Integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge into Archaeological Practice

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Ann F. Ramenofsky: Papers in Honor of a Non-Normative Career" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

As Heritage Program Manager for Six Rivers National Forest in Northern California, I have worked closely with the Karuk Tribe and other partners on the Western Klamath Restoration Partnership (WKRP). WKRP is an initiative designed to utilize traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) to restore cultural burning on a landscape at the center of Karuk aboriginal territory. Archaeological surveys for WKRP were conducted by an integrated crew of Karuk tribal practitioners and Forest Service archaeologists. The crew took a holistic approach of recording more than just artifacts and features, to include cultural vegetation characteristics and evidence for how the land was used and managed in the past with a view toward revitalizing those practices in their traditional places. Collecting TEK and archaeological data allowed for an enhanced understanding of the values and resources that make up this cultural landscape. As the surveys took shape it was clear that standard archaeological site recordation forms would not be sufficient. A TEK form was collaboratively developed to identify natural resources showing signs of past or contemporary use/management, associations with the broader landscape (known villages, trails, hunting grounds, old campsites, springs, ridgetops, viewsheds, ceremonial areas), and management recommendations to enhance plant quality for cultural uses.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)   •
• Ann F. Ramenofsky: Papers in Honor of a Non-Normative Career

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 25112