Indigenous Knowledge (IK) & Worldview of Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) & Mi’gmag Cecelia Brooks, Research Director & Indigenous Knowledge Specialist AFNCNB Samaqan Nuhkmoss & Luke deMarsh, AFNCNB Researcher Definition of Indigenous Knowledge (IK)  Indigenous Knowledge is inherently tied to land-not in general but to particular landscapes, landforms and biomes  On the land is where ceremonies are held and stories are told, medicines are gathered and knowledge is transferred  The nature of indigenous knowledge requires an interdisciplinary and participatory approach www.indigenousgeography.si.edu/themes.asp Interconnectedness Life is a Circle Not a Line Grandmothers & Grandfathers Spirituality Sweatlodge Connection to Mother Earth Sweatlodge Spirit Tree Sundancer Pennfield Ridge Artifacts Found The Tree River by Sue Blair Creation Story Grand Falls Courtesy of the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick http://www.unb.ca/research/institutes/cri/ Etuaptmumk Two-Eyed Seeing Elder Albert Marshall • Indigenous knowledge and Scientific knowledge are parallel systems that benefit from informing one another. • Combining these two systems creates a more complete assessment of what is happening and what has happened in an ecosystem • Two-eyed Seeing is the guiding principle Indigenous Knowledge & Scientific Knowledge • Indigenous knowledge and Scientific knowledge are parallel systems that benefit from informing one another. • Combining these two systems creates a more complete assessment of what is happening and what has happened in an ecosystem Compatibility of the Two Systems • Inclusion of indigenous knowledge provides a more complete assessment of ecosystems • Outside parties performing “helicopter studies” cannot fully capture the essence of the ecosystem (eg , caribou, polar bears) • The nature of indigenous knowledge requires an interdisciplinary and participatory approach Oral Traditions • Our stories are the data that often presede scientific knowledge – Aglibim • Stories are more than legends or myths. Stories and songs are how we have transferred knowledge for thousands of years • “The universe is made up of stories, not atoms” Muriel Rukeyser First Nation Communities New Brunswick First Nation Communities Wabanaki Territory • The Wabanaki are the “people of the dawn land”. Wabanaki in NB are the aboriginal people who have inhabited what is now roughly the area we call New England and the Canadian Maritimes for at least 13,000 years. Wabanaki In NB •Land-use through food and medicine gathering, hunting, fishing and spiritual practices continue to be an important way of life Assembly of First Nation Chiefs in New Brunswick (AFNCNB) The Assembly of First Nations’ Chiefs in New Brunswick (AFNCNB) is an Indigenous Peoples’ not-for-profit rightsbased organization, representing 14 of the 15 Maliseet and Mi’gmag First Nation communities in the Canadian Province of New Brunswick Peace & Friendship Treaties • The AFNCNB is currently in a treatyimplementation negotiation process with the federal government of Canada and the provincial government of New Brunswick • Although the Maliseet and Mi’gmag First Nations entered into Peace and Friendship treaties, regarding the sharing of lands and resources, with the French and British Crowns starting nearly 300 years ago, negotiations on the implementation of these treaties have not been possible until very recently Study Guide to Collect IK for Effective Consultation • AFNCNB research team sought the guidance of the Maliseet and Mi’gmag elders in the drafting of this Indigenous Knowledge Study Guide (IKSG) to ensure the research methodology respected Maliseet and Mi’gmag cultural norms, the knowledge holders and their knowledge OCAP Guiding Principles • AFNCNB IKSG is grounded in the Indigenous research ethic of OCAP; ownership, control, access and possession of the knowledge by the knowledge holders and their communities • Includes key methodological steps that are consistent with Indigenous Peoples’ own research methods across Canada and internationally Steps in Study Guide • The research process starts with relationship building…drinking copious amounts of tea with elders, lots of informal time • Historical literature review (concurrently) • Knowledge holders are invited to participate in a cultural values mapping focus group or individual sessions, field trips to sites • Biographical mapping, ground truthing Cultural Values Mapping Sustainable Development • Natural Resources are an integral part of the Traditional Lands and Waters of the Mi’gmag and Wolastoqiyik Peoples. Those Resources belong to Mother Earth. We may use them but we are also their custodians. Natural Resources are not simply here for the taking, rather they must be managed carefully so as to provide benefits today while guaranteeing the rights and needs of generations yet to come. This requires truly sustainable development. There are four pillars to sustainable development: • • • • environmental sustainability; social sustainability; cultural sustainability; and economic sustainability. • Each pillar supports the others. They must be kept in balance. AFNCNB Policy Statement on Energy Sustainable Development • The Mi’gmag and Wolastoqiyik Peoples are committed to the cultural, spiritual and social importance of Lands, Waters and Natural Resources. First Nations believe that Natural Resource related policies must: • Understand that Lands, Waters and Natural Resources are integral to the well-being of humanity and are not simply commodities to be exploited; • Seriously take into account the short and long term ecological costs of Natural Resource extraction and see those costs as potentially debilitating debts; • Honour the precautionary principle (in that lack of scientific certainty must not impede conservation efforts and must not enable irresponsible development); Sustainable Development • Guarantee that the benefits of Natural Resource development are shared equitably with those most in need; • Protect the environment; • Ensure biological diversity; • Maintain ecological balance; • Commit to the rehabilitation of habitat and species that have been damaged by current and past Natural Resource extraction practices; and • Place the needs of future generations on at least an equal footing with the needs of our time. Woliwon ~ Welalin Thank You Questions?