Tree teachings from the Lenape Indigenous people and White Pines (Pinus Strobus) of the Hudson Valley: an intersection between Dendrochronology and Tradition Knowledge

Abstract

Climate change has a spectrum of effects on the structure and function of the global biome. The seasonal equilibriums that support forest ecosystems are a direct result of climatic conditions, making forest health and individual tree growth increasingly vulnerable to change as temperatures shift. This study considers that climate change is not just an environmental force but also a cultural one. By synthesizing anthropology and ecology the knowledge transmitted through trees was interpreted for wisdom and analyzed for data.The ecological component of this research was conducted through dendrochronology, an essential proxy for analyzing pre-industrial climate patterns that provide context for how environmental change is affected by anthropogenic activity. On historical territory of the Indigenous Lenape/Schaghticoke peoples, standard dendrochronology techniques were used to core Eastern White Pine trees (Pinus Strobus). Tree cores were analyzed to reconstruct the relationship between tree growth and climate patterns 1956-2019. The results were consistent with other studies and showed significant positive correlation between White Pines and Climate variation. This indicates that wood production and tree growth of this species increases as temperature increases which has potential influence on future forest management practices. The Anthropological component of this research was conducted through interviews with two elders from the Lenape and Mi’kmaq First Nations People. Their teachings provide a perspective on Climate change that stresses the imbalances of the heart and mind from which all actions come. They see climate change, pollution, habitat destruction and all of the other forms of the Earth’s degradation as symptoms of these imbalances. Under this lens, climate mitigation strategies should also examine the mental, emotional and spiritual (religious) conditions that fostered these ecological challenges. Ensuring the resilience of our future requires us to stop compartmentalizing aspects of the world and instead look at the integrated whole.