Learning as You Journey: Anishinaabe Perception of Social-ecological Environments and Adaptive Learning
This paper explores the linkages between social-ecological resilience and adaptive learning. We refer to adaptive learning as a method to capture the two-way relationship between people and their social-ecological environment. In this paper, we focus on traditional ecological knowledge. Research was...
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Resilience Alliance
2003
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-00587-080105 https://doaj.org/article/1b311683cc664b07bb39a38621ec060b |
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:1b311683cc664b07bb39a38621ec060b 2023-05-15T13:28:45+02:00 Learning as You Journey: Anishinaabe Perception of Social-ecological Environments and Adaptive Learning Iain Davidson-Hunt Fikret Berkes 2003-12-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-00587-080105 https://doaj.org/article/1b311683cc664b07bb39a38621ec060b EN eng Resilience Alliance http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol8/iss1/art5/ https://doaj.org/toc/1708-3087 1708-3087 doi:10.5751/ES-00587-080105 https://doaj.org/article/1b311683cc664b07bb39a38621ec060b Ecology and Society, Vol 8, Iss 1, p 5 (2003) Anishinaabe Canadian North adaptive learning boreal ecological perception ethnoecology resilience social learning social-ecological systems sustainability science traditional ecological knowledge Biology (General) QH301-705.5 Ecology QH540-549.5 article 2003 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-00587-080105 2022-12-31T09:07:51Z This paper explores the linkages between social-ecological resilience and adaptive learning. We refer to adaptive learning as a method to capture the two-way relationship between people and their social-ecological environment. In this paper, we focus on traditional ecological knowledge. Research was undertaken with the Anishinaabe people of Iskatewizaagegan No. 39 Independent First Nation, in northwestern Ontario, Canada. The research was carried out over two field seasons, with verification workshops following each field season. The methodology was based on site visits and transects determined by the elders as appropriate to answer a specific question, find specific plants, or locate plant communities. During site visits and transect walks, research themes such as plant nomenclature, plant use, habitat descriptions, biogeophysical landscape vocabulary, and place names were discussed. Working with elders allowed us to record a rich set of vocabulary to describe the spatial characteristics of the biogeophysical landscape. However, elders also directed our attention to places they knew through personal experiences and journeys and remembered from stories and collective history. We documented elders' perceptions of the temporal dynamics of the landscape through discussion of disturbance events and cycles. Again, elders drew our attention to the ways in which time was marked by cultural references to seasons and moons. The social memory of landscape dynamics was documented as a combination of biogeophysical structures and processes, along with the stories by which Iskatewizaagegan people wrote their histories upon the land. Adaptive learning for social-ecological resilience, as suggested by this research, requires maintaining the web of relationships of people and places. Such relationships allow social memory to frame creativity, while allowing knowledge to evolve in the face of change. Social memory does not actually evolve directly out of ecosystem dynamics. Rather, social memory both frames creativity within, ... Article in Journal/Newspaper anishina* Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Canada Conservation Ecology 8 1 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Anishinaabe Canadian North adaptive learning boreal ecological perception ethnoecology resilience social learning social-ecological systems sustainability science traditional ecological knowledge Biology (General) QH301-705.5 Ecology QH540-549.5 |
spellingShingle |
Anishinaabe Canadian North adaptive learning boreal ecological perception ethnoecology resilience social learning social-ecological systems sustainability science traditional ecological knowledge Biology (General) QH301-705.5 Ecology QH540-549.5 Iain Davidson-Hunt Fikret Berkes Learning as You Journey: Anishinaabe Perception of Social-ecological Environments and Adaptive Learning |
topic_facet |
Anishinaabe Canadian North adaptive learning boreal ecological perception ethnoecology resilience social learning social-ecological systems sustainability science traditional ecological knowledge Biology (General) QH301-705.5 Ecology QH540-549.5 |
description |
This paper explores the linkages between social-ecological resilience and adaptive learning. We refer to adaptive learning as a method to capture the two-way relationship between people and their social-ecological environment. In this paper, we focus on traditional ecological knowledge. Research was undertaken with the Anishinaabe people of Iskatewizaagegan No. 39 Independent First Nation, in northwestern Ontario, Canada. The research was carried out over two field seasons, with verification workshops following each field season. The methodology was based on site visits and transects determined by the elders as appropriate to answer a specific question, find specific plants, or locate plant communities. During site visits and transect walks, research themes such as plant nomenclature, plant use, habitat descriptions, biogeophysical landscape vocabulary, and place names were discussed. Working with elders allowed us to record a rich set of vocabulary to describe the spatial characteristics of the biogeophysical landscape. However, elders also directed our attention to places they knew through personal experiences and journeys and remembered from stories and collective history. We documented elders' perceptions of the temporal dynamics of the landscape through discussion of disturbance events and cycles. Again, elders drew our attention to the ways in which time was marked by cultural references to seasons and moons. The social memory of landscape dynamics was documented as a combination of biogeophysical structures and processes, along with the stories by which Iskatewizaagegan people wrote their histories upon the land. Adaptive learning for social-ecological resilience, as suggested by this research, requires maintaining the web of relationships of people and places. Such relationships allow social memory to frame creativity, while allowing knowledge to evolve in the face of change. Social memory does not actually evolve directly out of ecosystem dynamics. Rather, social memory both frames creativity within, ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Iain Davidson-Hunt Fikret Berkes |
author_facet |
Iain Davidson-Hunt Fikret Berkes |
author_sort |
Iain Davidson-Hunt |
title |
Learning as You Journey: Anishinaabe Perception of Social-ecological Environments and Adaptive Learning |
title_short |
Learning as You Journey: Anishinaabe Perception of Social-ecological Environments and Adaptive Learning |
title_full |
Learning as You Journey: Anishinaabe Perception of Social-ecological Environments and Adaptive Learning |
title_fullStr |
Learning as You Journey: Anishinaabe Perception of Social-ecological Environments and Adaptive Learning |
title_full_unstemmed |
Learning as You Journey: Anishinaabe Perception of Social-ecological Environments and Adaptive Learning |
title_sort |
learning as you journey: anishinaabe perception of social-ecological environments and adaptive learning |
publisher |
Resilience Alliance |
publishDate |
2003 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-00587-080105 https://doaj.org/article/1b311683cc664b07bb39a38621ec060b |
geographic |
Canada |
geographic_facet |
Canada |
genre |
anishina* |
genre_facet |
anishina* |
op_source |
Ecology and Society, Vol 8, Iss 1, p 5 (2003) |
op_relation |
http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol8/iss1/art5/ https://doaj.org/toc/1708-3087 1708-3087 doi:10.5751/ES-00587-080105 https://doaj.org/article/1b311683cc664b07bb39a38621ec060b |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-00587-080105 |
container_title |
Conservation Ecology |
container_volume |
8 |
container_issue |
1 |
_version_ |
1765996181605842944 |