##  [Healing the Land by Reclaiming an Indigenous Ecology : A Journey Exploring the Application of the Indigenous Worldview to Invasion Biology and Ecology](/resource/healing-land-reclaiming-indigenous-ecology-journey-exploring-application-indigenous) 

Organization

[University of British Columbia (UBC)](/organization/university-british-columbia-ubc)

 

 

Project

[Theses - University of British Columbia (UBC)](/project/theses-university-british-columbia-ubc)

 

Resource Type

[Thesis](/taxonomy/term/1407)

 

 

Author(s)

Jennifer Grenz

 

 

Original Authors

Jennifer Grenz

 

 

Resource Date:

2020

 

Page Length

105

 

 

Using western science as the only worldview when examining complex topics of applied science limits  
inquiry and understanding. The Indigenous worldview offers an opportunity to renew the way research  
is done. It opens up new ways for scientists to acquire, comprehend and share knowledge, and helps  
generate new approaches to solving modern challenges that western science may be ill-equipped to  
handle on its own.  
Common approaches to ecological restoration are rooted in colonial concepts of “nature” including  
native versus non-native dichotomies and constructs of pre-human “naturalness” that disregard the  
purposeful stewarding and shaping of the lands and waters by Indigenous peoples to meet the needs of  
human and animal relations. While Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge is increasingly sought in  
recent years, lack of understanding of its origins, the relational worldview, leaves its full potential  
unrealized.  
This thesis follows my journey as an Indigenous invasive species specialist as I set out to answer the  
following question, "What does the application an Indigenous worldview to ecological restoration tell us  
about the impacts of invasive species on Indigenous food security and food sovereignty in the context of  
our changing climate?" Working with Cowichan Tribes’ staff, Elders, and other traditional knowledge  
holders as co-authors, I gathered oral histories, stories, and perspectives on the related topics of  
ecology, climate change, history, and food security. These histories and stories, along with relational  
methods of land observation, revealed an Indigenous ecology that departs from dualistic concepts of  
species belongingness and Eden-based ecological restoration goals. In response to the stories collected,  
my co-authors and I formulated new terminology for land healing, and created a new framework to  
guide land management decision-making reflective of an Indigenous worldview and cultural values; this  
framework allows us to redefine and reclaim practice that protect food security and sovereignty for  
generations to come. My journey, and this thesis, demonstrate the power of the Indigenous worldview  
to illuminate new paths of scientific inquiry and expand our understanding of complex issues.