Sovereign-to-Sovereign Cooperative Agreements

In the environmental management context, contributions of indigenous knowledge and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) have been subject to differing criteria of validation compared to contributions from western science perspectives. See Annette Watson, Misunderstanding the ‘‘Nature’’ of Co-Management, 52 Env’t Mgmt. 1085 (2013). Consequently, there exists a historical tendency among environmental management practitioners to scrutinize the credibility of assertions rooted in indigenous knowledge. While this skepticism has significantly limited the integration of indigenous perspectives into management decision-making processes, the following directives, policies, and guidance documents underscore the need for more collaborative approaches in the development of more effective strategies for public lands management. 

• Office of Science and Technology Policy and Council on Environmental Quality, Exec. Off. of the President, Memorandum on Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Federal Decision Making (Nov. 15, 2021)
• Office of Science and Technology Policy and Council on Environmental Quality, Exec. Off. of the President, Memorandum on Guidance for Federal Departments and Agencies on Indigenous Knowledge (Nov. 30, 2022)
• Office of Science and Technology Policy and Council on Environmental Quality, Exec. Off. of the President, Memorandum on Implementation of Guidance for Federal Departments and Agencies on Indigenous Knowledge (Nov. 30, 2022)

FOREST SERVICE (FS)

• FSM 1563.7, Information and Technology Sharing

FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE (FWS)

• Traditional Ecological Knowledge for Application by Service Scientists (Sept. 8, 2022)

NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION (NOAA)

• NOAA Guidance and Best Practices for Engaging and Incorporating Indigenous Knowledge in Decision-Making (June 27, 2023)

ADVISORY COUNCIL ON HISTORIC PRESERVATION (ACHP)

• Policy Statement on Indigenous Knowledge and Historic Preservation (Mar. 21, 2024)