BASF 485 - Indigenous Uses of Forest Resources

3 credits

Prerequisites
Admission to the BAS-FRM program or instructor permission.

Native peoples of the Pacific Northwest have utilized and coexisted with natural resources since time immemorial. This course will focus on how resources found in the upland forests of this region were manipulated, managed, and utilized for their benefit, through the practice of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK). This focus will be on the plant communities found in various forest settings including savannahs, shrublands, and upland prairies. Content will be delivered through presentations from instructors, Tribal subject matter experts, and customized videos prepared for this subject. Additional areas to be studied will be on contemporary challenges in management stemming from post Euro-American settlement of the region. Students will be expected to complete weekly subject reports and a final research paper on a specific regional Tribe and their use of forest resources. Guest speakers will be utilized along with field trips, as arranged.

Theory Hours
2 theory hours.

Guided Practice Hours
1 guided practice hour.

Course Outcomes
Describe various uses of forest resources by native people with a focus on plants.
Investigate how challenges to traditional resource utilization has increased since Euro-American settlement.
Explain concepts of how traditional ecological knowledge can be utilized in contemporary management.
Examine how a specific tribe uses forest resources in their “usual and accustomed grounds and stations”.

Note
BAS-FRM degree course.