Traditional ecological knowledge
Rocky Mountains in background Campsite at the Sun dance I'm so happy I was able to do this summer research program I not only gained research experience but I also got to mix Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) with Western science. I already knew about TEK but being able to actually do it this summer was awesome. TEK are oral traditions from the native people who have lived on the land for thousands of years. These oral traditions are important because no one knows this land better than the ones who have been here the longest so I believe it's important to listen to their stories so we can learn from them. During my program we had a seminar about the importance of TEK and the speaker told a story about her Navajo nation. Sheep are a very big part of their culture and they had hundreds of them on their land until one day the government came an