Resilience of Haida Ecological Knowledge

Abstract

For the UAS Undergraduate Student Award, I plan to visit Haida weavers in Haida Gwaii. I would like to discuss with local weavers about the availability and condition of the materials in their communities. Especially I will examine harvesting of cedar bark from the old growth red cedar. When I visit these villages, I plan to interview weavers and carvers who have been harvesting in their local areas. I will compare temperature and precipitation data with the information weavers have given from different communities for the timing of optimum harvest. This data I am collecting will provide a better understanding of the timing of harvesting in different locations. I will also present my research findings at the Alaska Historical Society annual meeting in the fall of 2011 and the Alaska Anthropological Association annual meeting in spring 2012. My research also has an educational component to it, in which I hope to share and give back to the native communities. I will discuss with weavers, carvers and elders the importance of perpetuating the tool use and bark stripping techniques. I will present my research to youth groups to help them appreciate weaving, carving and respect for local ecological knowledge.