Respect for indigenous science (also known TEK-traditional ecological knowledge) is strong within certain academic disciplines and institutions, but relatively unexplored in most parts of the academy. 

This unit on traditional Native ways of conserving marine resources weaves Native American studies, cultural studies, ethnography, history, and anthropology together with ecology, environmental studies, and marine biology. In this unit, “conservation” is not defined as “hands-off-put-a-fence-around-it” or “follow-these-specific-regulations,” but as a complex, dynamic interrelationship between peoples who maintain respectful and reciprocal relationships with resources used for food and regalia, social exchanges and ceremony.

The unit is designed as an integrated, multimedia experience, with activities that can be structured as independent, small group, or all-class exercises.

All of the cited source materials are listed in Slides 47-48, and these websites, along with the additional resources listed in the Lesson Script are the best go-to sites for more in-depth information for educators who have the time and interest to expand their knowledge. For example, the open access 20-page bilingual (Spanish and English) Marine Protected Area Coloring Book (free downloadable PDF) contains extensive illustrations and marine biology concepts; the related Ancestral Waters Coloring and Activity Book (free downloadable PDF) includes a range of cultural insights from Tribes throughout California (excerpts are included in this unit); and one of the best comprehensive guides to California abalone is contained within the beautifully illustrated 11/7/2019 LA Times article by Rosanna Xia, “Can the long-lost abalone make a comeback in California?