Native American Indians: Tribal Ways of Knowing Outdoor Education

Introduction

​

Since Time Immemorial – Indians of the Pacific NW

• I don’t represent all native American Indian people. We are diverse
• Oral traditional commonalities – respect for all living things and all things are living; personified in stories that reveal scientific tribal ways of knowing
• “This is what I was told…” Not telling listener what they must think but letting them make up their own minds
• Siam = person of high social status; etiquette: not polite to tell a person of high social status what to think

​

Tell your story

• What are tribal ways of knowing outdoor education?
• Why is it important to you?

Overview

When you have met one tribe, you have met only that tribe, or tribal person. Each federally recognized tribe is culturally and linguistically different. Most tribes are confederacies, or tribal groups that were forced onto Indian Reservations, away from their home territories, and through the lived experiences of surviving boarding schools, stipped of their languages and cultures

​

Billy Frank, Jr. Wildlife Refuge

Hydroelectric power in the northwest, in part has lead to the destruction of salmon habitat

Billy said, poetically, when the lights on, each beam of light are the token spirits of salmon

Billy was arrested 93 times and incarcerated more than 40 times for exercising his treaty right to fish

1790 est. pop. 350,000

Tribal History: Before 1492

Make a timeline of important historical events or list historical contributions made by people of Native American heritage.

Pleistocene Epoch

How did 300,000 people survive the ice age?

​

​

Scattered by glacial melt flooding

Survivors of the Great Flood

​

Mish tribes

​

Food preservation

​

Rich ceremonial, ritualistic spiritual lifestyles

How did geography impact tribal culture

Incredible findings from the wilds of coastal British Columbia have shown how closely linked animals, humans, and the environment can become. For thousands of years, bears and people have lived in close proximity to one another in this region, and the DNA of the animals appears to reflect those connections. An analysis revealed that there are three distinct groups of grizzly bears living in coastal British Columbia, and these groups are closely aligned with the Indigenous language families of the area.

Interesting facts

​

List some interesting facts about Native American Ways of Knowing. Here are a few examples:

• Respect for one another included persons of high social status. The Chief was not elected, but included knowledgeable Chiefs regarded and revered as ‘TEACHER’
• Respect for all living things. All things are living, including the mountains, and animal people
• Tribal languages are forward looking. Underlying philosophy: “Be Prepared For The Future”

​

Native American leaders

After enduring and surviving the forced boarding school experience, without recognition of treaty rights, the role of leadership is rebuilding the Indian Nations. Here are some examples of tribal leaders:

​

Billy Frank, Jr., Nisqually successfully sought recognition of treaty fishing rights, organized federal response to create the NW INDIAN FISH COMMISSION.

​

Mel Tonasket, Colville gained statewide recognition for the need for tribal self determination and self governance and was a candidate for WA ST Governor

​

Sam Cagey, Sr. helped lead the US vs Washington State case to recognize treaty fishing rights

​

13 Moon Environmental Curriculum

​

The Story of 13 Moons: Developing an Environmental Health and Sustainability Curriculum Founded on Indigenous First Foods and Technologies Jamie Donatuto 1,* , Larry Campbell

​

1 , Joyce K. LeCompte 2 , Diana Rohlman 3 and Sonni Tadlock 4 1 Swinomish Community Environmental Health Program, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, La Conner, WA 98257, USA; lcampbell@swinomish.nsn.us 2 Camassia Resource Stewardship, Rochester, WA 98579, USA; joyceklecompte@gmail.com 3 College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA; diana.rohlman@oregonstate.edu 4 Washington SeaGrant, Seattle, WA 98105, USA; sonnit@uw.edu * Correspondence: jdonatuto@swinomish.nsn.us

How we celebrate

​

List some ways you can celebrate Native American Heritage Month. Here are a few examples:

• Discover Native American artists
• Read Native American authors
• Listen to Native American music
• Learn Native American history
• Learn Native American Indian scientific taxonomies for fishing, food preservation; medicinal plants; edible plants

​

Conclusion

The Indian Nations are diverse with many variations and similarities in their cultural practices and language dialects, even wthin the same tribe

​

What are your ideas for inclusion of American Indian ways of knowing the outdoors?

Questions & answers

Invite questions from the audience.

​

Resources

List the resources you used for your research:

• Source #1
• Source #2
• Source #3

​