The use of traditional knowledge in species assessment: a case study of northern Canada wolverine

As human society has changed and evolved, our interaction with the surrounding landscape has also changed, compounded by rapid technological development and an ever-increasing demand for natural resources. While some of these interactions have led to substantial social and economic gains, they have also resulted in significant deleterious impacts on the environment, which consequently affect all segments of human society and economy. Furthermore, contemporary methods of understanding and resolving such impacts are insufficient. The active involvement of Aboriginal people and their knowledge in the assessment process will increase the acceptability of decisions resulting from assessments at a local level.