Ethnobiology in National Parks

In the spring of 2015, the United States’ National Park Service purposed changing its rules, concerning Indigenous Peoples collection of plant material within park lands. This change is focused on establishing procedures for parks and federally recognized tribes to established collecting agreements. These agreements would allow for the harvest of culturally significant plants, while maintaining the National Park Service’s mission, to preserve resources and create recreation opportunities for the public. If the rule change is accepted, there maybe a demand for ethnobiologists to conduct research with Native American Communities and park managers. In this session, we will reflect upon past research in National Parks, and present lessons, which may inform future research concerning indigenous use of resources found in parkland.