Traditional Knowledge and Conservation Science

Sambaa K'e (D. Mulders)

The NWT Protected Areas Strategy (PAS) outlines a community-based process to establish a network of protected areas across the NWT. It recognizes the need to balance conservation and economic development, while respecting Aboriginal rights, third party interests, and land use planning processes.

Strong like two people

In Canada's Northwest Territories, First Nations, governments, non-government organizations and industry are working together to design a network of protected areas that will be "strong like two people."

In 1972, Chief Jimmy Bruneau coined the phrase "strong like two people" to explain that traditional knowledge and school-based education are both needed. Tłįchǫ elder Elizabeth Mackenzie often said that bush skills and school could and should support each other. "The two go together." She said, "With both, it is like having some kind of power."

The NWT Protected Areas Strategy recognizes that traditional knowledge and conservation science can work together to protect the natural and cultural values of the land better than either system of knowledge could do alone.

Aboriginal area identification

Lands identified for protection through the PAS are chosen by Aboriginal communities. They use their own traditional knowledge of the land to identify areas that need protection. Communities identify the lands they feel are most important to maintaining cultural and natural values. Aboriginal people know the trails and rivers that provide access to the land. They know the areas important to fish and wildlife and where the good places for fur are located. They know where their water comes from, and their cultural history that is written on the landscape in place names, burial sites and landmarks. In some cases, protected areas are identified during the course of negotiating land claim agreements. Some protected areas are also identified by land use planning processes mandated by the land claim agreements.

Information from conservation science

Conservation scientists take a different approach to identifying lands for protection. To ensure that 'some of everything' is protected, they carefully analyze the landscape and identify ecoregions that are representative of the landscapes that occur in the NWT. (An ecoregion is a relatively large area with a unique mix of plants, animals, climate, and environment). Conservation scientists ask questions like: 'How much of each ecoregion needs to be protected?', 'How much of each ecoregion would be protected by the current list of protected areas and proposed protected areas?', and 'What are some other options for areas where ecoregions could be protected?' This information is provided to communities, land use planning boards, and candidate area working groups to help them make decisions.

Similar but not the same

The two systems for identifying protected areas overlap significantly, but not entirely. Many of the ecoregions identified by science are included in the areas identified by applying traditional knowledge. However, in some cases, not enough of an ecoregion is protected to ensure the survival of its "biodiversity". In other cases, there are whole ecoregions with no protection.

The two knowledge systems are being used by communities, candidate area working groups, and land use planning boards to help decide what land and waters to protect in the NWT. For example, traditional knowledge may be used to determine the boundaries for a study area in which conservation science will be applied to conduct assessments. Upon completion, assessments are then reviewed through a traditional knowledge lens by First Nations representatives participating in the respective candidate area working group.

Areas identified for potential protection need to go through the standard routes of land use planning, the Parks Canada process or the PAS 8-step process so that the protected areas of the NWT will become "strong like two people".

Watching from two places

Traditional knowledge and conservation science can continue to complement each other after protected areas have been established. A monitoring system is needed to ensure that the protected areas fulfill their purpose. Monitoring is also essential to track changes and to help inform management practices. Monitoring based on traditional knowledge and monitoring based on science can give us different kinds of information. Together the two systems provide a more complete and stronger understanding of the cultural and natural values of the land than either system can do alone. Taking care of the land will be most effective if we are watching from two places.

 

Related Links