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Bridging Indigenous Knowledges and Worldviews with Modern Western Science to Support Climate Actions and Water Resource Management
Citation:
Cooper, D., S. Marr, M. Marrufo, L. Maurin, E. Pimentel, AND J. Zambrana. Bridging Indigenous Knowledges and Worldviews with Modern Western Science to Support Climate Actions and Water Resource Management. 2022 Tribal EPA Region 9 Annual Conference, Lake Tahoe, CA, October 25 - 27, 2022.
Impact/Purpose:
The federal government and specifically EPA are looking for ways to provide further support the preservation and use of indigenous knowledge / tribal ecological knowledge in environmental and public health decision making. This session will provide an opportunity for R9 tribes to provide input and guidance on frameworks for how R9 and ORD might proceed in providing funding for these efforts.
Description:
EPA is holding this listening session to seek input on ideas and concepts that might underpin EPA support for Tribes to protect and use Indigenous Knowledges (IK), sometimes called traditional ecological knowledge (TEK). This effort stems from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) elevating IK/TEK in federal scientific and policy processes and thus opportunities to provide greater support to tribes in environmental resource management. The session will not be recorded, nor will official notes be taken, given that the goal is to come away with concepts that will serve as a starting point for further exploration. It is recognized that incorporating IK in the development of climate adaptation action and resiliency solutions, including water resource management plans, requires increased support through more funding and greater shared understanding. This listening session will assist EPA Region 9 and the Office of Research and Development (ORD) in exploring current and needed technical, financial, or other types of assistance to support tribes when government and tribes agree to collaborate in considering, engaging and using IK in natural resource management, including water resource protection, climate impact assessment and climate action planning. In addition, the session will be helpful in improving understanding on: tribal and government roles and responsibilities to care for knowledge that is sacred or culturally sensitive; the unique cultural and legal boundaries around this topic among each tribe and the federal government; compensation and proprietary rights; and expanding types of acceptable IK “deliverables”. The session will provide the opportunity to discuss needs for acknowledging, respecting and considering worldview differences when identifying and meeting expectations.
