TEK: What it is and why it matters for Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences

Indigenous communities hold invaluable knowledge systems that can assist in addressing the most contemporary environmental issues societies are facing. This knowledge is called Traditional ecological Knowledge (TEK). TEK has been gaining recognition in academic spaces, including the president's recent inclusion of TEK/ITEK recognition. It has been included in policy and management for decades, but few know what it is, how it is used, or how it is even assessed. Dr Chisholm Hatfield will address how TEK differs from citizen science and other ecological knowledges (EK). She will share how TEK is a difficult and in-depth process that requires the location of vetted information as one of the key components to actual, or "valid" TEK. Dr Chisholm Hatfield is one of only a handful of TEK Specialists nationwide who is a Tribally vetted and approved Indigenous scientist. Her research is both national and international.