Presentation Details
| Unadotsali: Embracing Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Building Belonging in STEM Jessie Tanner1, 2, 3, Sedi Eastwood4, Alissa Baker5. 1Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.2Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.3Collaborative for Animal Behavior, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.4Cherokee Nation Immersion School, Tahlequah, OK, USA.5Tohi Consultation, Welling, OK, USA |
Abstract
Animal behavior holds a central place in Cherokee Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK). Many Cherokee organism names describe animal behaviors or relationships between organisms, reflecting an important synthesis between language and behavioral ecology. Moreover, Cherokee’s polysynthetic grammar builds words from morphemes (word parts) with set meanings. A fluent speaker can hear a word for the first time and understand its meaning; Cherokee thus inherently communicates information about behavioral ecology along with new vocabulary. Cherokee is currently the focus of intensive language revitalization efforts. We are conducting community-engaged research to 1) document language about TEK through interviews with first-language speakers and knowledge-keepers, 2) build science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) curriculum for the Cherokee Nation’s Immersion School, 3) determine whether engaging with TEK and polysynthetic language together improves ecological thinking and problem-solving, and 4) build belonging in STEM among Indigenous students, who are underrepresented. Our approach emphasizes Indigenous data sovereignty and contributes to language and cultural revitalization.
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.
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