The Limits and Opportunities of Using GIS as a Boundary Object to Represent Beardy’s and Okemasis First Nation (BOFN) Indigenous Knowledge in the Nisbet Provincial Forest Implementation Processes
Date
2019-05-29
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
ORCID
0000-0001-6050-3900
Type
Thesis
Degree Level
Masters
Abstract
In Canada, forest and natural resource management is guided by a paradigm that is predominately based on the understandings and values of Westernized society. As a result, the application and meaningful inclusion of other knowledges, such as Indigenous Knowledge (IK), to influence the decision-making process within these management systems is fraught with challenges. Although extensive research has been done on addressing these challenges and including Indigenous communities in a decision-making role, practical and innovative tools are still needed to focus on how IK may more effectively shape forest and natural resource management. My study assessed the limits and opportunities of using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) maps as a boundary object to represent IK in resource planning and implementation processes. Four boundary object criteria were derived from the boundary object literature and used to evaluate the limits and opportunities of GIS maps to act as boundary objects: flexibility, concreteness, joint process, and information need.
The IK used in the thesis was categorized according to the Six Faces of Traditional Ecological Knowledge, a framework developed by Houde (2007). Knowledge for this study was provided from a case study community: Beardy’s and Okemasis First Nation (BOFN) of Saskatchewan, Canada. Through document analysis and semi-structured interviews, knowledge was categorized, and GIS maps were then developed to display this knowledge. I then evaluated whether and how the GIS maps were effective boundary objects using the boundary object criteria.
There are four main findings from my study. First, GIS maps have the potential as boundary objects to effectively represent IK in resource planning and implementation. Second, not all of the Six Faces used to inform the GIS maps met the criteria at the time the knowledge for these Faces was collected. Third, some Faces were not suitable to include in the GIS maps, partly as a result of not meeting all the criteria and limitations due to the data that were collected. Fourth, the criteria suggested specific ways to improve on the current barriers inhibiting greater use of IK in GIS maps such that they can function as effective boundary objects. In summary, this research has helped to partially address the gap in knowledge for developing boundary objects to facilitate the use of IK in forest and natural resource management planning processes.
Description
Keywords
Indigenous Knowledge, Western Scientific Knowledge, forest governance, land use planning, natural resource management, forest management, resource management, GIS, geographic information systems, six faces, good practice, IK, WSK, Canada, forest policy, Saskatchewan, Beardy's and Okemasis, decision making, knowledge inclusion
Citation
Degree
Master of Environment and Sustainability (M.E.S.)
Department
School of Environment and Sustainability
Program
Environment and Sustainability