Lakes

docx

School

University of California, Berkeley *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

C176L

Subject

Anthropology

Date

Dec 6, 2023

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by CommodoreOtterPerson258

1. What are the central points of the piece, and how do they relate to what we’re engaging in this class? 2. How do themes and ideas from this piece relate to things you’re learning in and out of the classroom at UC Berkeley? 3. What questions do you have about the material, or what would you like to know more about? Marin, K., Coon, A. and Fraser, D.J. Traditional ecological knowledge reveals the extent of sympatric lake trout diversity and habitat preferences. Ecol. Soc. 22, 20 (2017). “Traditional ecological knowledge reveals the extent of sympatric lake trout diversity and habitat preferences” is a piece that touches upon the importance of traditional ecological knowledge when studying ecological processes. The authors emphasize the importance of knowledge outside of modern day science especially in northern regions, as conducting studies in these locations are challenging for economic and logistic reasons. Traditional ecological knowledge comes from the local people “who live or work closely with the natural environment (e.g., hunters and trappers, fishers, farmers)...”. They have acquired a millennia of knowledge from interactions with nature through fishing, traditions, and stories passed down by their ancestors. Working with the James Bay Cree, this indigenous group of people gather ecological knowledge while also ensuring respect and gratitude for the natural environment they live in. As a result, they have acquired a deep knowledge of various natural processes and creatures, which they pass down to future generations. Focusing on lake trout, one of Canada’s most important subsistence fishes, authors relied on traditional knowledge for information that was not gathered during scientific research and processes. Due to the limited summer time period in which scientists can gather knowledge about the lake trout, there has been much information still unknown to the authors. Therefore, they turned to traditional ecological knowledge to learn more about the species. They did so through collaborative fieldwork at the northern sites as well as semi directed interviews from the local community and fishermen of Mistissini. In the end, they were able to acquire a significant amount of new information about lake trout, such as location of trout during different time periods, morphological diversity of the trout in terms of color and size, lake trout preferences when it came to depths and spaces to occupy, and the reproductive timing and location of the fish species. Moreover, there were also concerns that arose from the indigenous group about later spawning, a decrease in number of fish, and a change in morphology and behavior. Overall, traditional ecological knowledge was able to describe “a richer diversity of sympatric lake trout forms” and provide “descriptions… that were not captured by scientific research”, which comes to show the importance of traditional knowledge in human understanding of the natural world around us. This piece relates very closely to our lesson on the importance of the vast indigenous knowledge on ecosystems and natural resources. For instance, the gathering of knowledge to support current scientific studies and information is an example of a resolution to the shifting baseline syndrome which we learned in class. During class, we discussed how there was a lack of knowledge in past information on fish species and behavior, which then led to a list of resolutions that scientists direct their efforts into to bridge

this gap, one of which was from indigenous knowledge. Similarly, the scientists in this piece directed their efforts to the James Bay Cree for more information on the behaviors and morphology of lake trout. In the end, they were able to gain a fuller understanding of various behaviors of the lake trout. This piece relates to what I learn outside of the classroom because I constantly hear about the strong connection that indigenous people have to their land and mother nature. Indigenous peoples have been pushed off their land and treated horrendously for hundreds of years by those who impose on their natural rights, but they have been occupying these areas for centuries, acquiring knowledge of the land and tending to the natural cycles and processes of these ecosystems. They have become integral to the health and wellness of our planet, but there have been numerous instances, that I’ve learned from various news articles and history classes, where they were completely unacknowledged and even oppressed. From this piece, it becomes apparent that if we respect the indigenous people and even try to learn from them, society would improve tremendously. In the end, this piece led to many questions regarding indigenous knowledge and fish morphology. First and foremost, I would like to know more about how knowledge changes and develops as it is passed down from generation to generation. Given that most indigenous knowledge is passed down through oral stories and methods, it is undeniable that the information passes through different perspectives and personalities. As a result, I am interested in learning how this affects the information current scientists utilize from various tribes.

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

Lakes

Related Documents