Invasive Species Council of British Columbia

For Educators

Unit: Student Land Stewards – Activity 4: Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Invasive Species Impacts

Grade: 7 to 9

Duration: 2 hours

Setting: Indoor

Subjects: Language Arts, Science, Social Studies

Physical Activity: No

Students explore examples of Traditional Ecological Knowledge and how invasive species threaten plants, animals, and habitats important to Indigenous traditions and livelihoods. Students may also research a traditional plant and create a “Connections Card,” which can be used to enhance outdoor walks.

This is the fourth activity in the Grade 7-9 Learning Resource, Student Land Stewards in Action. Please see the Overview for this resource for more information, including the lesson sequence.

This resource was created through the financial support of the Provincial Intermediate and Middle Years Teachers’ Association (myPITA).

Learning Objectives

By participating in this learning activity, students will:

  • Deepen their understanding of Indigenous connections to and knowledge of several native plants and animals.
  • Learn how some invasive species impact native species and Indigenous food systems and connections to the land.
  • Develop a greater appreciation for Traditional Ecological Knowledge.
Inquiry Questions
  • How do First Nations traditionally use and manage plants and animals in this region?
  • What is Traditional Ecological Knowledge and what are some examples from my region?
  • How do invasive species impact traditional Indigenous activities on the land?
BC Curriculum Links

Core Competency

  • Personal and Social- Contributing to Community and Caring for the Environment

Science Big Ideas and Content

  • The Earth and its climate have changed over geological time (Grade 7)
  • Evolution by natural selection provides an explanation for the diversity and survival of living things (Grade 7)
  • Local First Peoples knowledge of climate change (Content, Grade 7)
  • Local First Peoples knowledge of changes in biodiversity over time (Content, Grade 7)
  • Cells are a basic unit of life (Grade 8; Content: Characteristics of life)
  • The biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere are interconnected, as matter cycles and energy flows through them. (Grade 9)
  • First Peoples knowledge of interconnectedness and sustainability (Content, Grade 9)
  • Sustainability of systems (Grade 9, Content)

Science Curricular Competencies

  • Apply First Peoples perspectives and knowledge, other ways of knowing, and local knowledge as sources of information (Grades 7-9)
  • Experience and interpret the local environment (Grades 7-9)
  • Consider social, ethical, and environmental implications of the findings from their own and others’ investigations (Grades 7-9)
  • Express and reflect on a variety of experiences and perspectives (and worldviews) of place (Grades 7-8; 9)

Social Studies

  • Use Social Studies inquiry processes and skills to ask questions; gather, interpret, and analyze ideas; and communicate findings and decisions. (Curricular Competencies, Grades 7-9)
  • Explain different perspectives on past or present people, places, issues, or events, and compare the values, worldviews, and beliefs of human cultures and societies in different times and places (Grades 7-8)
  • Ethical judgment – Make ethical judgements about past events, decisions, or actions, and assess the limitations of drawing direct lessons from the past (Grades 7-8)
  • Human responses to particular geographic challenges and opportunities, including climates, landforms, and natural resources (Content, Grade 7)
  • Exploration, expansion, and colonization had varying consequences for different groups (Big Ideas, Grade 8)
  • Imperialism and colonialism, and their continuing effects on Indigenous Peoples in Canada and around the world (Content, Grade 9)

English Language Arts

  • Recognize the validity of First Peoples oral tradition for a range of purposes (Curricular Competency, Grade 7)
  • Recognize and appreciate the role of story, narrative, and oral tradition in expressing First Peoples perspectives, values, beliefs, and points of view (Curricular Competency, Grades 7-9)

Additional Curriculum Links may include:

Arts Education

  • Traditional and contemporary Aboriginal arts and arts-making processes (Content, Grades 7-8)

Applied Design, Skills, and Technology

  • First Peoples traditional food use, including ingredients, harvesting/gathering, storage, preparation, and preservation (Food Studies Content, Grade 9)
  • The relationship between First Peoples culturally modified trees and the sustainable use of wood (Woodwork Content, Grade 9)
Materials
  • Computer, projector, and internet access to share videos
  • Computersfor student research and to create Connections Cards

Documents to Download

Background Information

Indigenous Peoples have been intimately connected to the land since time immemorial. Before colonization, and long before grocery stores, hardware stores, and pharmacies existed, the land provided everything: food, medicine, shelter, clothing, tools, ceremonial items, traditions, and more. Thousands of generations of observation and experience on the land gave Indigenous Peoples extensive knowledge of seasonal rhythms, climatic events, the interconnection of all life, and how to harvest with respect, ensuring that the land would continue to provide for future generations. Their very survival depended upon their relationship with the land.

Indigenous people have passed on vast knowledge of the land, its interconnections and resources through the oral tradition of storytelling, dance, language, and personal experience. Despite the devastating impacts of colonization and genocide, this profound connection to and knowledge of the land continues to be shared through intergenerational teachings and endures as a vital aspect of life for many Indigenous Peoples today.

Today, this body of Indigenous knowledge of the land and all its resources is often called Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), or sometimes Indigenous Knowledge, Indigenous Science, or Indigenous Cultural Knowledge. TEK is complementary to and as extensive as Western Science, providing critical insights into the conservation and management of complex environmental issues. Learning about the TEK of the First Nations of BC can contribute to students’ knowledge of and connection to the land, and deepen their appreciation for the wisdom of local Indigenous people.

Invasive species have a profound impact on Indigenous Peoples because of their connection to the land. After habitat loss, invasive species are considered the second greatest threat to native biodiversity. Invasive species in British Columbia do more than put native species at risk. They put a whole way of life at risk for First Nations communities.

Invasive species can alter the land in ways that impact traditional activities, such as by:

  • Impeding access to traditional sites, including places to harvest food and medicine plants.
  • Taking over habitats so that there are fewer traditional plants.
  • Replacing native plants so that there is less forage for wildlife that are traditionally hunted, such as deer and moose, causing populations of those preferred species to relocate or decline. 
  • Increasing erosion of streambanks, which impacts water quality and affects salmon and other fish.
  • Harming human health (spiny or toxic plants), which can make it difficult or dangerous to access harvesting sites.
  • Reducing the abundance of traditional species, such as invasive animals that eat traditional plants or animals.

For more detailed information, see the Invasive Species That Affect Indigenous Communities Factsheet (ISCBC) and share it with students.

Preparation
  • Review the TEK and Invasive Species Impacts Examples to decide which examples you will share with your class and how you will share it (e.g. as a group or in stations). Make copies of resources as necessary.
  • Print copies of the downloads from the Materials section:
    • Concept Organizer (One double-sided copy per student, plus some extras. This has space to record information on four native species. Extra copies may be needed if students review more than four native species.)
Procedure

“Maintaining the health of the land is about more than just conservation- it is about preserving the cultural practices and traditions that have sustained the [Indigenous community] for generations.”

Cody Thomas, founder of Two Row Innovations, an Indigenous consulting service to advance health and wellness, spoken about his work with the Nations from Nlaka’pamux Territory in the Southern Interior of BC.

  1. Present the quote from Cody Thomas (above) to students. How have cultural practices and traditions sustained Indigenous people for generations?
  2. Introduce the term and concept of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) from the Background section. Can anyone give an example? Why is TEK important to Indigenous people? To others? To the land? When invasive species are introduced and spread on the land and in waters, how could they impact traditional cultural activities, like harvesting food and medicinal plants, hunting, fishing, ceremonial traditions on the land, etc.?
  3. Share examples of TEK from First Nations in your region or other parts of BC. Select from the TEK and Invasive Species Impacts Examples and Indigenous Voices- Quotes documents (Materials section). You may share individual or multiple examples with the whole group or via stations that students rotate through. Students can use the Concept Organizer to take notes and synthesize information on TEK examples.
  4. Discuss and reflect upon learnings. Consider framing a discussion using the Step In – Step Out – Step Back thinking routine (Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education) to responsibly consider others’ perspectives. What examples of TEK did you discover? Revisit the quote by Cody Thomas presented at the start of the lesson. How has TEK helped to preserve the health of the land and sustained Indigenous communities for generations? How do invasive species impact Indigenous ways of life?
  5. Create a Connections Card. If there is time and interest to continue deeper into this topic, students will select a native plant to study and create a Connections Card, using the Connections Card Template Example (see the Materials section)
    • Each student selects a different species to research, so that you will have the option to create a class set of cards.
    • You can make a list of native species from which students could choose to research from the previous TEK stations or from local field guides or other resources suggested in the Additional Resources section.
    • Share the Connection Card Template Example with students.
      Students should use the template as a guide to research TEK on the plant they selected.
      Students can research information on the:
      • Plant’s names: scientific, Indigenous, common,
      • Description,
      • Traditional Knowledge, such as who, how, when, and where to harvest, its uses, etc.
      • Interconnections in the environment, e.g. threats from invasive species, ecological role, etc.
    • Find ways to share the Connection Cards so that everyone learns from each other’s research; for example, in presentations or as a display.
    • Create a class set and bring them outdoors to enhance walks and field trips!
Reflections and Assessment
  • How does TEK include respect for the interconnections between living and non-living things in the environment?
  • Compare and contrast Indigenous and Western scientific knowledge about a plant, animal, or habitat.
  • Give specific examples of how invasive species impact native species and Indigenous food systems or cultural traditions.
Accessibility and Adaptations
  • To address different learning styles, the TEK examples to share with students include various formats, including text that may be read aloud, videos, and images.
  • Make animal Connections Cards in addition to or instead of plant cards.
  • Instead of making Connections Cards digitally, have students share their research in other ways, such as in small group presentations, or by making hard copy Connection Cards with drawings of native species.
Extensions
  • If possible, consult the school district’s Indigenous liaison to find local resources or to connect with local First Nations knowledge keepers to learn more about connections to the land, native plants and animals, and impacts caused by invasive species or other threats.
  • Get Outdoors! Print a class set of Connection Cards. Bring them on outdoor walks and field trips to identify species and foster a deeper connection to them.
  • Use the plant Connection Cards to help plan a native plant garden or to support stewardship of local parks.
Additional Resources

Traditional Ecological Knowledge Lesson Plans

Invasive Species and Indigenous Communities in British Columbia

Native Plant Field Guides and ID Cards

Indigenous Territorial Maps and Languages