THIS CLASS IS BEING TAUGHT FOR FALL 2021, YOU CAN FIND THE LINK TO IT HERE:
https://decal.berkeley.edu/courses/5951

This class will engage in the theoretical and practical components of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), the knowledge system Indigenous People use to interact with and manage the environment around them. Specifically, this class will focus on California ecosystems and people, and how the techniques and perspectives of TEK can be applied to public policy today. This will be done through a combination of guided discussion, guest speakers, practical demonstrations, and readings. Indigenous speakers and authors will be prioritized. This class emphasizes mutual learning and democratic education, and keeps written assignments to a minimum, instead focusing on productive discussion and critical engagement with the ideas and techniques presented. The course will have 3 units: forests, fields, and coasts, and we will learn about the different techniques and policy issues relevant to each biome during that unit. Students will learn about different perspectives and ideas about management than what they may have been exposed to in a western perspective, and will learn to apply those ideas to public policy and their everyday lives. Practical demonstrations will be carried out in natural spaces near campus (following all relevant health regulations, including distance learning) to give students an opportunity to see the techniques we discuss first hand.

This class is open to students of all majors, years, and backgrounds.

the class is on Wednesdays and Fridays 5-6:30pm, Wednesday sessions will be asynchronous.

You can access the syllabus here: