Local and Traditional Knowledge in the Context of Alaska and Arctic Climate Change

The Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA) published by the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) in 2005 provides a comprehensive review of the perspectives of Native peoples in the Arctic on climate change. Chapter 3 of this report described the development and nature of what was termed “indigenous knowledge” and its use and application, provided observations of climate change, and presented nine case studies, including ones for the Kotzebue area and Aleutians/Pribilof Islands region of Alaska. The summary and conclusions of the chapter is attached along with other descriptions of "local knowledge" and the integration of "local and tradional knowledge (LTK)" and Alaska marine research. Download File (Word, 36 KB)

The full ACIA report is available in pdf form at http://www.acia.uaf.edu. The references to studies that support the excerpted statements in the attached summary are included in the report.

Definitions

“A variety of terms have been used - “traditional knowledge”, “traditional ecological knowledge (TEK)”, “traditional knowledge and wisdom”, “local and traditional knowledge (LTEK)”, “indigenous knowledge”, and various combinations of these words and their acronyms.”

Knowledge
“ ‘Knowledge’ by itself omits the insights learned from experience and application, which are better captured by “wisdom”. All of these terms neglect the spiritual dimensions of knowledge and connection with the environment that are often of greatest importance to those who hold this knowledge.”

Traditional or Indigenous Knowledge
Huntington et. al., in ACIA (2005) used the term “indigenous knowledge” “in a broad sense, encompassing the various systems of knowledge, practice, and belief gained through experience. . . “Traditional” was described “as having “a connotation of being static and from past times, whereas this knowledge is current and dynamic.”. . . “By any term, indigenous knowledge plays a vital role in arctic communities, and its perpetuation is important to the future of such communities.”

Local and Traditional Knowledge
The North Pacific Board Science Plan (NPRB) defines “local and traditional knowledge (LTK)” as “information, understanding, and wisdom accumulated over time based on experience and often shared within a group or community.”

Resources can be found under the Resource categories of "Alaska Native Perspectives on Climate Change," "Integrating Alaska Native Knowledge with Western Science," and "Culturally-Relevant Science Education."

Alaska Strategies for Culturally-Relevant Education about a Changing Ocean (PPTX, 10.53 MB) Presentation at the Northwest Aquatic and Marine Educators Conference, Florence, OR. July 2010.