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A
Job To Love
Imagine travelling across the country,
visiting Aboriginal communities to meet
and talk to people about their histories
and traditional ways of life. You are
amazed at the knowledge these communities
hold and by the incredible artifacts
that people show you. When you return
home, you take all this information
and enter it into databases and archives
that you’ve designed. Soon, you’ll
be forming a recommendation to the government
about including TEK in today’s
classrooms. Your hope is that because
of your work Aboriginal students will
be able to study traditional foods and
medicines for credit in their biology
classes and to study traditional homes
and boats for credit in their physics
classes.
Traditional
ecological knowledge (TEK) advisors
conduct research in traditional ecological
knowledge and then apply it to environmental
projects. They collect their data
and learn traditional knowledge by
talking with Elders and community
members. Most of their time is spent
indoors, but there are outdoor aspects
to this job. TEK advisors work both
on their own and with others. Since
a lot of their work is tied to Aboriginal
land and history, many work in their
home communities. TEK advisors who
work in their home communities provide
valuable knowledge to environmental
impact assessments, land use plans,
and other environmental projects.
As
a TEK advisor, you’ll learn many
interesting things, but archival research
can take a very long time and you
may spend weeks looking for the right
information. You’ll deal with
some people who do not want to talk
and other people who don’t want
to stop talking. Since the information
you collect and store is not your
own, you’ll have to be very careful
when you share it. Although these
things can make the job difficult,
how many jobs allow you to research
your own cultural history and spend
days listening to the stories of your
Elders?
Job
Description
TEK advisors collect and maintain
traditional knowledge for use in environmental
programs. For example, a TEK advisor
working for a community’s government
office would interview local Elders
over several years to collect data
on traditional plants, animals, lands,
and waters. If a local variety of
salmon started to look strange and
contract weird infections, you would
search through your interviews for
a traditional solution. Then you would
make a TEK-based recommendation to
the government on how to best deal
with the problem. TEK advisors work
for the various levels of government,
parks, cultural centres, non-governmental
environmental organizations, consulting
companies, and research institutes.
Many are self-employed.
Job
Duties
- Conduct
studies on the origin, development,
and functioning of Aboriginal societies
and cultures
Interview
Elders and community members
Develop
and maintain databases of interviews
and stories
Manage
archives and keep track of records
and catalogues
Search
TEK databases to provide advice
on environmental issues
Provide
TEK to help develop social programs
and legislation
Advise
politicians and governments on
Aboriginal lands and traditional
ecological knowledge to ensure
Aboriginal representation is included
in environmental policies and
plans
Study
artifacts to learn about past
economic, social, political, and
intellectual life
Study
the origin and development of
languages
Organize
displays and exhibitions
Fact
We can learn a lot by observing the
instincts and habits that help plants
and animals to survive. For example,
moose eat calamus root, beech leaves,
and cedar buds when they are sick.
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High
school courses that will prepare you
for a job as a TEK advisor include geography,
English, history, philosophy, French,
math, and sciences. Aboriginal studies,
history, and languages will prepare
you for working in a multi-cultural
setting. Talk to your career or academic
counsellor about options such as literature,
visual arts or computers.
Traditional
ecological knowledge is imperative
for this career, so some TEK advisors
find work with a high school diploma.
Normally, however, the minimum education
requirement for this job is a college
diploma or bachelor’s degree
in sociology, history, communications,
development studies, Aboriginal studies
or business administration. A master’s
degree in a social science or related
discipline may also be required and
will make you more competitive in
the job field. You would then find
it easier to get a job and negotiate
your salary.
Before
entering the workforce, some traditional
ecological knowledge advisors require
training in:
- Bird,
animal, and plant identification
- Research
and technical writing
- Interviewing
techniques
- Computers
and database management
Look
into specific high school prerequisites
set by the college or university you
would like to attend.
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TEK
advisors with a high school degree
make an average of $20,000.00 per
year.
TEK
advisors with a college diploma make
an average of $35,000.00 per year.
TEK
advisors with a university degree
make an average of $80,000.00 per
year.
TEK
advisors with several years of experience
and education can make up to an average
of $150,000.00 per year.
Financial
Assistance
In addition to the general scholarship
tips listed in the BUILD MY CAREER
section, the following awards are
specific to TEK advisors:
Scotiabank Awards
Three awards of $3,000.00 awarded
to students enrolled in the Native
Human Services Program at Laurentian
University.
Contact: Student Awards Office
Laurentian University
Ramsey Lake Road
Sudbury, ON
P3E 2C6
Telephone: (705) 673-6578
Fax: (705) 675-4865
TransCanada
Pipelines Leadership Awards
Available to Canadian Aboriginal
students, with priority given to students
who are pursuing careers in business
and commerce, engineering, science
and technology, environment, and communications.
Contact: National Aboriginal
Achievement Foundation
70 Yorkville Avenue
Suite 33A
Toronto, Ontario
M5R 1B9
Telephone: (416) 926-0775
Fax: (416) 926-7554
website: www.naaf.ca
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Some
of the best knowledge you’ll
gain for this job will come from listening
to the stories and wisdom of your
relations. The single most important
part of this job is a strong understanding
of traditional ecological knowledge.
Listen to and document the stories
and knowledge passed down from your
Elders. Your knowledge and appreciation
for traditional Aboriginal practices
and beliefs will be valuable in your
career.
Relate to people in similar jobs:
- Environmental
policy analyst
- Environmental
lawyer
- Aboriginal
liaison
- Environmental
scientist
Relate
and interact with TEK advisors. Ask
them what they like about their jobs
and how you should get started.
First Nations Environmental Network.
PO Box 394
Tofino, BC
V0R 2Z0
Telephone: (250) 726-5265
Fax: (250) 725-2527
website: www.fnen.org
Canadian
Indigenous and Native Students Association
email: cinsa@shaw.ca
website: www.cinsa.ca
Relate
to other students. Most universities
have Aboriginal student associations
and resource centres. Visit these
centres to find out what they have
to offer. Also look into community
centres, friendship centres, and multi-cultural
centres.
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