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The Swinomish People have long standing traditions of protecting, honoring, and thanking Mother Earth for the gifts that nourish our people. The culture of the Tribe is intrinsically tied to the health of the environment that sustains the habitat for our important natural resources and the cultural practices they support. While some of our work is directed at addressing immediate and specific environmental or ecological concerns, our objectives focus on the long-view of sustaining the Swinomish culture. We use the place-based knowledge and indigenous science of our ancestors combined with scientific research to develop innovative ways to protect our resources not just for now but for the next seven generations. For Swinomish, it is not enough to simply work for the survival of a species or habitat: we strive to protect and preserve resources and their place in Swinomish culture.

This presentation will discuss: what is place-based science, traditional ecological knowledge, and indigenous science; how that ancestral knowledge from our elders is collected, used and protected through data stewardship and sovereignty; using that knowledge that practices honorable community engagement within the tribe and with collaborators and allies; the connection of Swinomish culture to our lands, environment, and treaty-reserved rights; case study(s) of Tribally designed and lead placed based-science, research, and habitat restoration on the Swinomish Reservation; our environmental education efforts of bringing Swinomish specific indigenous science curriculum to the Tribal youth in the Community.