Ben Benoit from the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe's Division of Resource Management joined the KAXE Morning Show to talk about the Traditional Ecological Knowledge of fire and how it has been utilized to create desired forest conditions such as forest regeneration, medicinal plant habitat, food sources and reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfires.
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) is a body of knowledge, practices and beliefs about the relationship of living beings to their environment, passed down through generations of Indigenous and local peoples. It is distinct from Western science in its holistic, spiritual and place-specific approach, though the two can be integrated for more effective environmental management.
Benoit also pointed out that TEK is about observing and using seasonal indicators for hunting and gathering. Local indigenous people were the first phenologists!
KAXE's Tuesday Morning Show strives to take an in-depth look at some natural resource-based issues important to Northern Minnesota. Producer Mark Jacobs and hosts Heidi Holtan and John Latimer discuss the problems and highlight some creative solutions.
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Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).
