Principal Investigator(s):
- Michael Dockry (University of Minnesota)
- Jessica Hellmann (University of Minnesota)
- Florencia Pech-Cárdenas (University of Minnesota)
Cooperator/Partner(s):
- Jennifer Gauthier (College of Menominee Nation's Sustainable Development Institute)
- Sara Smith (College of Menominee Nation's Sustainable Development Institute)
- Allison Scott (College of Menominee Nation's Sustainable Development Institute)
- Rob Croll (Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission)
- Michael Durglo Jr. (Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes)
Culture is an important part of climate adaptation, because “adapting” implies actions taken by humans to conserve key systems and values. Science is also a critical part of adaptation, because the need and viability of actions depends on our understanding of ecosystem function and process. Indigenous or traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) is both culture and long-term place-based science. TEK, therefore, supports tribal adaptation by both framing and contextualizing climate adaptation research and action. TEK also contributes to tribally-centered understandings of ecological systems and climate change. Incorporating TEK into climate adaptation increases the likelihood that adaptation strategies will be implementable, address tribal goals, and strengthen tribal resilience and sovereignty.
Tribes in the Midwest are leaders in climate change adaptation and have integrated TEK and cultural values into adaptation practices. Despite this work, the value of TEK in climate adaptation science is not well-understood across the entirety of the region, particularly in areas where Native Americans were forcibly removed by the U.S. and state governments. This project provides an opportunity to foster shared learning that can accelerate the spread of TEK-informed adaptation science across the Midwest region.
This is a MW CASC Consortium synthesis research project.
Read more from the CASC Project Explorer.