Do you know what you know?: Perspectives on traditional ecological knowledge

In order to achieve a meaningful and acceptable economic transition to a position of self reliance, the people of Kitsumkalum First Nation stress that all resource management within their territory should be cooperatively directed within their community by their members in association with the federal and provincial governments. Consequently, the Kitsumkalum First Nation recognize the importance of establishing a community-based land and resource management plan for their traditional territory, one that takes into consideration their Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), but which will also harmonize with Western Scientific Knowledge (WSK). Therefore, this paper is an examination of how TEK is understood within academic TEK literature, by academic TEK researchers, and within the Kitsumkalum First Nation traditional territory. The author hoped this study would produce a framework for integrating TEK with WSK. That framework was not attained. Upon completion of this study the author concludes that when it comes to defining TEK there are almost any many definitions and approaches put forward as there are researchers working on this topic. Further, the author concludes that the application of a Western reductionist approach for TEK does not work and it is folly to continue to try to separate and fit TEK into neat categories to fit within research paradigms. The fact is that TEK is so much a part of First Nation culture that it is just part of everyday lives aboriginal people never really stop to think about what TEK is. TEK is just what aboriginal people do. Methods of analysis include thematic and content analysis.