Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians begin plant gathering in Great Smoky Mountains National Park based on Traditional Ecological Knowledge
On March 25th, 2019, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) signed a historic agreement with Great Smoky Mountains National Park, allowing community members to harvest the edible spring green, sochan (Rudbeckia laciniata), within the park.
The agreement is one of the first of its kind in the nation, and is supported by research demonstrating that traditionally harvesting the young leaves of sochan at moderate rates does not harm plants; instead it stimulates more vigorous growth and leads to increased flower and seed production. In order to communicate the traditional ecological knowledge and sustainability of plant gathering practices necessary for the agreement, the EBCI has been partnering with scientists, including Forest Service biologist Michelle Baumflek of the Southern Research Station's Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center (EFETAC). Dr. Baumflek conducted interviews with community members about sochan harvesting, contributed to the development and testing of a sochan monitoring protocol and to the identification of potential gathering sites within the park. Research conducted in partnership with tribes on the multiple dimensions of harvesting sustainability is crucial as federal agencies begin to incorporate traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) into management decisions. Read more about the historic collecting agreement in the Citizen Times...
