern efforts to reclaim and revitalize Indigenous foodways.

"The concept of Turtle Island itself is rooted in creation stories shared by many Indigenous nations, where a giant turtle forms the foundation of the world. This narrative underscores an inherent and sacred relationship between people and the land—a relationship that mandates stewardship rather than domination. Traditional harvesting practices are not merely about taking from the land, but about participating in a continuous cycle of giving and receiving, ensuring the health of both the ecosystem and the community.

A Tapestry of Traditional Foods

"Across Turtle Island, the diversity of traditional food systems reflects the continent’s varied ecosystems. In the Pacific Northwest, the #salmon run is not just a seasonal event but the pulse of life itself. Nations like the #NezPerce, #Kwakwakawakw, and #Haida have relied on salmon for thousands of years, developing complex fishing techniques, preservation methods, and ceremonies that honor the fish as a sacred relative.

" 'Salmon is our first food, our medicine, our economy, and our culture,' states a representative from the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission. However, the construction of #dams, #logging, and #IndustrialPollution have severely impacted salmon populations, disrupting a lifeline for these communities. Despite these challenges, nations are actively working on habitat restoration, dam removal advocacy, and culturally informed fisheries management to bring the salmon home.

"On the vast plains, the #bison (or buffalo) was once the lifeblood of nations such as the #Lakota, #Cheyenne, and #Blackfeet. Millions roamed freely, providing not only food but also shelter, tools, and spiritual guidance. Every part of the animal was utilized, embodying a profound respect for its sacrifice.

"European #colonization, driven by a deliberate policy to destroy Indigenous economies and cultures, led to the near extinction of the bison, reducing their numbers from an estimated 30-60 million to a mere few hundred by the late 19th century. Today, through initiatives like the InterTribal Buffalo Council, Indigenous nations are reintroducing bison to tribal lands, a powerful act of cultural and ecological restoration. 'Bringing the buffalo back is bringing our people back,' remarks Ervin Carlson, former president of the InterTribal Buffalo Council. "It’s healing, it’s hope, it’s sovereignty."

Read more (archived version):
https://archive.ph/BLZiA

#SolarPunkSunday #TraditionalFoods #TribalFoodSovereignty #NativeAmericanMonth
#NativeAmericanHeritageMonth
#NativeAmericanFoodSovereignty #DecolonizeYourDiet #AnimalProducts #BuffaloHarvest

#NativeAmerican Tribal #ClimateAdaptation: #Indigenous Solutions to Environmental Change

Posted on September 24, 2025

#IndigenousResilience: Native American Tribes Pioneer Climate Adaptation with Ancestral Wisdom

"In the global discourse on climate change, the voices and experiences of Indigenous peoples often remain on the periphery, despite their disproportionate vulnerability and their profound, millennia-old understanding of environmental stewardship. Native American tribes across the United States are not merely passive victims of a warming planet; they are at the forefront of climate adaptation, leveraging #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge (#TEK) to devise innovative and culturally resonant solutions to environmental change. Their strategies offer a compelling blueprint for resilience, emphasizing holistic relationships with the land, water, and all living beings.
Indigenous communities, though comprising less than 5% of the world’s population, protect an estimated 80% of global #biodiversity. This staggering statistic underscores their intimate connection to and unparalleled knowledge of the #NaturalWorld.

"However, this deep reliance on specific ecosystems also makes them acutely susceptible to climate impacts. Rising sea levels threaten coastal tribes, increased wildfires devastate forest-dwelling nations, prolonged droughts imperil agricultural practices in the Southwest, and melting permafrost destabilizes infrastructure in Alaska. For these communities, #ClimateChange is not a distant threat but an immediate, existential crisis eroding their lands, cultures, and ways of life.

"The historical context of colonization, forced displacement, and resource exploitation has exacerbated these vulnerabilities. Stripped of ancestral lands, denied self-governance, and subjected to policies that disrupted traditional land management practices, many tribes now face climate challenges with limited resources and fractured ecosystems. Yet, it is within this crucible of adversity that their resilience shines brightest."

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/0rByG

#SolarPunkSunday #FoodSovereignty #LandManagement #Landback #Droughts #SeaLevelRise #ClimateChallenges #Adaptation #WaterScarcity #IndigenousKnowledge #AncientPractices #ModernTechnology #IndigenousPeoplesMonth

#NativeAmerican Tribal #ClimateAdaptation: #Indigenous Solutions to Environmental Change

Posted on September 24, 2025

#IndigenousResilience: Native American Tribes Pioneer Climate Adaptation with Ancestral Wisdom

"In the global discourse on climate change, the voices and experiences of Indigenous peoples often remain on the periphery, despite their disproportionate vulnerability and their profound, millennia-old understanding of environmental stewardship. Native American tribes across the United States are not merely passive victims of a warming planet; they are at the forefront of climate adaptation, leveraging #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge (#TEK) to devise innovative and culturally resonant solutions to environmental change. Their strategies offer a compelling blueprint for resilience, emphasizing holistic relationships with the land, water, and all living beings.
Indigenous communities, though comprising less than 5% of the world’s population, protect an estimated 80% of global #biodiversity. This staggering statistic underscores their intimate connection to and unparalleled knowledge of the #NaturalWorld.

"However, this deep reliance on specific ecosystems also makes them acutely susceptible to climate impacts. Rising sea levels threaten coastal tribes, increased wildfires devastate forest-dwelling nations, prolonged droughts imperil agricultural practices in the Southwest, and melting permafrost destabilizes infrastructure in Alaska. For these communities, #ClimateChange is not a distant threat but an immediate, existential crisis eroding their lands, cultures, and ways of life.

"The historical context of colonization, forced displacement, and resource exploitation has exacerbated these vulnerabilities. Stripped of ancestral lands, denied self-governance, and subjected to policies that disrupted traditional land management practices, many tribes now face climate challenges with limited resources and fractured ecosystems. Yet, it is within this crucible of adversity that their resilience shines brightest."

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/0rByG

#SolarPunkSunday #FoodSovereignty #LandManagement #Landback #Droughts #SeaLevelRise #ClimateChallenges #Adaptation #WaterScarcity #IndigenousKnowledge #AncientPractices #ModernTechnology #IndigenousPeoplesMonth

Lessons from the #Incas: How llamas, terraces and trees could help the #Andes survive #ClimateChange

by Alex Chepstow-Lusty, August 26, 2025

Excerpt: "The evidence shows that from around the year 1100, during a period of global warming known as the Medieval Climatic Anomaly, Andean communities moved higher up into the mountains. They built terraces, irrigated slopes, and planted trees such as alder to make the soil more fertile and provide wood.

"Llamas and their cousins, alpacas, were vital as they were hardy, light-footed, and supplied wool, fuel and fertilizer. Their communal dung heaps even show up in the lake sediments, revealed by spikes in fossils of certain dung-eating mites that thrived when llama caravans were pastured nearby.

"Together, these practices stabilized soils, reduced erosion, and allowed large populations to thrive in the Andes."

[...]

"When the Spanish arrived in the 1530s, this balance was upended. New livestock—cattle, sheep and goats—trampled vegetation and eroded soils. Their free-ranging herds left waste across the landscape, unlike llamas and their easily-collectible dung.

"At the same time, the Spaniards cut down forests for timber and charcoal, in contrast to the Inca who had imposed harsh penalties to protect their woodland resources. The 17th century Spanish pastor and chronicler, Bernabé Cobo, remarked that a Spanish household used as much fuel in one day as a native household would in an entire month.

"The lake sediments record the ecological damage of the era: excess nutrients from dung, more erosion, and a collapse of the Inca's sustainable land management."

Read more:
https://phys.org/news/2025-08-lessons-incas-llamas-terraces-trees.html

#SolarPunkSunday #TerraceGardening #TraditionalKnowledge #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #ClimateAdaptive #LessonsFromThePast #SustainableLandManagement #MedievalClimaticAnomaly #MoreTrees #Colonialism #IndigenousHistory

Lessons from the #Incas: How llamas, terraces and trees could help the #Andes survive #ClimateChange

by Alex Chepstow-Lusty, August 26, 2025

Excerpt: "The evidence shows that from around the year 1100, during a period of global warming known as the Medieval Climatic Anomaly, Andean communities moved higher up into the mountains. They built terraces, irrigated slopes, and planted trees such as alder to make the soil more fertile and provide wood.

"Llamas and their cousins, alpacas, were vital as they were hardy, light-footed, and supplied wool, fuel and fertilizer. Their communal dung heaps even show up in the lake sediments, revealed by spikes in fossils of certain dung-eating mites that thrived when llama caravans were pastured nearby.

"Together, these practices stabilized soils, reduced erosion, and allowed large populations to thrive in the Andes."

[...]

"When the Spanish arrived in the 1530s, this balance was upended. New livestock—cattle, sheep and goats—trampled vegetation and eroded soils. Their free-ranging herds left waste across the landscape, unlike llamas and their easily-collectible dung.

"At the same time, the Spaniards cut down forests for timber and charcoal, in contrast to the Inca who had imposed harsh penalties to protect their woodland resources. The 17th century Spanish pastor and chronicler, Bernabé Cobo, remarked that a Spanish household used as much fuel in one day as a native household would in an entire month.

"The lake sediments record the ecological damage of the era: excess nutrients from dung, more erosion, and a collapse of the Inca's sustainable land management."

Read more:
https://phys.org/news/2025-08-lessons-incas-llamas-terraces-trees.html

#SolarPunkSunday #TerraceGardening #TraditionalKnowledge #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #ClimateAdaptive #LessonsFromThePast #SustainableLandManagement #MedievalClimaticAnomaly #MoreTrees #Colonialism #IndigenousHistory

The final #APCAW presentation is Thursday, July 12th. #Penobscot #basketmaker and founding director of the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance, #TheresaSecord will be the guest speaker.

APCAW was kind enough to provide me with a link to last week's video and a PDF guide from the conference. I will be looking through the guide and will post about some of the key points at a later date.

Even though the conference is free, pre-registration is required.

To register:
https://maineaudubon.org/events/everything-ash-webinar-series-june12/

Link to June 5th presentation video (including the bit I missed with #RichardSilliboy):
https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/n63rnkAomz4AitHdAfBRC1hbSMCS2fuFUrQ7HU2UfP5gmrJiXoLREHE5UePF9EWU.TQktDNJCVGQMJjfu

#EmeraldAshBorer #AshTrees #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #NativeAmericanBasketry #Sustainability #IndigenousStewardship #CulturalPreservation #InvasiveSpecies #EAG #PreservingNature #Biodiversity #TEK #TIK #TraditionalIndigenousKnowledge #Basketry #PreservingTheSacred #PreservingTheForest #WabanakiConfederacy
#Wabanakik #WabanakiAlliance #MaineFirstNations #MaineWoods #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledgeStewards

The final #APCAW presentation is Thursday, July 12th. #Penobscot #basketmaker and founding director of the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance, #TheresaSecord will be the guest speaker.

APCAW was kind enough to provide me with a link to last week's video and a PDF guide from the conference. I will be looking through the guide and will post about some of the key points at a later date.

Even though the conference is free, pre-registration is required.

To register:
https://maineaudubon.org/events/everything-ash-webinar-series-june12/

Link to June 5th presentation video (including the bit I missed with #RichardSilliboy):
https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/n63rnkAomz4AitHdAfBRC1hbSMCS2fuFUrQ7HU2UfP5gmrJiXoLREHE5UePF9EWU.TQktDNJCVGQMJjfu

#EmeraldAshBorer #AshTrees #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #NativeAmericanBasketry #Sustainability #IndigenousStewardship #CulturalPreservation #InvasiveSpecies #EAG #PreservingNature #Biodiversity #TEK #TIK #TraditionalIndigenousKnowledge #Basketry #PreservingTheSacred #PreservingTheForest #WabanakiConfederacy
#Wabanakik #WabanakiAlliance #MaineFirstNations #MaineWoods #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledgeStewards

Some highlights from the #APCAW conference on #AshTrees and #EmeraldAshBorer

#JohnDaigle mentioned chemical treatment on selected trees combined with biological control releases. May not need to keep using chemical treatments if the bio-control takes hold.

EricTopper: "Pheromones could draw EAB away from places which would fall under the bio-control umbrella."
John replied that it has not been tested, as far as he knows.

John Daigle: "The goal ultimately is to co-exist. Get brown ash to evolve to be more resistant, possibly by cross-breeding with other ash trees. That is being done with Manchurian ash and is having success."

Ella MacDonald: "Brown ash used for Wabanaki basket making. Green ash not as suitable for basket making.
We might breed brown with green ash - green ash might be more resistant to EAB. Possibly white ash with brown? However, there us no federal store of black or brown ash seeds. Seed collecting of those two are important. Folks can collect it themselves, after positively identifying the species."

FMI about #SeedCollecting from #APCAW / #UMaine

#Ash Protection Collaboration Across #Waponahkik

Seed Collection and Ash Regeneration

Includes:
- Collecting Ash Seed
- Seed Collection Map and Reporting Tool
- Processing and Storing Ash Seed
- Growing Ash From Seed

https://umaine.edu/apcaw/seed-collection-and-ash-regeneration/

#SolarPunkSunday #Biodiversity #Rewilding #PreserveTheSacred #Maine
#EAB #EmeraldAshBorer
#AshTrees #InvasiveSpecies #Wabanaki
#ProtectTheForests
#MaineNews #SaveTheTrees #WabanakiCulture #WabanakiBasketry #WabanakiTradition #Forestry #ProtectTheSacred #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #NativeAmericanBasketry #Sustainability #IndigenousStewardship #CulturalPreservation #InvasiveSpecies #EAB #PreservingNature #TEK #TIK #TraditionalIndigenousKnowledge #Basketry #PreservingTheSacred #PreservingTheForest #WabanakiConfederacy
#WabanakiAlliance

Some highlights from the #APCAW conference on #AshTrees and #EmeraldAshBorer

#JohnDaigle mentioned chemical treatment on selected trees combined with biological control releases. May not need to keep using chemical treatments if the bio-control takes hold.

EricTopper: "Pheromones could draw EAB away from places which would fall under the bio-control umbrella."
John replied that it has not been tested, as far as he knows.

John Daigle: "The goal ultimately is to co-exist. Get brown ash to evolve to be more resistant, possibly by cross-breeding with other ash trees. That is being done with Manchurian ash and is having success."

Ella MacDonald: "Brown ash used for Wabanaki basket making. Green ash not as suitable for basket making.
We might breed brown with green ash - green ash might be more resistant to EAB. Possibly white ash with brown? However, there us no federal store of black or brown ash seeds. Seed collecting of those two are important. Folks can collect it themselves, after positively identifying the species."

FMI about #SeedCollecting from #APCAW / #UMaine

#Ash Protection Collaboration Across #Waponahkik

Seed Collection and Ash Regeneration

Includes:
- Collecting Ash Seed
- Seed Collection Map and Reporting Tool
- Processing and Storing Ash Seed
- Growing Ash From Seed

https://umaine.edu/apcaw/seed-collection-and-ash-regeneration/

#SolarPunkSunday #Biodiversity #Rewilding #PreserveTheSacred #Maine
#EAB #EmeraldAshBorer
#AshTrees #InvasiveSpecies #Wabanaki
#ProtectTheForests
#MaineNews #SaveTheTrees #WabanakiCulture #WabanakiBasketry #WabanakiTradition #Forestry #ProtectTheSacred #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #NativeAmericanBasketry #Sustainability #IndigenousStewardship #CulturalPreservation #InvasiveSpecies #EAB #PreservingNature #TEK #TIK #TraditionalIndigenousKnowledge #Basketry #PreservingTheSacred #PreservingTheForest #WabanakiConfederacy
#WabanakiAlliance

I posted the whole article because of the paywall. I listened to #EllenMacDonald at the #APCAW conference on #EmeraldAshBorer earlier this week. She and #JohnDaigle of #UMaine were facilitating the workshop. This article contains a lot of the same information I learned at the workshop! Seed banks + teaming up with the Wabanaki peoples - modern technology meets traditional knowledge!

Native seeds preserved, protected to counter surging invasives

Calling all home gardeners and eco enthusiasts! Lend a hand this spring: Assist Wabanaki tribes and scientists fighting to save ash trees or partner up with statewide neighbors through local seed banks.

March 17, 2025

"The sun radiated overhead as Tyler Everett surveyed the green hills of the Mi’kmaq Nation in Presque Isle.

"Ash trees, mainly brown ash, are cultural keystone species for Wabanaki communities and wetland ecosystems in the Northeast. However, they’re under threat due to the spread of the emerald ash borer.

"This collective of forest caretakers works together to raise awareness of ash trees’ significance and the efforts, such as seed banking, to conserve them. It continues the work the Brown Ash Taskforce set forth 20 years ago after tribal members detected early signs of the invasive pest.

" 'Emerald ash borer was discovered by basket makers who noticed the trees, whose bark they relied on, looked very unhealthy,' Everett said. 'Our work today still centers around our tribal partners who first sounded the alarm.'

"#APCAW resembles a national movement, the #IndigenousSeedKeepersNetwork, cultivating solidarity within the matrix of regional grassroots seed #sovereignty projects — collecting, growing and sharing #HeirloomSeeds to promote cultural diversity.

"Here’s a look at some of the seed lending and preservation happening here in the Maine, from brown ash to Wabanaki flint corn.

" 'It may be no Doomsday Vault (also known as Svalbard Global Seed Vault),' said Emily Baisden, seed center director at #WildSeedProject. "But we’re doing some great work.'

"So, what’s a seed bank? Picture a temperature-controlled vault with billions of period-sized seeds in foil packets.

"Through storage, the goal is to preserve genetic diversity for future use, protect rare species and develop new crop varieties. Not only do seed banks play a role in food security, but also, at their best, they can restore plant communities after natural disasters like droughts or fires and provide valuable insight on how best to combat environmental stress.

"#SeedBanks operate at the community, national or global level — such as the #PetalmaSeedBank in California, which preserves the region’s agricultural diversity, or the #SvalbardGlobalSeedVault, the global backup for all other seed banks.

"In the far reaches of the Nordic island of Spitsbergen, the aforementioned 'Doomsday Vault' provides the world’s genebank, kept safe in case some catastrophe threatens the planet’s crops. If seed banks are a computer’s filing system, where documents are stored, Svalbard is the external hard drive.

"Enter Maine’s Wild Seed Project, an APCAW partner organization. The group hand collects and distributes 3 million seeds representing over 100 species of Northeast native plants yearly.

" 'Long-term seed banking requires #cryopreservation, akin to flash freezing,' Baisden said. 'It allows seeds to last for decades, if not longer. … We try not to store seeds for more than four years at Wild Seed. We dry them, place them in jars and label them by location. The newest are sold, and the older ones are used in our Seeds for Teachers program.'

"Baisden acknowledged the correlation between landscape management and biodiversity. When native plants disappear, likely through urbanization, the insects that depend on and coevolve with them also decline, as do the animals that rely on those insects (like birds).

" 'Most seeds sold in garden centers are propagated through clonal reproduction,' Baisden said. 'This minimizes genetic diversity, and as we know, #biodiversity is crucial for communal stability.'

"For a long time, the horticulture industry pushed to introduce non-native species that lacked natural predators and could quickly reproduce. Later, when forests were clear-cut in the 1900s, trees like the brown ash fell to the wayside, and non-native vegetation crept in.

" 'Maine, so far, is the only state with non-quarantine habitats free from emerald ash borer,' Baisden said. 'Studying these helps us plan ahead and learn. We hope that by working with #BasketMakers, foresters and scientists, we can store or distribute emerald ash borer–resistant seeds.”

Management shaped by Indigenous wisdom

"The spread of emerald ash borer has already caused 99% brown ash tree mortality in parts of Turtle Island, a small island between Mount Desert Island and Schoodic Point.

"As a group committed to science-informed strategies that align with Wabanaki priorities, APCAW has been collecting seeds (viable for up to eight years) from 46 healthy ash trees to store in a refrigerator at the University of Maine in Orono.

"As Everett noted, Indigenous people have long used brown ash as the primary material for #basketry, valuing its soft, splinty texture as ideal for weaving. The brown ash tree is also part of one of the #Abenaki origin stories.

" 'Brown ash was the root from which all #Wabanaki people emerged,' Everett said.

"The species’ decline evokes deep emotion. Recognizing this, Indigenous communities are at the forefront of APCAW outreach and land-management strategies.

"Program registration links are first shared with tribal partners, and they are often invited to co-facilitate or lead the event discussions. Occasionally, exclusive gatherings are held to allow basket weavers to connect in a more intimate setting.

" 'My job is to engage in a dialogue with our tribal partners and address any reactions they have,' Everett said. 'There’s a strong sense of responsibility to save brown ash, but opinions vary. Some hesitate about allowing the seeds to be stored outside the community.'

"Everett is currently drafting a document to serve as a resource for the #HoultonBand of #Maliseet Indians, #Mikmaq, #Passamaquoddy and #PenobscotNations. By spring 2026, he hopes to publish a public report acknowledging the priorities of Maine’s #Wabanaki people.

"#EllaMcDonald, a colleague of Everett, has centered her master’s thesis on the effectiveness of APCAW’s outreach efforts in inspiring action that benefits both the Wabanaki people and their native forests’ ecosystems.

" 'Out west, we’ve already seen devastating mortality rates of brown ash,' McDonald said. 'It’s just a matter of time before our situation escalates.'

"The group is focused on a project that will test the resistance of native trees to the emerald ash borer next fall in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service. This involves working with private #landowners, who will be asked to grow ash seeds and monitor their growth over time to assess their survival capacity.

"McDonald encouraged readers to get involved. The UMaine website will soon feature a map with priority areas for seed collection and locations where kits with all the necessary materials can be picked up. Those curious can contact [email protected] or sign up for the newsletter to receive updates on upcoming events.

" 'We are witnessing an unprecedented change,' McDonald said. 'What inspires me is to see groups across sectors working together to prepare. So many people genuinely care about our environment. … Together we can make a difference.'

Get involved

"Wild Seed Project held its first online seed-sowing demonstration in November 2021. Now, it offers a range of in-person programs and community events. Courtesy of Wild Seed Project

"There are a few options to join the movement.

"Locals can donate resources to area seed banks, like the Wild Seed Project, or research projects, like APCAW.

"Or harness the power of the dollar and purchase #NativeSeeds for a #rewilding project or #AbenakiFlintCorn, a product that honors seed keepers of the past and pays royalties to APCAW.

"To get involved through volunteerism, the Wild Seed Project actively seeks #SeedStewards to collect, clean, process and package seeds.

" 'The nonprofit is also building a first-of-its-kind Native Seed Center at Cape Elizabeth Land Trust’s Turkey Hill Farm, where plants will grow among natural seed banks, along the woodland edge and throughout the farmstead meadow. To donate, visit wildseedproject.com/the-native-seed-center.

Source [paywall]:
https://www.pressherald.com/2025/03/17/native-seeds-preserved-protected-to-counter-surging-invasives/

#SolarPunkSunday #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #NativeAmericanBasketry #Sustainability #IndigenousStewardship #CulturalPreservation #InvasiveSpecies #EAB #PreservingNature #Biodiversity #PreservingTheSacred #PreservingTheForest

I posted the whole article because of the paywall. I listened to #EllenMacDonald at the #APCAW conference on #EmeraldAshBorer earlier this week. She and #JohnDaigle of #UMaine were facilitating the workshop. This article contains a lot of the same information I learned at the workshop! Seed banks + teaming up with the Wabanaki peoples - modern technology meets traditional knowledge!

Native seeds preserved, protected to counter surging invasives

Calling all home gardeners and eco enthusiasts! Lend a hand this spring: Assist Wabanaki tribes and scientists fighting to save ash trees or partner up with statewide neighbors through local seed banks.

March 17, 2025

"The sun radiated overhead as Tyler Everett surveyed the green hills of the Mi’kmaq Nation in Presque Isle.

"Ash trees, mainly brown ash, are cultural keystone species for Wabanaki communities and wetland ecosystems in the Northeast. However, they’re under threat due to the spread of the emerald ash borer.

"This collective of forest caretakers works together to raise awareness of ash trees’ significance and the efforts, such as seed banking, to conserve them. It continues the work the Brown Ash Taskforce set forth 20 years ago after tribal members detected early signs of the invasive pest.

" 'Emerald ash borer was discovered by basket makers who noticed the trees, whose bark they relied on, looked very unhealthy,' Everett said. 'Our work today still centers around our tribal partners who first sounded the alarm.'

"#APCAW resembles a national movement, the #IndigenousSeedKeepersNetwork, cultivating solidarity within the matrix of regional grassroots seed #sovereignty projects — collecting, growing and sharing #HeirloomSeeds to promote cultural diversity.

"Here’s a look at some of the seed lending and preservation happening here in the Maine, from brown ash to Wabanaki flint corn.

" 'It may be no Doomsday Vault (also known as Svalbard Global Seed Vault),' said Emily Baisden, seed center director at #WildSeedProject. "But we’re doing some great work.'

"So, what’s a seed bank? Picture a temperature-controlled vault with billions of period-sized seeds in foil packets.

"Through storage, the goal is to preserve genetic diversity for future use, protect rare species and develop new crop varieties. Not only do seed banks play a role in food security, but also, at their best, they can restore plant communities after natural disasters like droughts or fires and provide valuable insight on how best to combat environmental stress.

"#SeedBanks operate at the community, national or global level — such as the #PetalmaSeedBank in California, which preserves the region’s agricultural diversity, or the #SvalbardGlobalSeedVault, the global backup for all other seed banks.

"In the far reaches of the Nordic island of Spitsbergen, the aforementioned 'Doomsday Vault' provides the world’s genebank, kept safe in case some catastrophe threatens the planet’s crops. If seed banks are a computer’s filing system, where documents are stored, Svalbard is the external hard drive.

"Enter Maine’s Wild Seed Project, an APCAW partner organization. The group hand collects and distributes 3 million seeds representing over 100 species of Northeast native plants yearly.

" 'Long-term seed banking requires #cryopreservation, akin to flash freezing,' Baisden said. 'It allows seeds to last for decades, if not longer. … We try not to store seeds for more than four years at Wild Seed. We dry them, place them in jars and label them by location. The newest are sold, and the older ones are used in our Seeds for Teachers program.'

"Baisden acknowledged the correlation between landscape management and biodiversity. When native plants disappear, likely through urbanization, the insects that depend on and coevolve with them also decline, as do the animals that rely on those insects (like birds).

" 'Most seeds sold in garden centers are propagated through clonal reproduction,' Baisden said. 'This minimizes genetic diversity, and as we know, #biodiversity is crucial for communal stability.'

"For a long time, the horticulture industry pushed to introduce non-native species that lacked natural predators and could quickly reproduce. Later, when forests were clear-cut in the 1900s, trees like the brown ash fell to the wayside, and non-native vegetation crept in.

" 'Maine, so far, is the only state with non-quarantine habitats free from emerald ash borer,' Baisden said. 'Studying these helps us plan ahead and learn. We hope that by working with #BasketMakers, foresters and scientists, we can store or distribute emerald ash borer–resistant seeds.”

Management shaped by Indigenous wisdom

"The spread of emerald ash borer has already caused 99% brown ash tree mortality in parts of Turtle Island, a small island between Mount Desert Island and Schoodic Point.

"As a group committed to science-informed strategies that align with Wabanaki priorities, APCAW has been collecting seeds (viable for up to eight years) from 46 healthy ash trees to store in a refrigerator at the University of Maine in Orono.

"As Everett noted, Indigenous people have long used brown ash as the primary material for #basketry, valuing its soft, splinty texture as ideal for weaving. The brown ash tree is also part of one of the #Abenaki origin stories.

" 'Brown ash was the root from which all #Wabanaki people emerged,' Everett said.

"The species’ decline evokes deep emotion. Recognizing this, Indigenous communities are at the forefront of APCAW outreach and land-management strategies.

"Program registration links are first shared with tribal partners, and they are often invited to co-facilitate or lead the event discussions. Occasionally, exclusive gatherings are held to allow basket weavers to connect in a more intimate setting.

" 'My job is to engage in a dialogue with our tribal partners and address any reactions they have,' Everett said. 'There’s a strong sense of responsibility to save brown ash, but opinions vary. Some hesitate about allowing the seeds to be stored outside the community.'

"Everett is currently drafting a document to serve as a resource for the #HoultonBand of #Maliseet Indians, #Mikmaq, #Passamaquoddy and #PenobscotNations. By spring 2026, he hopes to publish a public report acknowledging the priorities of Maine’s #Wabanaki people.

"#EllaMcDonald, a colleague of Everett, has centered her master’s thesis on the effectiveness of APCAW’s outreach efforts in inspiring action that benefits both the Wabanaki people and their native forests’ ecosystems.

" 'Out west, we’ve already seen devastating mortality rates of brown ash,' McDonald said. 'It’s just a matter of time before our situation escalates.'

"The group is focused on a project that will test the resistance of native trees to the emerald ash borer next fall in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service. This involves working with private #landowners, who will be asked to grow ash seeds and monitor their growth over time to assess their survival capacity.

"McDonald encouraged readers to get involved. The UMaine website will soon feature a map with priority areas for seed collection and locations where kits with all the necessary materials can be picked up. Those curious can contact [email protected] or sign up for the newsletter to receive updates on upcoming events.

" 'We are witnessing an unprecedented change,' McDonald said. 'What inspires me is to see groups across sectors working together to prepare. So many people genuinely care about our environment. … Together we can make a difference.'

Get involved

"Wild Seed Project held its first online seed-sowing demonstration in November 2021. Now, it offers a range of in-person programs and community events. Courtesy of Wild Seed Project

"There are a few options to join the movement.

"Locals can donate resources to area seed banks, like the Wild Seed Project, or research projects, like APCAW.

"Or harness the power of the dollar and purchase #NativeSeeds for a #rewilding project or #AbenakiFlintCorn, a product that honors seed keepers of the past and pays royalties to APCAW.

"To get involved through volunteerism, the Wild Seed Project actively seeks #SeedStewards to collect, clean, process and package seeds.

" 'The nonprofit is also building a first-of-its-kind Native Seed Center at Cape Elizabeth Land Trust’s Turkey Hill Farm, where plants will grow among natural seed banks, along the woodland edge and throughout the farmstead meadow. To donate, visit wildseedproject.com/the-native-seed-center.

Source [paywall]:
https://www.pressherald.com/2025/03/17/native-seeds-preserved-protected-to-counter-surging-invasives/

#SolarPunkSunday #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #NativeAmericanBasketry #Sustainability #IndigenousStewardship #CulturalPreservation #InvasiveSpecies #EAB #PreservingNature #Biodiversity #PreservingTheSacred #PreservingTheForest

So, I attended a Zoom conference on saving #Maine's #AshTrees from the #EmeraldAshBorer. Unfortunately, I missed the presentation by #RichardSilliboy (who got knocked out of the meeting by a thunderstorm), but I did find this film with him in it!

They Carry Us With Them: Richard Silliboy

by Jeremy Seifert

"This film, part of our feature multimedia story 'They Carry Us With Them: The Great Tree Migration', profiles Richard Silliboy, a tribal elder and vice chief of the #AroostookBand of #Mikmaqs, and a #BlackAsh #basketmaker. As he weaves a potato basket at his home in Littleton, Maine, Richard contemplates the arrival of the emerald ash borer and the tenuous future of this ancient art."

https://emergencemagazine.org/film/richard-silliboy/

#SolarPunkSunday #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #NativeAmericanBasketry #Sustainability #IndigenousStewardship #CulturalPreservation #InvasiveSpecies #EAG #PreservingNature #Biodiversity #TEK #TIK #TraditionalIndigenousKnowledge s #Basketry #PreservingTheSacred #PreservingTheForest #WabanakiConfederacy
#Wabanakik #WabanakiAlliance #MaineFirstNations #MaineWoods #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledgeSteward

So, I attended a Zoom conference on saving #Maine's #AshTrees from the #EmeraldAshBorer. Unfortunately, I missed the presentation by #RichardSilliboy (who got knocked out of the meeting by a thunderstorm), but I did find this film with him in it!

They Carry Us With Them: Richard Silliboy

by Jeremy Seifert

"This film, part of our feature multimedia story 'They Carry Us With Them: The Great Tree Migration', profiles Richard Silliboy, a tribal elder and vice chief of the #AroostookBand of #Mikmaqs, and a #BlackAsh #basketmaker. As he weaves a potato basket at his home in Littleton, Maine, Richard contemplates the arrival of the emerald ash borer and the tenuous future of this ancient art."

https://emergencemagazine.org/film/richard-silliboy/

#SolarPunkSunday #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #NativeAmericanBasketry #Sustainability #IndigenousStewardship #CulturalPreservation #InvasiveSpecies #EAG #PreservingNature #Biodiversity #TEK #TIK #TraditionalIndigenousKnowledge s #Basketry #PreservingTheSacred #PreservingTheForest #WabanakiConfederacy
#Wabanakik #WabanakiAlliance #MaineFirstNations #MaineWoods #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledgeSteward

Returning land to tribes is a step towards justice and #sustainability, say #Wabanaki, #EnvironmentalActivists

by Emily Weyrauch, December 1, 2020

"Last month, the Elliotsville Foundation gave back 735 acres to the #PenobscotNation, a parcel of land that connects two Penobscot-held land plots. While this return of land is a significant milestone in terms of the work of conservation groups in Maine, it also reflects a larger shift in thinking about land ownership, from property and caretaking toward #IndigenousStewardship.

"Before European settlers arrived, the land in Maine was stewarded by the Wabanaki people—a confederacy of five nations including Penobscot, #Passamaquoddy, #Maliseet, #Mikmaq and #Abenaki.

"Early treaties between Indigenous tribes and settlers were signed, but not upheld. Early Maine court cases set the precedent for #LandTheft. The state legally prohibited treaty obligations from being published in its constitution. Ever since the 1980 Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act, the state government has significantly limited tribes’ sovereignty and access to ancestral lands. Now, the Maine legislature is preparing to take up a bill that would make 22 law changes to the 1980 act to promote Wabanaki sovereignty and correct the impacts of the 40-year-old piece of legislation that placed Wabanaki people in a separate category from other federally-recognized tribes.

"Currently, a vast majority—90 percent—of land in Maine is privately owned, unlike in states like Nevada, Utah and Idaho, where the vast majority of land is owned by the U.S. government. Less than one percent of Maine land is owned by #Wabanaki people.

"To many Indigenous people, the legacy of white-led conservation groups in Maine and nationwide represents a failure of true environmental stewardship.

"'Across the country, land conservation groups and land trusts participated in depopulating, cutting off Indigenous access to certain lands and resources,' said Dr. Darren Ranco, associate professor of Anthropology and coordinator of Native American Research at the University of Maine.

"Dr. Ranco said that the history of environmental protection in the U.S. starts in the 19th century and focuses on two movements: conservation and preservation.

" 'On the one hand, you have people saying, ‘You want to use the public lands wisely’ — and that often led to extreme forms of exploitation through oil and gas contracts. The other side of it was, ‘Let’s just keep it wild and preserve it as-is, as a wild space,' " said Dr. Ranco, who is a member of the Penobscot Nation. 'Ironically, both of those approaches in the 19th century sought to displace Indigenous people.'

" 'A lot of the [conservation] practices in the past actually marginalized native people, and didn’t allow for their voice to be heard, and discouraged their voices,' said Suzanne Greenlaw, a #Maliseet forestry scientist and PhD student at the University of Maine.

" 'The native approach is very much in the center—we do harvest, but we harvest in a sustainable way that actually forms a relationship with the resource,” said Greenlaw, who conducts research on the sustainable harvesting of sweetgrass by Indigenous people.

"In fact, the way that Indigenous people understand land is markedly different from western ideas of ownership.

" 'The idea of private property puts us in this framing where the land, the water, and the air, and the animals, and everything else—all our relations—are meant to serve us, they are things below us, things to dominate and control and take ownership over,' said Lokotah Sanborn, a Penobscot activist.

" 'For us, it would be absurd to say ‘I own my grandmother,’ or ‘I own my cousin,’ or ‘I own my brother.’ You don’t talk about things like that. And so when we’re talking about land ownership, it’s that same idea —these are our relations, these are things that hold a lot of significance to us,' said Sanborn.

"While the planet’s Indigenous people make up less than five percent of the global population, they manage 25 percent of its land and support 80 percent of global biodiversity, research shows.

" 'We’ve been led down this path toward climate catastrophe and the extinction of millions of species, all to drive #ExtractiveIndustries,' said Sanborn. 'If we wish to reverse these things, we need to give land back into the hands of Indigenous peoples and to respect our ability to protect those lands,' said Sanborn.

"This growing recognition of Wabanaki #stewardship is part of the mission of First Light, a group that serves to connect Wabanaki people with conservation organizations who seek to expand Wabanaki access to land. Currently, 50 organizations are participating, including #MaineAudubon and #TheNatureConservancy.

"Lucas St. Clair, president of the Elliotsville Foundation, participated in First Light’s year-long educational program before fulfilling a request by #JohnBanks, Natural Resources Director for the Penobscot Nation, to return the 735-acre property to the Penobscot Nation. This comes four years after the foundation gave 87,500 acres of land to the federal government for the establishment of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. St. Clair said the foundation currently holds 35,000 acres of land.

" 'In the grand scheme of things, this is not a lot of land,' said St. Clair, about the foundation’s recent transfer of 735 acres. 'It was more about justice, relationship-building and awareness.'

" 'You see this move toward Indigenous knowledge and practices of management and conservation that have existed for hundreds of years, and this possibility with land conservation groups and Wabanaki people having a more central role in understanding and managing the lands is coming to the fore,' said Dr. Ranco.

"And while organizations undergo the learning and transformational processes that precede giving back land, and as the legislature and courts are taking up questions of Wabanaki sovereignty and stewardship, people are working on the ground everyday to re-imagine relationships with land.

"Alivia Moore, a Penobscot community organizer with the #EasternWoodlands #Rematriation collective, said that a crucial part of the work of expanding Indigenous access to land in Maine is recognizing and restoring the history of matriarchal Indigenous societies.

" 'To restore land to Indigenous #matriarchies is to make sure that everybody has what they need on and from the earth. There’s enough for everyone,' said Moore

"With #EasternWoodlandsRematriation, Indigenous people are growing their connections to #RegenerativeFoodSystems. Whereas cultural use agreements are more formal ways Indigenous people can access resources from the private land of people and organizations, Moore said other relationships can form and strengthen even informally.

"Years ago, a white farmer offered land to Indigenous women to use for farming to restore their connection to the land. That has been an ongoing relationship that became one of mutual exchange of information and resources, shared learning and shared meals, said Moore.

"The movement to give land back to Indigenous stewardship is not confined to a single organization, legal battle, or project. For Indigenous people—and a growing number of environmental organizations—it is a step toward justice and a sustainable future.

"'Land back is not just about righting past wrongs. The point of land back is that it’s the future, if we wish to adequately address and avoid further global devastation from climate change,' said Sanborn."

https://mainebeacon.com/returning-land-to-tribes-is-a-step-towards-justice-and-sustainability-say-wabanaki-environmental-activists/

#LandBack #WabanakiConfederacy #Wabanakik #WabanakiAlliance #MaineFirstNations #Maine #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #IndigenousPeoplesDay

Returning land to tribes is a step towards justice and #sustainability, say #Wabanaki, #EnvironmentalActivists

by Emily Weyrauch, December 1, 2020

"Last month, the Elliotsville Foundation gave back 735 acres to the #PenobscotNation, a parcel of land that connects two Penobscot-held land plots. While this return of land is a significant milestone in terms of the work of conservation groups in Maine, it also reflects a larger shift in thinking about land ownership, from property and caretaking toward #IndigenousStewardship.

"Before European settlers arrived, the land in Maine was stewarded by the Wabanaki people—a confederacy of five nations including Penobscot, #Passamaquoddy, #Maliseet, #Mikmaq and #Abenaki.

"Early treaties between Indigenous tribes and settlers were signed, but not upheld. Early Maine court cases set the precedent for #LandTheft. The state legally prohibited treaty obligations from being published in its constitution. Ever since the 1980 Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act, the state government has significantly limited tribes’ sovereignty and access to ancestral lands. Now, the Maine legislature is preparing to take up a bill that would make 22 law changes to the 1980 act to promote Wabanaki sovereignty and correct the impacts of the 40-year-old piece of legislation that placed Wabanaki people in a separate category from other federally-recognized tribes.

"Currently, a vast majority—90 percent—of land in Maine is privately owned, unlike in states like Nevada, Utah and Idaho, where the vast majority of land is owned by the U.S. government. Less than one percent of Maine land is owned by #Wabanaki people.

"To many Indigenous people, the legacy of white-led conservation groups in Maine and nationwide represents a failure of true environmental stewardship.

"'Across the country, land conservation groups and land trusts participated in depopulating, cutting off Indigenous access to certain lands and resources,' said Dr. Darren Ranco, associate professor of Anthropology and coordinator of Native American Research at the University of Maine.

"Dr. Ranco said that the history of environmental protection in the U.S. starts in the 19th century and focuses on two movements: conservation and preservation.

" 'On the one hand, you have people saying, ‘You want to use the public lands wisely’ — and that often led to extreme forms of exploitation through oil and gas contracts. The other side of it was, ‘Let’s just keep it wild and preserve it as-is, as a wild space,' " said Dr. Ranco, who is a member of the Penobscot Nation. 'Ironically, both of those approaches in the 19th century sought to displace Indigenous people.'

" 'A lot of the [conservation] practices in the past actually marginalized native people, and didn’t allow for their voice to be heard, and discouraged their voices,' said Suzanne Greenlaw, a #Maliseet forestry scientist and PhD student at the University of Maine.

" 'The native approach is very much in the center—we do harvest, but we harvest in a sustainable way that actually forms a relationship with the resource,” said Greenlaw, who conducts research on the sustainable harvesting of sweetgrass by Indigenous people.

"In fact, the way that Indigenous people understand land is markedly different from western ideas of ownership.

" 'The idea of private property puts us in this framing where the land, the water, and the air, and the animals, and everything else—all our relations—are meant to serve us, they are things below us, things to dominate and control and take ownership over,' said Lokotah Sanborn, a Penobscot activist.

" 'For us, it would be absurd to say ‘I own my grandmother,’ or ‘I own my cousin,’ or ‘I own my brother.’ You don’t talk about things like that. And so when we’re talking about land ownership, it’s that same idea —these are our relations, these are things that hold a lot of significance to us,' said Sanborn.

"While the planet’s Indigenous people make up less than five percent of the global population, they manage 25 percent of its land and support 80 percent of global biodiversity, research shows.

" 'We’ve been led down this path toward climate catastrophe and the extinction of millions of species, all to drive #ExtractiveIndustries,' said Sanborn. 'If we wish to reverse these things, we need to give land back into the hands of Indigenous peoples and to respect our ability to protect those lands,' said Sanborn.

"This growing recognition of Wabanaki #stewardship is part of the mission of First Light, a group that serves to connect Wabanaki people with conservation organizations who seek to expand Wabanaki access to land. Currently, 50 organizations are participating, including #MaineAudubon and #TheNatureConservancy.

"Lucas St. Clair, president of the Elliotsville Foundation, participated in First Light’s year-long educational program before fulfilling a request by #JohnBanks, Natural Resources Director for the Penobscot Nation, to return the 735-acre property to the Penobscot Nation. This comes four years after the foundation gave 87,500 acres of land to the federal government for the establishment of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. St. Clair said the foundation currently holds 35,000 acres of land.

" 'In the grand scheme of things, this is not a lot of land,' said St. Clair, about the foundation’s recent transfer of 735 acres. 'It was more about justice, relationship-building and awareness.'

" 'You see this move toward Indigenous knowledge and practices of management and conservation that have existed for hundreds of years, and this possibility with land conservation groups and Wabanaki people having a more central role in understanding and managing the lands is coming to the fore,' said Dr. Ranco.

"And while organizations undergo the learning and transformational processes that precede giving back land, and as the legislature and courts are taking up questions of Wabanaki sovereignty and stewardship, people are working on the ground everyday to re-imagine relationships with land.

"Alivia Moore, a Penobscot community organizer with the #EasternWoodlands #Rematriation collective, said that a crucial part of the work of expanding Indigenous access to land in Maine is recognizing and restoring the history of matriarchal Indigenous societies.

" 'To restore land to Indigenous #matriarchies is to make sure that everybody has what they need on and from the earth. There’s enough for everyone,' said Moore

"With #EasternWoodlandsRematriation, Indigenous people are growing their connections to #RegenerativeFoodSystems. Whereas cultural use agreements are more formal ways Indigenous people can access resources from the private land of people and organizations, Moore said other relationships can form and strengthen even informally.

"Years ago, a white farmer offered land to Indigenous women to use for farming to restore their connection to the land. That has been an ongoing relationship that became one of mutual exchange of information and resources, shared learning and shared meals, said Moore.

"The movement to give land back to Indigenous stewardship is not confined to a single organization, legal battle, or project. For Indigenous people—and a growing number of environmental organizations—it is a step toward justice and a sustainable future.

"'Land back is not just about righting past wrongs. The point of land back is that it’s the future, if we wish to adequately address and avoid further global devastation from climate change,' said Sanborn."

https://mainebeacon.com/returning-land-to-tribes-is-a-step-towards-justice-and-sustainability-say-wabanaki-environmental-activists/

#LandBack #WabanakiConfederacy #Wabanakik #WabanakiAlliance #MaineFirstNations #Maine #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #IndigenousPeoplesDay

With everything that's going on with the #MemoryHole, I suggest everyone archive any articles of interest from US government websites -- while you still can! I found this gem -- and archived it!

Designing Tools and Networks to Support #Wabanaki Adaptive Capacity for #ClimateChange

By Climate Adaptation Science Centers December 31, 2020

"Wabanaki Tribal Nations (#Maliseet, #Micmac, #Passamaquoddy, and #Penobscot) and other Tribal Nations in the #NortheastCASC region will face a disproportionate impact from climate change. These impacts will affect resources such as forestry products, fish, game, wild crops, and water that are important to tribal economies and well-being. To combat this, varying levels of tribal community preparedness and the ability to build effective adaptive capacity to extreme events will be crucial for future resiliency efforts. Furthermore, there is a pressing need to work with partners who have a variety of backgrounds to plan, strategize, build and implement resiliency initiatives in tribal communities and identify innovative ways that integrate local knowledge, technology, and science in a manner that traditional and cultural identities are tied.

"Using Indigenous Research Methods, Native American Programs at the University of Maine will align research questions, data collection methods, outputs, and research protocols with Wabanaki people, knowledge, and values to build a regional tribal network for climate change adaptation and create a Wabanaki Climate Adaptation and Adaptive Management Workbook. This project will work with and inform a Regional Climate Change Tribal Network to identify research and output goals and objectives using indigenous values and science related to both the network building and the Workbook.

"The Regional Network will consist of a diverse group of collaborators representing tribal harvesters, tribal environmental staff, intertribal and regional government entities, academic staff and tribal scholars from the University of Maine, and tribal elders and language speakers from each community to integrate a framework that will include indigenous and traditional knowledge, culture, language and history into the adaptation planning process. The primary output of this work, a Climate Adaptation and Adaptive Management Workbook, will identify examples of culturally appropriate adaptative management in responding to climate change, and identify tools for future Wabanaki Tribal leaders and communities to respond to future climate changes."

https://www.usgs.gov/programs/climate-adaptation-science-centers/science/designing-tools-and-networks-support-wabanaki

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/ssSKw
#SolarPunkSunday #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #TEK #ClimateChange #WabanakiConfederacy #ClimateChangeAdaptation #TIK #TraditionalIndigenousKnowledge #IndigenousPeoplesDay

With everything that's going on with the #MemoryHole, I suggest everyone archive any articles of interest from US government websites -- while you still can! I found this gem -- and archived it!

Designing Tools and Networks to Support #Wabanaki Adaptive Capacity for #ClimateChange

By Climate Adaptation Science Centers December 31, 2020

"Wabanaki Tribal Nations (#Maliseet, #Micmac, #Passamaquoddy, and #Penobscot) and other Tribal Nations in the #NortheastCASC region will face a disproportionate impact from climate change. These impacts will affect resources such as forestry products, fish, game, wild crops, and water that are important to tribal economies and well-being. To combat this, varying levels of tribal community preparedness and the ability to build effective adaptive capacity to extreme events will be crucial for future resiliency efforts. Furthermore, there is a pressing need to work with partners who have a variety of backgrounds to plan, strategize, build and implement resiliency initiatives in tribal communities and identify innovative ways that integrate local knowledge, technology, and science in a manner that traditional and cultural identities are tied.

"Using Indigenous Research Methods, Native American Programs at the University of Maine will align research questions, data collection methods, outputs, and research protocols with Wabanaki people, knowledge, and values to build a regional tribal network for climate change adaptation and create a Wabanaki Climate Adaptation and Adaptive Management Workbook. This project will work with and inform a Regional Climate Change Tribal Network to identify research and output goals and objectives using indigenous values and science related to both the network building and the Workbook.

"The Regional Network will consist of a diverse group of collaborators representing tribal harvesters, tribal environmental staff, intertribal and regional government entities, academic staff and tribal scholars from the University of Maine, and tribal elders and language speakers from each community to integrate a framework that will include indigenous and traditional knowledge, culture, language and history into the adaptation planning process. The primary output of this work, a Climate Adaptation and Adaptive Management Workbook, will identify examples of culturally appropriate adaptative management in responding to climate change, and identify tools for future Wabanaki Tribal leaders and communities to respond to future climate changes."

https://www.usgs.gov/programs/climate-adaptation-science-centers/science/designing-tools-and-networks-support-wabanaki

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/ssSKw
#SolarPunkSunday #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #TEK #ClimateChange #WabanakiConfederacy #ClimateChangeAdaptation #TIK #TraditionalIndigenousKnowledge #IndigenousPeoplesDay

@potterybyosa they look awesome - would love to try these in my veggie patch! Also wondering how well they would work in my #hugelkultur - I imagine the soil has to wrap around fully and touch the vessel for best osmosis effect. It could also help break down sticks/logs at the bottom quicker, releasing the nutrients a little faster; would love to try that out. #sustainability #gardening #TEK #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge

Traditional ecological knowledge (Ecology 🏞️)

Traditional ecological knowledge is a cumulative body of knowledge, practice, and belief, evolving by adaptive processes and handed down through generations by cultural transmission, about the relationship of living beings with one another and with their environment. The application of TEK in the...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_ecological_knowledge

#TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #Ecology #TraditionalKnowledge #EnvironmentalHumanities

From 2018: #Native Knowledge: What #Ecologists Are Learning from #IndigenousPeople

From Alaska to Australia, scientists are turning to the knowledge of traditional people for a deeper understanding of the natural world. What they are learning is helping them discover more about everything from melting Arctic ice, to protecting fish stocks, to controlling wildfires.

By Jim Robbins • April 26, 2018

"While he was interviewing Inuit elders in Alaska to find out more about their knowledge of beluga whales and how the mammals might respond to the changing Arctic, researcher Henry Huntington lost track of the conversation as the hunters suddenly switched from the subject of belugas to beavers.

"It turned out though, that the hunters were still really talking about whales. There had been an increase in beaver populations, they explained, which had reduced spawning habitat for salmon and other fish, which meant less prey for the belugas and so fewer whales.

"'It was a more holistic view of the ecosystem,' said Huntington. And an important tip for whale researchers. 'It would be pretty rare for someone studying belugas to be thinking about freshwater ecology.'

"Around the globe, researchers are turning to what is known as Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) to fill out an understanding of the natural world. TEK is deep knowledge of a place that has been painstakingly discovered by those who have adapted to it over thousands of years. 'People have relied on this detailed knowledge for their survival,' Huntington and a colleague wrote in an article on the subject. 'They have literally staked their lives on its accuracy and repeatability.'

"This realm has long been studied by disciplines under headings such as ethno-biology, ethno-ornithology, and biocultural diversity. But it has gotten more attention from mainstream scientists lately because of efforts to better understand the world in the face of climate change and the accelerating loss of biodiversity.

"Anthropologist Wade Davis, now at the University of British Columbia, refers to the constellation of the world’s cultures as the 'ethnosphere,' or 'the sum total of all thoughts and dreams, myths, ideas, inspirations, intuitions, brought into being by human imagination since the dawn of consciousness. It’s a symbol of all that we are, and all that we can be, as an astonishingly inquisitive species.'

"One estimate says that while native peoples only comprise some 4 or 5 percent of the world’s population, they use almost a quarter of the world’s land surface and manage 11 percent of its forests. 'In doing so, they maintain 80 percent of the planet’s biodiversity in, or adjacent to, 85 percent of the world’s protected areas,' writes Gleb Raygorodetsky, a researcher with the POLIS Project on Ecological Governance at the University of Victoria and the author of The Archipelago of Hope: Wisdom and Resilience from the Edge of Climate Change."

Read more: https://e360.yale.edu/features/native-knowledge-what-ecologists-are-learning-from-indigenous-people

#SolarPunkSunday #Resiliency
#Biodiversity #CulturalPreservation
#ClimateChange #Ethnosphere #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #SustainableDevelopment #TEK #TIK #TraditionalIndigenousKnowledge

From 2018: #Native Knowledge: What #Ecologists Are Learning from #IndigenousPeople

From Alaska to Australia, scientists are turning to the knowledge of traditional people for a deeper understanding of the natural world. What they are learning is helping them discover more about everything from melting Arctic ice, to protecting fish stocks, to controlling wildfires.

By Jim Robbins • April 26, 2018

"While he was interviewing Inuit elders in Alaska to find out more about their knowledge of beluga whales and how the mammals might respond to the changing Arctic, researcher Henry Huntington lost track of the conversation as the hunters suddenly switched from the subject of belugas to beavers.

"It turned out though, that the hunters were still really talking about whales. There had been an increase in beaver populations, they explained, which had reduced spawning habitat for salmon and other fish, which meant less prey for the belugas and so fewer whales.

"'It was a more holistic view of the ecosystem,' said Huntington. And an important tip for whale researchers. 'It would be pretty rare for someone studying belugas to be thinking about freshwater ecology.'

"Around the globe, researchers are turning to what is known as Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) to fill out an understanding of the natural world. TEK is deep knowledge of a place that has been painstakingly discovered by those who have adapted to it over thousands of years. 'People have relied on this detailed knowledge for their survival,' Huntington and a colleague wrote in an article on the subject. 'They have literally staked their lives on its accuracy and repeatability.'

"This realm has long been studied by disciplines under headings such as ethno-biology, ethno-ornithology, and biocultural diversity. But it has gotten more attention from mainstream scientists lately because of efforts to better understand the world in the face of climate change and the accelerating loss of biodiversity.

"Anthropologist Wade Davis, now at the University of British Columbia, refers to the constellation of the world’s cultures as the 'ethnosphere,' or 'the sum total of all thoughts and dreams, myths, ideas, inspirations, intuitions, brought into being by human imagination since the dawn of consciousness. It’s a symbol of all that we are, and all that we can be, as an astonishingly inquisitive species.'

"One estimate says that while native peoples only comprise some 4 or 5 percent of the world’s population, they use almost a quarter of the world’s land surface and manage 11 percent of its forests. 'In doing so, they maintain 80 percent of the planet’s biodiversity in, or adjacent to, 85 percent of the world’s protected areas,' writes Gleb Raygorodetsky, a researcher with the POLIS Project on Ecological Governance at the University of Victoria and the author of The Archipelago of Hope: Wisdom and Resilience from the Edge of Climate Change."

Read more: https://e360.yale.edu/features/native-knowledge-what-ecologists-are-learning-from-indigenous-people

#SolarPunkSunday #Resiliency
#Biodiversity #CulturalPreservation
#ClimateChange #Ethnosphere #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #SustainableDevelopment #TEK #TIK #TraditionalIndigenousKnowledge

#Solarpunk Is the Future We Should Strive For

"Amid rising #climate anxiety and an intensifying #ClimateCrisis, solarpunk offers an unapologetically optimistic vision of the future that imagines a radically different societal and economic structure in harmony with nature."

by Olivia Lai, Jun 17th 2022

"The art genre [of Solarpunk] eventually evolved into a practical movement and subculture that incorporates more concrete, regenerative ideas for the future. Energy will be entirely dependent on solar and wind generation – with no fossil fuel or dirty emissions in sight – and circular economies are the only system in place. All waste will either be reused or repurposed, and resources and transport are guaranteed #sustainable and clean. Activities such as rainwater harvesting, #permaculture farming, and community gardening will be commonplace, while Indigenous knowledge and practices are celebrated and used across sectors to improve efficiency of resource consumption.

"#Decentralisation is another key principle that fits in the solarpunk movement. Unlike cyberpunks who imagine the world being dominated by evil corporations, solarpunks imagine a society where people and the planet are prioritised over the individual and profit. Essentially, say goodbye to conglomerates, hierarchies and excessive wealth, and hello to decentralised and open-source technologies, shared knowledge, as well as community building and cooperation.

"The ‘punk’ element in solarpunk refers to the movement’s unapologetically optimistic take on the future despite our growing pessimism and even apathy, and passionately calls for radical societal change and abandoning current #capitalist markets and infrastructure. Or as Rhys Williams, research fellow at the University of Glasgow and leading voice of the solarpunk movement describes it, solarpunks are 'against a shitty future.'

"But solarpunk is beyond just pretty architecture and ideas; it has the potential to influence with real-life applications. Art is a powerful medium to communicate knowledge and demonstrate to people different perspectives and possibilities. Already, there’s an emergence of biophilic designs for residential buildings and shopping malls that integrate natural elements into built environments with the aim of improving public wellbeing and sustainability.

"The movement also sparks discussion about current systemic problems and the need for societal changes, as seen with the increasing popularity of concepts such as degrowth economy, which seeks to scale down the resource use of high income nations’ economies by shrinking sectors that are ecologically damaging and offer little social benefit, and pursue growth not by economic expansion, but one that is ecologically and socially just for all."

https://earth.org/solarpunk/

#SolarPunkSunday #Degrowth #OpenSource #PostCapitalism #Cooperation #CommunityBuilding #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge

#Solarpunk Is the Future We Should Strive For

"Amid rising #climate anxiety and an intensifying #ClimateCrisis, solarpunk offers an unapologetically optimistic vision of the future that imagines a radically different societal and economic structure in harmony with nature."

by Olivia Lai, Jun 17th 2022

"The art genre [of Solarpunk] eventually evolved into a practical movement and subculture that incorporates more concrete, regenerative ideas for the future. Energy will be entirely dependent on solar and wind generation – with no fossil fuel or dirty emissions in sight – and circular economies are the only system in place. All waste will either be reused or repurposed, and resources and transport are guaranteed #sustainable and clean. Activities such as rainwater harvesting, #permaculture farming, and community gardening will be commonplace, while Indigenous knowledge and practices are celebrated and used across sectors to improve efficiency of resource consumption.

"#Decentralisation is another key principle that fits in the solarpunk movement. Unlike cyberpunks who imagine the world being dominated by evil corporations, solarpunks imagine a society where people and the planet are prioritised over the individual and profit. Essentially, say goodbye to conglomerates, hierarchies and excessive wealth, and hello to decentralised and open-source technologies, shared knowledge, as well as community building and cooperation.

"The ‘punk’ element in solarpunk refers to the movement’s unapologetically optimistic take on the future despite our growing pessimism and even apathy, and passionately calls for radical societal change and abandoning current #capitalist markets and infrastructure. Or as Rhys Williams, research fellow at the University of Glasgow and leading voice of the solarpunk movement describes it, solarpunks are 'against a shitty future.'

"But solarpunk is beyond just pretty architecture and ideas; it has the potential to influence with real-life applications. Art is a powerful medium to communicate knowledge and demonstrate to people different perspectives and possibilities. Already, there’s an emergence of biophilic designs for residential buildings and shopping malls that integrate natural elements into built environments with the aim of improving public wellbeing and sustainability.

"The movement also sparks discussion about current systemic problems and the need for societal changes, as seen with the increasing popularity of concepts such as degrowth economy, which seeks to scale down the resource use of high income nations’ economies by shrinking sectors that are ecologically damaging and offer little social benefit, and pursue growth not by economic expansion, but one that is ecologically and socially just for all."

https://earth.org/solarpunk/

#SolarPunkSunday #Degrowth #OpenSource #PostCapitalism #Cooperation #CommunityBuilding #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge

Alrighty then. Time for another #SolarPunkSunday! Tune in for posts about #Permaculture, #Resiliency, #Hackerspace / #Makerspace, #RightToRepair, #LibraryOfThings, #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge, #Agroecology, #Rewilding and #FoodSovereignty!

Alrighty then. Time for another #SolarPunkSunday! Tune in for posts about #Permaculture, #Resiliency, #Hackerspace / #Makerspace, #RightToRepair, #LibraryOfThings, #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge, #Agroecology, #Rewilding and #FoodSovereignty!

Talking Stories - Encyclopedia of #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge

“it is not possible to divorce the ecological aspects of a tradition from the religious, the aesthetic, or the social. For example, among Native American people of the Columbia Plateau . . . moral precepts are inculcated by means of a body of ‘Coyote stories’. A Columbia Plateau elder may know more than 60 such stories. . . . Children learn the moral precepts that will guide them in their social and ecological relationships by listening to their elders tell these stories. Thus, religion, art and ecology are one.”

—Hunn (1993:14)

Compiled by #UniversityOfOregon

"Compared to Western environmental science, traditional ecological knowledge is more holistic and expansive. It includes teachings that help individuals understand their role within the local ecosystem, and precepts that guide their interactions with its human and non-human denizens. Thus, in addition to natural history, traditional ecological knowledge includes governance, philosophy, and religion, as well as the expressive media used to transmit this information."

Learn more:
https://talkingstories.uoregon.edu/

#TEK #TIK #TraditionalIndigenousKnowledge #Foraging #Storytelling #IndigenousHistory #IndigenousKnowledge #SolarPunkSunday #IndigenousPeoplesDay

Talking Stories - Encyclopedia of #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge

“it is not possible to divorce the ecological aspects of a tradition from the religious, the aesthetic, or the social. For example, among Native American people of the Columbia Plateau . . . moral precepts are inculcated by means of a body of ‘Coyote stories’. A Columbia Plateau elder may know more than 60 such stories. . . . Children learn the moral precepts that will guide them in their social and ecological relationships by listening to their elders tell these stories. Thus, religion, art and ecology are one.”

—Hunn (1993:14)

Compiled by #UniversityOfOregon

"Compared to Western environmental science, traditional ecological knowledge is more holistic and expansive. It includes teachings that help individuals understand their role within the local ecosystem, and precepts that guide their interactions with its human and non-human denizens. Thus, in addition to natural history, traditional ecological knowledge includes governance, philosophy, and religion, as well as the expressive media used to transmit this information."

Learn more:
https://talkingstories.uoregon.edu/

#TEK #TIK #TraditionalIndigenousKnowledge #Foraging #Storytelling #IndigenousHistory #IndigenousKnowledge #SolarPunkSunday #IndigenousPeoplesDay

#TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge (#TEK): A Comprehensive Guide

by Dr. Emily Greenfield | Apr 1, 2024

What is Traditional Ecological Knowledge?

"Traditional Ecological Knowledge represents indigenous and local communities’ cumulative knowledge, practices, and beliefs concerning the relationships between living beings and their environments. It is transmitted orally or experientially from one generation to another and is deeply rooted in cultural traditions, spiritual beliefs, and social systems. TEK encompasses a holistic understanding of ecosystems, incorporating environmental, spiritual, social, and economic dimensions. Some key aspects and importance of TEK include:

- Sustainable Resource Management: It offers time-tested practices for sustainable agriculture, fishing, and hunting, maintaining ecological balance.

- Biodiversity Conservation: It provides insights into local biodiversity, aiding conservation efforts and identifying threatened species.

- Climate Change Adaptation: It informs adaptive strategies for climate variability, including seasonal forecasting and resilience-building practices.

- Cultural Preservation: It preserves cultural identity, spirituality, and traditional practices, fostering community cohesion and cultural heritage.

- Community Resilience: TEK empowers communities to address environmental challenges, promoting self-reliance and community-based decision-making.
-
Complementarity with Science: It complements Western science, offering alternative perspectives and methodologies for holistic environmental management.

- Social Justice and Equity: Valuing TEK promotes social justice by acknowledging indigenous rights, cultural diversity, and contributions to sustainable development.

"Traditional Ecological Knowledge is vital for sustainable development, biodiversity conservation, cultural preservation, and social justice. Its importance lies in its holistic understanding of human-environment relationships, adaptive strategies for coping with environmental changes, and contributions to community resilience and empowerment.

What are the Features of TEK?

"Traditional Ecological Knowledge exhibits several distinctive features, which set it apart from scientific knowledge and make it a unique and valuable system of understanding the natural world. Some key features of TEK include:

a. Holistic Perspective: TEK views nature as an interconnected system with interdependent components. It considers not only the physical aspects of the environment but also spiritual, cultural, and social dimensions.

b. Oral Transmission: TEK is typically transmitted orally from one generation to another, often through storytelling, rituals, songs, and other cultural practices. It ensures its preservation and continuity over time.

c. Place-based Knowledge: TEK is deeply rooted in specific landscapes and ecosystems. It reflects the intimate relationship between indigenous and local communities and their environments, shaped by generations of observation and interaction.

d. Adaptation and Resilience: TEK embodies adaptive strategies developed over time to cope with environmental changes and uncertainties. It often includes diverse coping mechanisms, such as flexible resource management practices and local ecological calendars.

e. Local and Context-Specific: TEK is highly localized and context-specific, reflecting the unique environmental conditions, cultural values, and socio-economic contexts of particular communities. It may vary even within different communities inhabiting the same region.

f. Embedded Ethics and Values: TEK incorporates ethical principles and cultural values that guide human interactions with nature. These values often emphasize respect, reciprocity, and stewardship towards the environment and other living beings.

g. Integration of Science and Tradition: TEK may incorporate elements of scientific knowledge that complement traditional understanding. Indigenous peoples often integrate new information and technologies into traditional practices while retaining core cultural values and beliefs.

h. Long-term Perspective: TEK often encompasses knowledge accumulated over centuries or even millennia, providing insights into the long-term dynamics of ecosystems and human-environment interactions.

"These features underscore Traditional Ecological Knowledge’s richness, complexity, and resilience as a vital resource for sustainable development, biodiversity conservation, and cultural preservation."

Read more (includes examples):
https://sigmaearth.com/traditional-ecological-knowledge-tek-a-comprehensive-guide/

#SolarPunkSunday #Resiliency #Biodiversity #CulturalPreservation #ClimateChange #SustainableDevelopment

#TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge (#TEK): A Comprehensive Guide

by Dr. Emily Greenfield | Apr 1, 2024

What is Traditional Ecological Knowledge?

"Traditional Ecological Knowledge represents indigenous and local communities’ cumulative knowledge, practices, and beliefs concerning the relationships between living beings and their environments. It is transmitted orally or experientially from one generation to another and is deeply rooted in cultural traditions, spiritual beliefs, and social systems. TEK encompasses a holistic understanding of ecosystems, incorporating environmental, spiritual, social, and economic dimensions. Some key aspects and importance of TEK include:

- Sustainable Resource Management: It offers time-tested practices for sustainable agriculture, fishing, and hunting, maintaining ecological balance.

- Biodiversity Conservation: It provides insights into local biodiversity, aiding conservation efforts and identifying threatened species.

- Climate Change Adaptation: It informs adaptive strategies for climate variability, including seasonal forecasting and resilience-building practices.

- Cultural Preservation: It preserves cultural identity, spirituality, and traditional practices, fostering community cohesion and cultural heritage.

- Community Resilience: TEK empowers communities to address environmental challenges, promoting self-reliance and community-based decision-making.
-
Complementarity with Science: It complements Western science, offering alternative perspectives and methodologies for holistic environmental management.

- Social Justice and Equity: Valuing TEK promotes social justice by acknowledging indigenous rights, cultural diversity, and contributions to sustainable development.

"Traditional Ecological Knowledge is vital for sustainable development, biodiversity conservation, cultural preservation, and social justice. Its importance lies in its holistic understanding of human-environment relationships, adaptive strategies for coping with environmental changes, and contributions to community resilience and empowerment.

What are the Features of TEK?

"Traditional Ecological Knowledge exhibits several distinctive features, which set it apart from scientific knowledge and make it a unique and valuable system of understanding the natural world. Some key features of TEK include:

a. Holistic Perspective: TEK views nature as an interconnected system with interdependent components. It considers not only the physical aspects of the environment but also spiritual, cultural, and social dimensions.

b. Oral Transmission: TEK is typically transmitted orally from one generation to another, often through storytelling, rituals, songs, and other cultural practices. It ensures its preservation and continuity over time.

c. Place-based Knowledge: TEK is deeply rooted in specific landscapes and ecosystems. It reflects the intimate relationship between indigenous and local communities and their environments, shaped by generations of observation and interaction.

d. Adaptation and Resilience: TEK embodies adaptive strategies developed over time to cope with environmental changes and uncertainties. It often includes diverse coping mechanisms, such as flexible resource management practices and local ecological calendars.

e. Local and Context-Specific: TEK is highly localized and context-specific, reflecting the unique environmental conditions, cultural values, and socio-economic contexts of particular communities. It may vary even within different communities inhabiting the same region.

f. Embedded Ethics and Values: TEK incorporates ethical principles and cultural values that guide human interactions with nature. These values often emphasize respect, reciprocity, and stewardship towards the environment and other living beings.

g. Integration of Science and Tradition: TEK may incorporate elements of scientific knowledge that complement traditional understanding. Indigenous peoples often integrate new information and technologies into traditional practices while retaining core cultural values and beliefs.

h. Long-term Perspective: TEK often encompasses knowledge accumulated over centuries or even millennia, providing insights into the long-term dynamics of ecosystems and human-environment interactions.

"These features underscore Traditional Ecological Knowledge’s richness, complexity, and resilience as a vital resource for sustainable development, biodiversity conservation, and cultural preservation."

Read more (includes examples):
https://sigmaearth.com/traditional-ecological-knowledge-tek-a-comprehensive-guide/

#SolarPunkSunday #Resiliency #Biodiversity #CulturalPreservation #ClimateChange #SustainableDevelopment

#Solarpunk and #Indigenous Perspectives: A Call for Community and #NatureBased Approaches

Incorporating Indigenous perspectives and traditional ecological knowledge into Solarpunk can promote a more community and nature-based approach to #sustainability and #RenewableEnergy, and address key social and #environmental challenges in an ethical and just way.

by Mediocre-Horse-2350, 2022

"Solarpunk is a cultural movement that envisions a positive future where sustainability and renewable energy are at the forefront of society, and social structures are reimagined to create a more equitable and just world. But Solarpunk has yet to fully incorporate Indigenous perspectives and ways of knowing, despite their potential to contribute valuable insights and solutions to contemporary environmental and political challenges. This essay will explore the benefits of incorporating Indigenous perspectives into Solarpunk, explain how this can shift our focus towards a more community and nature-based approach, and address key problems in modern society.

"Indigenous perspectives on nature differ greatly from Western perspectives, which often view humans as separate from and above nature. In contrast, a lot of Indigenous worldviews typically understand humans as equal to and a part of the natural world. This perspective emphasizes the importance of community and connection to the environment and recognizes the interdependence of all living beings. Incorporating these perspectives into Solarpunk can help shift the focus away from individualistic and exploitative approaches to the environment and towards a more community-based and regenerative approach.

"One way in which Solarpunk can incorporate Indigenous perspectives is through the use of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK). TEK encompasses Indigenous knowledge and practices related to ecological management and can offer valuable insights into sustainable and regenerative practices.

"For example, traditional land management practices such as prescribed burning have been shown to reduce the risk of wildfires and promote biodiversity. Incorporating TEK into Solarpunk can lead to more effective and holistic approaches to sustainability and renewable energy. (Here is an example of traditional land management through prescribed burning, which has been used for thousands of years by Indigenous communities.)

"Another way in which Solarpunk can benefit from Indigenous perspectives is through the recognition of Indigenous sovereignty and land rights. Indigenous communities have often been at the forefront of environmental and social justice movements, fighting for their right to self-determination and protection of their land and resources. Incorporating these struggles and perspectives into Solarpunk can promote a more just and equitable society, where Indigenous communities are recognized and respected.

"Incorporating Indigenous perspectives into not Solarpunk not only enriches the genre, but also offers a new way of looking at our relationship with the natural world. By acknowledging the inherent value of nature and the interconnectedness of all living beings, we can begin to shift away from the exploitative mindset that has led to so many of the ecological and social problems we face today. This approach aligns with Indigenous ways of knowing, which recognize that humans are not separate from nature, but rather a part of it. By centering community and nature-based approaches in Solarpunk, we can address key problems such as climate change, environmental degradation, social inequality, and colonialism, and move towards a more sustainable and just future.

"One potential challenge in incorporating Indigenous perspectives into Solarpunk is the risk of cultural appropriation and tokenization. It is important to acknowledge and respect the sovereignty and agency of Indigenous communities and not simply use their perspectives and knowledge for the benefit of non-indigenous individuals or groups. This means engaging in meaningful and respectful collaboration with Indigenous communities, listening to their perspectives, and ensuring that they have agency and control over how their knowledge is used and shared. By centering Indigenous sovereignty and respecting Indigenous knowledge, Solarpunk can move towards a more ethical and just approach to sustainability and renewable energy.

"In conclusion, incorporating Indigenous perspectives into Solarpunk can lead to a more holistic and community-based approach to sustainability and renewable energy. By recognizing the importance of community and connection to the environment, and incorporating traditional ecological knowledge and Indigenous sovereignty, Solarpunk can offer solutions to contemporary and environmental and social challenges. By promoting collective well-being and prioritizing regenerative practices, Solarpunk can lead us towards a more equitable and just future."

Source:
https://www.reddit.com/r/solarpunk/comments/13bgfug/solarpunk_and_indigenous_perspectives_a_call_for/?rdt=37491

#SolarPunkSunday #TEK #TraditionalKnowledge #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #PostColonialism #EnvironmentalJustice #SocialJustice #PostCapitalist #Sovereignty #LandBack #IndigenousPeoplesDay

#Solarpunk and #Indigenous Perspectives: A Call for Community and #NatureBased Approaches

Incorporating Indigenous perspectives and traditional ecological knowledge into Solarpunk can promote a more community and nature-based approach to #sustainability and #RenewableEnergy, and address key social and #environmental challenges in an ethical and just way.

by Mediocre-Horse-2350, 2022

"Solarpunk is a cultural movement that envisions a positive future where sustainability and renewable energy are at the forefront of society, and social structures are reimagined to create a more equitable and just world. But Solarpunk has yet to fully incorporate Indigenous perspectives and ways of knowing, despite their potential to contribute valuable insights and solutions to contemporary environmental and political challenges. This essay will explore the benefits of incorporating Indigenous perspectives into Solarpunk, explain how this can shift our focus towards a more community and nature-based approach, and address key problems in modern society.

"Indigenous perspectives on nature differ greatly from Western perspectives, which often view humans as separate from and above nature. In contrast, a lot of Indigenous worldviews typically understand humans as equal to and a part of the natural world. This perspective emphasizes the importance of community and connection to the environment and recognizes the interdependence of all living beings. Incorporating these perspectives into Solarpunk can help shift the focus away from individualistic and exploitative approaches to the environment and towards a more community-based and regenerative approach.

"One way in which Solarpunk can incorporate Indigenous perspectives is through the use of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK). TEK encompasses Indigenous knowledge and practices related to ecological management and can offer valuable insights into sustainable and regenerative practices.

"For example, traditional land management practices such as prescribed burning have been shown to reduce the risk of wildfires and promote biodiversity. Incorporating TEK into Solarpunk can lead to more effective and holistic approaches to sustainability and renewable energy. (Here is an example of traditional land management through prescribed burning, which has been used for thousands of years by Indigenous communities.)

"Another way in which Solarpunk can benefit from Indigenous perspectives is through the recognition of Indigenous sovereignty and land rights. Indigenous communities have often been at the forefront of environmental and social justice movements, fighting for their right to self-determination and protection of their land and resources. Incorporating these struggles and perspectives into Solarpunk can promote a more just and equitable society, where Indigenous communities are recognized and respected.

"Incorporating Indigenous perspectives into not Solarpunk not only enriches the genre, but also offers a new way of looking at our relationship with the natural world. By acknowledging the inherent value of nature and the interconnectedness of all living beings, we can begin to shift away from the exploitative mindset that has led to so many of the ecological and social problems we face today. This approach aligns with Indigenous ways of knowing, which recognize that humans are not separate from nature, but rather a part of it. By centering community and nature-based approaches in Solarpunk, we can address key problems such as climate change, environmental degradation, social inequality, and colonialism, and move towards a more sustainable and just future.

"One potential challenge in incorporating Indigenous perspectives into Solarpunk is the risk of cultural appropriation and tokenization. It is important to acknowledge and respect the sovereignty and agency of Indigenous communities and not simply use their perspectives and knowledge for the benefit of non-indigenous individuals or groups. This means engaging in meaningful and respectful collaboration with Indigenous communities, listening to their perspectives, and ensuring that they have agency and control over how their knowledge is used and shared. By centering Indigenous sovereignty and respecting Indigenous knowledge, Solarpunk can move towards a more ethical and just approach to sustainability and renewable energy.

"In conclusion, incorporating Indigenous perspectives into Solarpunk can lead to a more holistic and community-based approach to sustainability and renewable energy. By recognizing the importance of community and connection to the environment, and incorporating traditional ecological knowledge and Indigenous sovereignty, Solarpunk can offer solutions to contemporary and environmental and social challenges. By promoting collective well-being and prioritizing regenerative practices, Solarpunk can lead us towards a more equitable and just future."

Source:
https://www.reddit.com/r/solarpunk/comments/13bgfug/solarpunk_and_indigenous_perspectives_a_call_for/?rdt=37491

#SolarPunkSunday #TEK #TraditionalKnowledge #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #PostColonialism #EnvironmentalJustice #SocialJustice #PostCapitalist #Sovereignty #LandBack #IndigenousPeoplesDay

#NativeAmericans Hold #NationalDayOfMourning on #Thanksgiving

"'Thanksgiving' is a white-washed holiday designed to conceal its true origins of violence, #genocide, #LandTheft, and #ForcedAssimilation," - #IndigenousEnvironmentalNetwork.

Jessica Corbett
Nov 28, 2024

"In contrast with Thanksgiving celebrations across the United States on Thursday, Native Americans held a National Day of Mourning, promoted accurate history, and championed Indigenous voices and struggles.

"Despite rainy conditions, the United American Indians of New England held its 55th annual National Day of Mourning at Cole's Hill in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Kisha James, who is an enrolled member of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) and also Oglala Lakota, shared how her grandfather founded the event in 1970 and pledged to continue to "tear down the Thanksgiving mythology."

"The past influences the present" and "the settler project" continues with racism, misogyny, and anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination, James told the crowd. "The Pilgrims are not ancient history."

"James took aim at fossil fuel pipelines, oil rigs, skyscrapers, corporations, the U.S. military, mass incarceration, and the criminalization of immigrants, and declared that "no one is illegal on stolen on land."

"Jean-Luc Pierite, a member of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana and president of the board of directors of the North American Indian Center of Boston who helped organize this year's gathering, told USA Today that "while we are mourning some tragic history but also contemporary issues, we are also expressing gratitude for each [other] and building this community space."

"Coming together as a community for a feast and to express gratitude—that's not something that was imported to this continent because of colonization," Pierite said. "Indigenous peoples have had these practices going back beyond, beyond colonial contact."

This year's event in Plymouth included speeches about the suffering of Palestinians—as Israel wages a U.S. government-backed war on the Gaza Strip that has killed at least 44,330 people, injured 104,933, and led to a genocide case at the International Court of Justice—and of people impacted by extractive industries.

"The message from Indigenous peoples internationally has been consistent: that we need to center the development of traditional ecological knowledge, Indigenous knowledge, and move away from fossil fuel extractive economies," said Pierite. "At this time the world needs Indigenous peoples."

https://www.commondreams.org/news/native-americans-hold-national-day-of-mourning-on-thanksgiving

#FreePalestine #FreeLeonardPeltier #SettlerColonialism #FreePalestine #FreeGaza #WestBank #ClimateJustice #DayOfMourning #NoDAPL #LandBack #DefendTheSacred
#IndigenousClimateActivists #MMIWG
#TwoSpirits #NoPipelines
#LeaveItInTheGround
#ExtractiveMining
#NoMiningWithoutConsent
#WaterIsLife #HumanRightsAreNeverWrong #ExtractiveIndustries.
#TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge, #IndigenousKnowledge #PostFossilFuels
#LoveYourMotherEarth #ResistWhiteSupremacy
#CorporateColonialism #Capitalism

#NativeAmericans Hold #NationalDayOfMourning on #Thanksgiving

"'Thanksgiving' is a white-washed holiday designed to conceal its true origins of violence, #genocide, #LandTheft, and #ForcedAssimilation," - #IndigenousEnvironmentalNetwork.

Jessica Corbett
Nov 28, 2024

"In contrast with Thanksgiving celebrations across the United States on Thursday, Native Americans held a National Day of Mourning, promoted accurate history, and championed Indigenous voices and struggles.

"Despite rainy conditions, the United American Indians of New England held its 55th annual National Day of Mourning at Cole's Hill in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Kisha James, who is an enrolled member of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) and also Oglala Lakota, shared how her grandfather founded the event in 1970 and pledged to continue to "tear down the Thanksgiving mythology."

"The past influences the present" and "the settler project" continues with racism, misogyny, and anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination, James told the crowd. "The Pilgrims are not ancient history."

"James took aim at fossil fuel pipelines, oil rigs, skyscrapers, corporations, the U.S. military, mass incarceration, and the criminalization of immigrants, and declared that "no one is illegal on stolen on land."

"Jean-Luc Pierite, a member of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana and president of the board of directors of the North American Indian Center of Boston who helped organize this year's gathering, told USA Today that "while we are mourning some tragic history but also contemporary issues, we are also expressing gratitude for each [other] and building this community space."

"Coming together as a community for a feast and to express gratitude—that's not something that was imported to this continent because of colonization," Pierite said. "Indigenous peoples have had these practices going back beyond, beyond colonial contact."

This year's event in Plymouth included speeches about the suffering of Palestinians—as Israel wages a U.S. government-backed war on the Gaza Strip that has killed at least 44,330 people, injured 104,933, and led to a genocide case at the International Court of Justice—and of people impacted by extractive industries.

"The message from Indigenous peoples internationally has been consistent: that we need to center the development of traditional ecological knowledge, Indigenous knowledge, and move away from fossil fuel extractive economies," said Pierite. "At this time the world needs Indigenous peoples."

https://www.commondreams.org/news/native-americans-hold-national-day-of-mourning-on-thanksgiving

#FreePalestine #FreeLeonardPeltier #SettlerColonialism #FreePalestine #FreeGaza #WestBank #ClimateJustice #DayOfMourning #NoDAPL #LandBack #DefendTheSacred
#IndigenousClimateActivists #MMIWG
#TwoSpirits #NoPipelines
#LeaveItInTheGround
#ExtractiveMining
#NoMiningWithoutConsent
#WaterIsLife #HumanRightsAreNeverWrong #ExtractiveIndustries.
#TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge, #IndigenousKnowledge #PostFossilFuels
#LoveYourMotherEarth #ResistWhiteSupremacy
#CorporateColonialism #Capitalism

Native Knowledge: What Ecologists Are Learning from Indigenous People

"One estimate says that while native peoples only comprise some 4 or 5 percent of the world’s population, they use almost a quarter of the world’s land surface and manage 11 percent of its forests. In doing so, they maintain 80 percent of the planet’s biodiversity in, or adjacent to, 85 percent of the world’s protected areas."
>>
https://e360.yale.edu/features/native-knowledge-what-ecologists-are-learning-from-indigenous-people

Vertebrate biodiversity on indigenous-managed lands in Australia, Brazil, and Canada equals that in protected areas

"Declines in global biodiversity due to land conversion and habitat loss are driving a ‘Sixth Mass Extinction’ and many countries fall short of meeting even nominal targets for land protection. We explored how such shortfalls in Australia, Brazil and Canada might be addressed by enhancing partnerships between Indigenous communities and other government agencies that recognize and reward the existing contributions of Indigenous-managed lands to global biodiversity conservation, and their potential contribution to meeting international treaty targets."

"Many countries currently fall short of meeting targets to curb biodiversity loss.
Indigenous-managed lands represent one avenue by which national targets can be met.
Both Indigenous lands and conventional protected lands have high biodiversity.
Indigenous-managed lands have equal-or-higher biodiversity than protected areas.
Partnerships with Indigenous communities can ameliorate shortfalls in habitat protection for biodiversity conservation."
>>
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2019.07.002
#TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #IndigenousPeoples #conservation #BiodiversityCrisis #SettlerSociety #Australia #degradation #extinction #extractivism #LoggingImpacts #deforestation #ClimateEmergency

Native Knowledge: What Ecologists Are Learning from Indigenous People

"One estimate says that while native peoples only comprise some 4 or 5 percent of the world’s population, they use almost a quarter of the world’s land surface and manage 11 percent of its forests. In doing so, they maintain 80 percent of the planet’s biodiversity in, or adjacent to, 85 percent of the world’s protected areas."
>>
https://e360.yale.edu/features/native-knowledge-what-ecologists-are-learning-from-indigenous-people

Vertebrate biodiversity on indigenous-managed lands in Australia, Brazil, and Canada equals that in protected areas

"Declines in global biodiversity due to land conversion and habitat loss are driving a ‘Sixth Mass Extinction’ and many countries fall short of meeting even nominal targets for land protection. We explored how such shortfalls in Australia, Brazil and Canada might be addressed by enhancing partnerships between Indigenous communities and other government agencies that recognize and reward the existing contributions of Indigenous-managed lands to global biodiversity conservation, and their potential contribution to meeting international treaty targets."

"Many countries currently fall short of meeting targets to curb biodiversity loss.
Indigenous-managed lands represent one avenue by which national targets can be met.
Both Indigenous lands and conventional protected lands have high biodiversity.
Indigenous-managed lands have equal-or-higher biodiversity than protected areas.
Partnerships with Indigenous communities can ameliorate shortfalls in habitat protection for biodiversity conservation."
>>
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2019.07.002
#TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #IndigenousPeoples #conservation #BiodiversityCrisis #SettlerSociety #Australia #degradation #extinction #extractivism #LoggingImpacts #deforestation #ClimateEmergency

Trekking through tribal lands as the #PenobscotNation plans to reacquire 30,000 acres

[Many] see the land return as an opportunity to reconsider what conservation looks like. Studies have found that #Indigenous-managed lands have #biodiversity levels equal to or greater than protected lands, and conservationists have become increasingly interested in what is known as #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge.
Story by Nate Hathaway
3/17/2024

"The Trust for Public Land [#TPL] is working with the Penobscot Nation to return 30,000 acres near #MountKatahdin to the tribe, which would solidify #Wabanaki #sovereignty over land their ancestors have stewarded for generations.

"The parcel would create a contiguous stretch of conserved land from existing Penobscot Nation holdings near the East Branch of the #PenobscotRiver all the way to #Jackman and #MooseheadLake, combining to form 1.2 million acres.

"The land — which is being called #Wasehtek, a Penobscot word that corresponds to the #EastBranch of the Penobscot River — was owned by Conservation Resources, a #timber investment management organization. In December 2022, the Trust for Public Land announced it had purchased the property for approximately $29 million.

"The land is currently accessed by a limited network of logging roads, which vary in quality. With over 53 miles of rivers and streams, and a diverse population of game species, the land offers substantial fishing and hunting opportunities.

"This move in northern #Maine fits into a nationwide effort to return ancestral lands to #Native tribes. The federal Land Buy-Back Program for #TribalNations, a decade-long initiative that concluded in December [2023], restored nearly 3 million acres to tribal ownership and paid over $1.69 billion to individuals."

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/trekking-through-tribal-lands-as-the-penobscot-nation-plans-to-reacquire-30000-acres/ar-BB1k2aqd

#LandBack #Stewardship #TraditionalKnowledge #TraditionalOwners #WabanakiConfederacy #IndigenousPeoplesDay

Trekking through tribal lands as the #PenobscotNation plans to reacquire 30,000 acres

[Many] see the land return as an opportunity to reconsider what conservation looks like. Studies have found that #Indigenous-managed lands have #biodiversity levels equal to or greater than protected lands, and conservationists have become increasingly interested in what is known as #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge.
Story by Nate Hathaway
3/17/2024

"The Trust for Public Land [#TPL] is working with the Penobscot Nation to return 30,000 acres near #MountKatahdin to the tribe, which would solidify #Wabanaki #sovereignty over land their ancestors have stewarded for generations.

"The parcel would create a contiguous stretch of conserved land from existing Penobscot Nation holdings near the East Branch of the #PenobscotRiver all the way to #Jackman and #MooseheadLake, combining to form 1.2 million acres.

"The land — which is being called #Wasehtek, a Penobscot word that corresponds to the #EastBranch of the Penobscot River — was owned by Conservation Resources, a #timber investment management organization. In December 2022, the Trust for Public Land announced it had purchased the property for approximately $29 million.

"The land is currently accessed by a limited network of logging roads, which vary in quality. With over 53 miles of rivers and streams, and a diverse population of game species, the land offers substantial fishing and hunting opportunities.

"This move in northern #Maine fits into a nationwide effort to return ancestral lands to #Native tribes. The federal Land Buy-Back Program for #TribalNations, a decade-long initiative that concluded in December [2023], restored nearly 3 million acres to tribal ownership and paid over $1.69 billion to individuals."

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/trekking-through-tribal-lands-as-the-penobscot-nation-plans-to-reacquire-30000-acres/ar-BB1k2aqd

#LandBack #Stewardship #TraditionalKnowledge #TraditionalOwners #WabanakiConfederacy #IndigenousPeoplesDay

6 years of A Radical Guide
A Radical Guide is comprehensive media platform engaging with anarchist and radical movements.
https://freedomnews.org.uk/2024/01/27/6-years-of-a-radical-guide/
#ARadicalGuide #GeneralStrikeUS #PeoplesMovementAssemblies #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge

6 years of A Radical Guide
A Radical Guide is comprehensive media platform engaging with anarchist and radical movements.
https://freedomnews.org.uk/2024/01/27/6-years-of-a-radical-guide/
#ARadicalGuide #GeneralStrikeUS #PeoplesMovementAssemblies #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge