Elicitation and representation of Traditional Ecological Knowledge, for use in forest management

Canadian aboriginal (First Nations) groups wish not only to preserve their heritage, but also to see that heritage given its proper place in decisions that affect the land. Each community is unique in the diversity of problems and concerns that it faces. Modern knowledge-based systems permit customized solutions to complex issues, but there is currently no good method of representing traditional knowledge in the computer, in a way that helps the needs of communities to be individually addressed. Most traditional knowledge information is presented in anecdotal form and is therefore difficult to classify and analyze. Elicitation, representation and use of knowledge is a major area of research in the field of Artificial Intelligence, leading to development of knowledge bases and expert systems. The present study describes the elicitation and representation of the traditional knowledge from bands belonging to the Nicola Tribal Association in British Columbia. The study aims at representing the interaction of community and environment in a manner that can be used to show the differences among communities. This paper focuses on the relationship of the traditional knowledge to modern forest management.