Using Indigenous Science to Protect Wetlands: The Swinomish Tribe’s Wetland Cultural Assessment

  • Todd A. Mitchell Department of Environmental Protection, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, La Conner, WA, USA
  • Nicole J. Casper Department of Environmental Protection, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, La Conner, WA, USA
  • Lindsay Thomason Logan Department of Environmental Protection, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, La Conner, WA, USA
  • Erin M. Colclazier Hamer Environmental, L.P., Portland, OR, USA.
  • Karen J. R. Mitchell Land Management Department, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, La Conner, WA, USA
Keywords: Cowardin class, Wetland, Wetland rating, Wetland function, Cultural function, Traditional plant uses

Abstract

While wetland functional assessment or rating systems may include cultural, socioeconomic, or site value components, they are insufficient to evaluate the cultural functions of wetlands to resource-centric communities like Native Nations. The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community has developed a cultural module for use in conjunction with standard physical wetland assessment approaches to incorporate Tribal cultural values and functions in wetland rating. The Swinomish cultural module leverages traditional plant use data from historical and community sources to create a comprehensive plant list and database and identify evaluation categories for assessment. Six categories were used: four use-based categories (construction/household uses, medicinal uses, subsistence uses, and spiritual/ceremonial uses), and two weighting categories (common use, plant rarity). Botanical surveys of fourteen wetlands produced a botanical inventory that was compared to the list of traditionally used plants. Each wetland was given a cultural module score and cultural value rating based on the number of species of traditional use plants observed. Wetlands for which surveys were not available were evaluated for similarity to surveyed wetlands and assigned scores from the most similar. The cultural module score is used in combination with traditional physical functional rating systems to produce a robust, culturally relevant, overall wetland rating. The Swinomish cultural module was designed to be easy to use and update as additional cultural plant data or wetland site data become available or physical functional assessment methods change. The resultant wetland ratings are used in regulating land-use to protect wetland function, both physical and cultural.

Author Biographies

Todd A. Mitchell, Department of Environmental Protection, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, La Conner, WA, USA

Todd A. Mitchell, swəlítub (Swinomish) (he/him) works for Swinomish as a geologist and indigenous scientist researching traditional ecological knowledge, tidelands, surface water, groundwater, and salmon habitat restoration.

Nicole J. Casper, Department of Environmental Protection, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, La Conner, WA, USA

Nicole J. Casper, is the Water Resources Manager for the Swinomish Department of Environmental Protection. Nicole’s work includes water quality and air quality monitoring, indigenous science outreach and restoration.

Lindsay Thomason Logan, Department of Environmental Protection, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, La Conner, WA, USA

Lindsay Thomason Logan is an Environmental Technician for the Swinomish Department of Environmental Protection. Lindsay’s work includes bacteria research and monitoring for recreational advisories, and conservation management.

Erin M. Colclazier, Hamer Environmental, L.P., Portland, OR, USA.

Erin Colclazier (she/her), is the Chief Science Officer at Hamer Environmental. Erin’s work includes research of rare and culturally important plants, invasive species, plant communities, and wetlands in the Pacific Northwest.

Karen J. R. Mitchell, Land Management Department, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, La Conner, WA, USA

Karen Rittenhouse Mitchell (she/her) is a hydrogeologist in the Swinomish Land Management Department. Her research at Swinomish includes study of Reservation hydrology and nearshore sedimentary processes.

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Published
2025-02-14
How to Cite
Mitchell, T. A., Casper, N. J., Logan, L. T., Colclazier, E. M., & Mitchell, K. J. R. (2025). Using Indigenous Science to Protect Wetlands: The Swinomish Tribe’s Wetland Cultural Assessment. Ethnobiology Letters, 16(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.14237/ebl.16.1.2025.1843
Section
Data, Methods & Taxonomies