Integrating Community Knowledge into Environmental and Natural Resource Decision-Making: Notes from Alaska and Around the World

Abstract

Community knowledge (including traditional, local, and indigenous knowledge) has a role to play in government agency decisions regarding the environment and natural resources. This article considers the benefits of using community knowledge, as well as obstacles to collecting this knowledge and integrating it with Western science. The article further discusses how federal agencies in Alaska use community knowledge and laws that potentially affect this use (including the Data Quality Act). Finally, the article provides recommendations for agencies to consider in collecting and using community knowledge.