Download Traditional Ecological Knowledge

Traditional Ecological Knowledge
• Tl’azat’en First Nation’s understanding of
plants, animals and natural occurrences in
their forest environment
• Knowledge that is passed down from
generation to generation as tradition in the
form of stories, songs, cultural beliefs, rituals,
and community laws
What is the knowledge about?
Valuable data on:
• Local climate and resources
• Biotic and abiotic characteristics
• Animal and plant life cycles
• Soil types
• Plant and animal species
• Practices that enhance the productivity and
health of the ecosystem
In BC…
• Provincial and federal government, the
scientific community and Aboriginal
representatives are working together to
develop land use and restoration plans in part
of the province
Example
• Spring burning of prairie grasslands by the
Cree in Northern Alberta
• This is controlled burning done to re-new
grassland ecosystems
– Recycles nutrients and increases plant growth
– Creates more diversity in the understory of a
forest
– Reduces forest litter and opens the canopy
allowing plants that require more sunlight to grow
Without burning
• Increases forest litter
• Large number of dead or diseased trees