Professional Practice
Traditional Indigenous Knowledge and Ecological Science: A Restorative Pairing
Date: 7/6/2022 - 7/6/2022
Description:
Chelsey Geralda Armstrong: Chelsey will show how ecological and anthropogenic forces have long interacted in complex ways, forming many of the landscapes we observe today. A great example is the Indigenous Peoples forest gardens of the Pacific Northwest. Chelsey will illustrate how these historically-managed ecosystems – dominated by edible fruit, nut, and berry-producing trees and shrubs – have affected seemingly “natural” forest communities today. She will also show how descendant communities are seeking to re-integrate these ecosystems into their livelihoods.
Alejandro Frid Alejandro will then widen the lens and look at how indigenous knowledge and ecological science can complement each other in ways that improve our understanding of past, present, and future ecosystems. He will illustrate how the pairing of these two knowledge systems can assist ecological restoration efforts, as well as help us avert the worst of our current, and very pressing, climate change and biodiversity crises.