Human–environment relationships are fundamental to environmental and energy justice, and in many contexts, Indigenous ecological knowledge (IEK) is integral to such relationships.

For example, Diné elders and community members identify firewood harvested from local woodlands as central to cultural and physical survival as, for Diné people, firewood offers a reliable fuel for energy embedded in local ecological systems. However, there are two acute problems: first, climate change-induced drought will diminish local sources of firewood; second, policies aimed at reducing reliance on greenhouse-gas-emitting energy sources may limit alternatives like coal often used for home use, thereby increasing firewood demand to unsustainable levels.

We develop an agent-based model trained with ecological and community-generated ethnographic data to assess the future of firewood availability under varying climate, demand, and IEK scenarios. We find that IEK-based practices ensure the long-term sustainability of Indigenous firewood harvesting, even as climate change impacts increase. Results show how Indigenous ecological practices and resulting ecological legacies maintain resilient socio-environmental systems with insights form the work focusing on creating energy equity for Indigenous people and how Indigenous knowledge is integral for adapting to climate change across the southwest and beyond.

Presenter: Kate Magargal, Department of Anthropology and Honors College, University of Utah

For questions about his event, please visit the Global Change and Sustainability Center’s seminar series website.