PARENT SESSION
Oral Session 17: Traditional Ecological Knowledge.
Presiding: E Sulzman
Monday, August 2, 8:00 AM to 11:30 AM, Meeting Room F 151.
Some thoughts on the need for understanding and communication between and within the TEK, LEK and scientific communities.
Schaafsma, Hoski*,1, 1 Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
ABSTRACT- Complexities of cultural translation often result in miscommunications on several levels. The need to both communicate goals, as well as to understand the goals of others is critical. However, doing this through the language and cultural barriers presents a major challenge for all participants. Entering into a cross-cultural exchange at this time is of preeminent importance as people with traditional, local, and scientific knowledge attempt to engage in dialogue. Interweaving traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), local ecological knowledge (LEK) and scientific knowledge highlights the primary interests of these three types of knowledge that are working to understand the ecology of our one earth. However, all groups approach the task of understanding from different starting points, and often differentially expressed goals. This frequently creates an appearance that all groups are working on conflicting issues. However, we must begin a dialogue through which we can realize that all parties have great stores of significant knowledge. Often the primary differences between groups are simply in the methods use to present our knowledge. The sooner we learn each other's mode of presentation, the sooner we will find we are all talking about the same thing. It is at that point where communication can really begin and we can learn from each other. This is something we must do. There is only one earth and we must all learn respect for the endeavors of the other groups so that we can all turn to the task we are really attempting, that is, to learn about and care for the one earth we all live together on. I offer some ideas on how we might begin to weave a multi-colored basket of knowledge into one useable vessel.
Key words: interdisciplinary, traditional ecological knowledge