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Webinar Series: Incorporating Indigenous Knowledges into Federal Research and Management

The National CASC hosted a webinar series on how to integrate Indigenous Knowledges (IK) into Federal research and resource management programs. It ran bi-weekly from April 6 to June 1, 2023 and centers Indigenous voices to explore ethical, legal, and scientific considerations for working within different knowledge systems and provides guidance reflecting best practices.

Webinar Series Overview

“As the original stewards of the natural environment, Tribes and Indigenous communities have expertise critical to finding solutions to the climate crisis and protecting our nation’s ecosystems. The guidance released today will help ensure that their voices are included across the Federal Government for the collective benefit of our communities and the planet.”  - White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory

Image of a green snapping turtle within a medicine wheel, surrounded by a wreath of plants important to Indigenous cultures
This visual was created by Coral Avery (BIA Tribal Climate Resilience, Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center) with the support of the webinar series planning team. The image depicts a green snapping turtle within a circular medicine wheel (offset four quadrants colored white, yellow, red, and black), encircled by a wreath of plants significant to Indigenous cultures from across the US, Alaska, and the Pacific Islands (kelp, clams, yucca, corn, cedar, & fire weed) and a watercolor blue border.

In November 2022, the White House Office of Science and Policy released guidance on how Federal agencies can ethically acknowledge and incorporate Indigenous Knowledges (IK) into science, management, and decision making. This first-of-its-kind document recognizes IK as an important body of knowledge contributing to a more complete understanding of the natural world. It also acknowledges the U.S. government's past history of marginalization of and resource extraction from Indigenous peoples and the impact this left on building trusting relationships.

In this webinar series, speakers explored what it means to ethically engage with Indigenous Knowledges in resource management and conservation spaces. We heard from Tribal and Indigenous communities about the frameworks they use to protect and share their knowledges, and from Federal agencies about how they navigate their responsibility to foster respectful, mutually beneficial relationships with knowledge holders.

We invite anyone interested in Indigenous Knowledges, Indigenous engagement, conservation, and environmental management to view the recordings in this series. We hope these sessions are of particular value to Federal employees seeking to build partnerships with Indigenous peoples and to Tribal citizens and Indigenous peoples seeking to understand resources and opportunities for collaborating with Federal partners.

 

Schedule

Date and Time Webinar Title Presenters
April 6 (3-4:30 PM ET) What are Indigenous Knowledges (IK)?

Melonee Montano (Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission)

Daniel Wildcat (Haskell Indian Nations University)

April 20 (3-4 PM ET)  Understanding Federal Guidance on Engaging with Indigenous Knowledges 

Haley Case-Scott (White House Office of Science and Technology Policy)

Paige Schmidt (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

May 4 (3-4 PM ET) Tribal Policies Around Indigenous Knowledges

Aaron Jones (Tulalip Tribes)

Ann Marie Chischilly (Northern Arizona University)

Bobby Saunkeah (Chickasaw Nation)

May 18 (3-4:30 PM ET)  Case Studies of Successful IK Engagement

Sarah Rinkevich (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

Catherine Techtmann (University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension)

Kim Kanoeʻulalani Morishige (Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument Reserve Advisory Council, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa)

Nicole Herman-Mercer (U.S. Geological Survey)

June 1 (3-4 PM ET) Best Practices for Engaging Tribal Nations and Indigenous Peoples Surrounding Indigenous Knowledges

Sara Kahanamoku (Hawaiʻi Sea Grant Ulana ʻIke Center of Excellence)

Mike Durglo (Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes)

 

Who We Are

This webinar series was hosted by the USGS National Climate Adaptation Science Center in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Conservation Training Center, the USGS Office of Tribal Relations, and the Climate Adaptation Science Centers’ Tribal Climate Resilience Liaisons. Special thanks to Coral Avery (Bureau of Indian Affairs; Northwest CASC) for designing the graphics used in promotional materials for this series.

 

Webinar Recordings

All webinars in this series were recorded and transcribed and are posted below. 

 

    • Incorporating Indigenous Knowledges into Federal Research and Management: Tribal Policies around Indigenous Knowledges

      In this webinar, speakers Aaron Jones, Ann Marie Chischilly, and Bobby Reed Saunkeah discuss Tribal policies surrounding Indigenous Knowledge and describe how to ethically and respectfully engage with Tribes to include Indigenous Knowledge in research and management projects.
      link

      Incorporating Indigenous Knowledges into Federal Research and Management: Tribal Policies around Indigenous Knowledges

      In this webinar, speakers Aaron Jones, Ann Marie Chischilly, and Bobby Reed Saunkeah discuss Tribal policies surrounding Indigenous Knowledge and describe how to ethically and respectfully engage with Tribes to include Indigenous Knowledge in research and management projects.
      Learn More
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