Traditional ecological knowledge

Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) is a cumulative body of knowledge, practice, and belief, evolving by adaptive processes and handed down through generations by cultural transmission, about the relationship of living beings (including humans) with one another and with their environment.

The integration of TEK into ecological management has been debated, as traditional knowledge is often based on long-term observation, cultural methods, and experiential learning, rather than the standardized experimental and quantitative methods typical of Western ecological science. These differences in knowledge acquisition and validation have led to discussions about how TEK can be effectively and respectfully incorporated into ecological studies and ecological management. Non-tribal government agencies, such as the U.S. EPA, have established integration programs with some tribal governments in order to incorporate TEK in environmental plans and climate change tracking. In contrast to the universality towards which contemporary academic pursuits often aim, TEK does not function as a universal set of principles, but as a family of culturally situated rules and practices rooted in specific places and ecological worldviews.

There is an ongoing debate in international law and policy about whether Indigenous peoples retain intellectual property rights over traditional knowledge and whether third parties should be required to obtain prior informed consent or a licence before using such knowledge. The WIPO Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge addresses disclosure requirements and benefit-sharing when traditional knowledge or associated genetic resources are used in intellectual property filings. This is especially complicated because TEK is most frequently preserved as oral tradition and as such may lack objectively confirmed documentation. As such, the same methods that could resolve the issue of documentation to meet legal requirements may compromise the very nature of traditional knowledge.

Traditional knowledge informs Indigenous horticulture and stewardship practices that maintain and, in some cases, enhance plant and animal populations relied upon for subsistence. While TEK and the communities which contain it are often marginalized within dominant scientific and societal frameworks, they provide valuable perspectives that can contextualize environmental change.