Sound Health for Sound Tribes: Developing a Tribal/Salmonids Social-Ecological Systems Model

Abstract

The project examines the social-ecological system involved when salmon recovery actions within Puget Sound are reviewed for risks upon a tribal community’s cultural dimensions, highlighting the shortcomings that hamper collecting accurate information and accommodating tribal eco-cultural preferences. Tribal preferences being downplayed during decision-making and the need to associate local salmon stock fitness with local tribal community well-being are each explored. Thematic synthesis is used for analyzing data from scientific articles perceiving the authors as informants. The need to empower the tribal community, nurture decision outcomes, pursue high-quality resource conditions, and prioritize high-quality salmon fitness results is spotlighted. The Community Sustenance Dynamics model is used to focus attention upon local natural resources needing to be accessible and in the high-quality conditions needed to support tribal livelihoods and/or fulfill the other eco-cultural well-being needs of the tribal community. The model spotlights the need to fulfill community health and resilience targets as well.