Exploring ecosystem service interactions and the Indigenous perspective for advancing rangeland resilience in the Northern Great Plains.

Background/Question/Methods

: Rangelands in the Northern Great Plains (NGP) are socioecological systems (SES) that coevolved with Indigenous people managing them for thousands of years. This study will assess how SES processes interact with ecosystem service (ES) management and the potential of the Indigenous perspective to advance SES resilience (SR) in the NGP rangelands. Since Indigenous people were displaced from the NGP, its SR has suffered as Western people have prioritized production over other ES, and as they have imposed systemic oppression on Indigenous people. Powerful Western interests at various SES scales continue to manage rangelands for profit, and they are reducing the resilience of underserved and Indigenous groups as they decrease their access to diverse ES. Through a survey, I will evaluate how Indigenous and Western rangeland communities value and access ES in the NGP, and I will assess how SES processes impact these interactions at various spatial and temporal scales. The survey will be implemented at community meetings and events.

Results/Conclusions

: I hypothesize that Indigenous people will have less access to fewer ES while they value more ES higher. Moreover, I also expect that Western SES processes contribute to reduced access and valuation of ES for both cultural groups. I will be presenting on the design of my research and survey questions in addition to the development of the surveying experience. Overall, my study will provide a multidimensional understanding of how NGP rangeland communities are influenced by Western SES processes as they access and value ES, which can help inform more equitable solutions and effective educational tools. Moreover, its results could also showcase the potential of the Indigenous perspective to advance rangeland SR through its more holistic valuation of ES.