About the Class
Dr. Marco Hatch, a Samish Indian Nation member and Associate Professor at Western Washington University, will be providing a voice for Indigenous and Western Science. His research weaves traditional ecological knowledge and marine science through the exploration of food systems. Using the metaphor of braiding can help provide insights to working with multiple knowledge systems. Through the process of braiding, neither Indigenous knowledge or mainstream science are compromised or have their identity reduced. Once woven, the resulting product is stronger than either individual strand. Dr. Hatch leads the Coastal and Communities Lab, an inclusive research community that focuses on the intertidal ecology of the Salish Sea, collaborative research, and work with Indigenous communities.
Photo of the clam garden rock wall located in Fulfod Harbor B.C. This clam garden is one of the many sites that Dr. Hatch’s lab surveys during low tides.
Affiliation: Coastal Communities and Ecology Lab
