“TEK is a body of knowledge and beliefs transmitted through oral tradition and first-hand observation. It includes a system of classification, a set of empirical observations about the local environment and a system of self-management that governs resource use. Ecological aspects are closely tied to social and spiritual aspects of the knowledge system. The quantity and quality of TEK varies among community members, depending upon gender, age, social status, intellectual capability and profession (hunter, spiritual leader, healer, etc.). With its roots firmly in the past, TEK is both cumulative and dynamic, building upon the experience of earlier generations and adapting to the new technological and socioeconomic changes of the present” (Dene Cultural Institute 1995 quoted in Stevenson, 281).

Stevenson, M. G. (1996). "Indigenous Knowledge in Environmental Assessments." Arctic 49(3): 278-291.

“TEK is a cumulative body of knowledge and beliefs, handed down through generations by cultural transmission, about the relationship of living beings (including humans) with one another and with their environment. Further, TEK is an attribute of societies with historical continuity in resource use practices; by and large, these are non-industrial or less technologically advanced societies, many of them indigenous or tribal” (Berkes, 3).

Berkes, F. (1993). Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Perspective. Traditional Ecological Knowledge: Concepts and Cases. J. T. Inglis. Ottawa, Ottawa, International Program on Traditional Ecological Knowledge and International Development Research Centre.

“Indigenous knowledge can be viewed as having two sources: traditional knowledge and nontraditional knowledge. … 1) aboriginal people also possess knowledge and experiences not grounded in traditional lifestyles, spirituality, philosophy, social relations, and cultural values; and 2) indigenous knowledge is the articulation, and frequently the dialectic, of traditional and nontraditional knowledge” (Stevenson 280).

Stevenson, M. G. (1996). "Indigenous Knowledge in Environmental Assessments." Arctic 49(3): 278-291.

Nontraditional knowledge is derived from “interactions with non-aboriginal people and institutions; television and other modern media; formal schooling in numeracy and literacy; the adoption of Western scientific thinking; and exposure to foreign values, attitudes, and philosophies. In contrast, traditional knowledge systems are based on the shared experiences, customs, values, traditions, subsistence lifestyles, social interactions, ideological orientations, and spiritual beliefs unique to aboriginal communities. Together, these two foundations of knowledge articulate to form a worldview … that provides meaning and value to the lives of contemporary aboriginal peoples” (Stevenson, 281).

Stevenson, M. G. (1996). "Indigenous Knowledge in Environmental Assessments." Arctic 49(3): 278-291.

“FEK is local knowledge concerning interannual, seasonal,lunar, diet and food-related variations in the behavior and movements of marine fishes and mammals […]. Such knowledge is passed from generation to generation of fishers and influences the nature, timing, and location of their fishing” (Johannes, 265).

Johannes, R. E., M. M. R. Freeman, et al. (2000). "Ignore Fishers' Knowledge and Miss the Boat." Fish and Fisheries 1: 257-271.