Despite thousands of years of land stewardship by Indigenous Peoples, Western ideology and science predominantly influences wildlife management in North America today. Indigenous science and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) extend beyond the scope of Western science and ecological understanding to include knowledge derived from generations of people living as part of ecosystems (Rinkevich 2008). Historically, Western science and TEK have operated separately, resulting in the exclusion of Indigenous Peoples and TEK in wildlife science and management, which has led to significant knowledge gaps in Western science. Today, many practitioners are seeking ways to study and manage wildlife in more inclusive ways that integrate multiple perspectives, including those from Indigenous communities, wildlife managers, researchers, and academics.
