Sitting by the Fire: Dene Perspectives on Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledges, Land Stewardship, and Community Wellbeing

Carroll, Danya; Vandermeer, Jennie; Nakehk’o, Dëneze; Zoe, John B.; Mackenzie Vukson, Celine; Redvers, Nicole

doi:10.3390/ijerph23060716

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Sitting by the Fire: Dene Perspectives on Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledges, Land Stewardship, and Community Wellbeing

by

Danya Carroll

¹

,

Jennie Vandermeer

²,

Dëneze Nakehk’o

³,

John B. Zoe

⁴,

Celine Mackenzie Vukson

⁵ and

Nicole Redvers

^1,*

¹

Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6G 2M1, Canada

²

Department of Indigenous Education, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada

³

Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ First Nation, Fort Simpson, NT X0E 0N0, Canada

⁴

Institute for Circumpolar Health Research, Yellowknife, NT X1A 3X7, Canada

⁵

Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies, Trent University, Peterborough, ON K9L 0G2, Canada

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2026, 23(6), 716; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23060716

Submission received: 28 February 2026 / Revised: 22 April 2026 / Accepted: 23 April 2026 / Published: 27 May 2026

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Abstract

Indigenous Peoples continue to steward their Lands through their traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), their Laws, and their kinship-driven processes as they have for millennia. There are various factors, including climate change, that threaten Indigenous TEK, Lands, and other processes including intergenerational knowledge transfer. Our team carried out a qualitative research study with Indigenous community members to increase understanding of Dene Peoples’ connections with Land, community TEK protection and stewardship, as well as changes in local environments. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten participants from the Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada, from December 2024 to February 2025. Coding and reflexive thematic analysis were carried out using qualitative software. Six themes were characterized from the interview data including: (1) intergenerational TEK are central to our ways of life; (2) despite various factors, our communities continue to share TEK across generations; (3) our collective health and healing are tied to our TEK as well as our values; (4) climate change-related threats and damages are impacting our People and the Land; (5) protecting and governing our own data is crucial for preserving our stories and knowledge; and (6) we need to protect Mother Earth for future generations. This study further demonstrates that the protection of Indigenous TEK is deeply important for the overall health and wellbeing of Indigenous Peoples. Additionally, the honouring of Indigenous sovereignty and Land rights is essential to transform current climate change approaches.

Keywords: Indigenous knowledge; traditional ecological knowledge; Northwest Territories; Dene; Indigenous Peoples; climate change; Indigenous Land stewardship; Indigenous health; circumpolar

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MDPI and ACS Style

Carroll, D.; Vandermeer, J.; Nakehk’o, D.; Zoe, J.B.; Mackenzie Vukson, C.; Redvers, N. Sitting by the Fire: Dene Perspectives on Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledges, Land Stewardship, and Community Wellbeing. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2026, 23, 716. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23060716

AMA Style

Carroll D, Vandermeer J, Nakehk’o D, Zoe JB, Mackenzie Vukson C, Redvers N. Sitting by the Fire: Dene Perspectives on Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledges, Land Stewardship, and Community Wellbeing. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2026; 23(6):716. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23060716

Chicago/Turabian Style

Carroll, Danya, Jennie Vandermeer, Dëneze Nakehk’o, John B. Zoe, Celine Mackenzie Vukson, and Nicole Redvers. 2026. "Sitting by the Fire: Dene Perspectives on Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledges, Land Stewardship, and Community Wellbeing" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 23, no. 6: 716. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23060716

APA Style

Carroll, D., Vandermeer, J., Nakehk’o, D., Zoe, J. B., Mackenzie Vukson, C., & Redvers, N. (2026). Sitting by the Fire: Dene Perspectives on Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledges, Land Stewardship, and Community Wellbeing. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 23(6), 716. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23060716

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Sitting by the Fire: Dene Perspectives on Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledges, Land Stewardship, and Community Wellbeing

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