Amid flooding and other climate change challenges, Wisconsin environmentalists are turning to Indigenous researchers for guidance on the natural world.
MADISON - Some environmental groups and government organizations, such as the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, have been making efforts to consult with local Indigenous researchers in their work.
Rather than simply extracting knowledge, tribal liaisons are urging officials and representatives to build relationships with tribes to better understand the Indigenous way of thinking about the natural environment.
“I’m trying to push for terminology like 'relatives' (to describe natural entities), not 'natural resources,'” said Sara Smith (Oneida), Midwest tribal resilience liaison for the College of Menominee Nation’s Sustainable Development Institute. “By using the term 'natural resources,' we are pulling ourselves away from them.”
Smith helped a brainstorming workshop at the Climate Fast Forward conference in Madison earlier this month hosted by the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters. The event was attended by dozens of people who work in the environmental field, including several staff of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Smith and Dylan Jennings (Bad River Ojibwe) discussed some of the key differences between Western and Indigenous thought.
“Western societies value … the importance of human interactions,” read a handout at the workshop.
Indigenous people around the world and throughout time value the importance of interactions and relationships with the natural environment.
“We consider beings in the natural environment to be elders and teachers who can teach us valuable lessons,” the handout read. “They provide the framework of relationships and the roadmap to a truly sustainable way of life, with respect and understanding for all aspects of creation.”
Smith explained that many people in today’s world have lost the connection with nature.
Jennings explained that the phrase “natural resources” is not in the Ojibwe language. The closest translation, he said, is “from where we get life.”
“Sometimes, Indigenous thought is seen as antiquated or invalid, but it’s rooted in understanding our environment for thousands of years,” Jennings said. “It’s old, but still very relevant.”
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources officials are starting to learn from Indigenous knowledge.
For example, DNR researchers have learned from Ojibwe elders that a species of tree in the Northwoods used to bud at the same time the walleye fish were starting to spawn, but now those times are becoming off because of a quicker warm-up in the season as a result of climate change.
As tribal harvesters, Jennings said he and his people have a strong relationship with the fish populations in the Northwoods and see firsthand how they’re affected by climate change.
Smith and Jennings talked about the increased flooding on the Bad River Reservation in recent years and the damage it caused.
They discussed the need for funding for projects to mitigate flooding, but stressed that money shouldn’t be the only way to address climate change.
“Maybe a lot of the conversation shouldn’t be about money, but about how we live our life,” Jennings said.
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There’s a need for more conversation and relationships among tribal leaders, state officials and academics when addressing environmental projects, Smith said.
“Tribes need to be involved from the get-go, not just later in the process,” she emphasized.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is requesting more training for staff about how to ethically engage with tribes, Smith said, adding some conversation has been had about the need for more tribal liaisons with the state as there currently is only one.
Frank Vaisvilas is a Report for America corps member who covers Native American issues in Wisconsin based at the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Contact him at fvaisvilas@gannett.com or 815-260-2262. Follow him on Twitter at @vaisvilas_frank.You can directly support his work with a tax-deductible donation online at GreenBayPressGazette.com/RFA or by check made out to The GroundTruth Project with subject line Report for America Green Bay Press Gazette Campaign. Address: The GroundTruth Project, Lockbox Services, 9450 SW Gemini Drive, PMB 46837, Beaverton, Oregon 97008-7105.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Wisconsin environmentalists seek Indigenous knowledge on climate
