The Ecological Society of America defines Traditional Ecological Knowledge as:

"Adaptive ecological knowledge developed through an intimate reciprocal relationship between a group of people and a particular place over time."

TEK is particularly useful for garden-based science teaching for two reasons: the centrality of reciprocity- a give and take of resources in a garden community; and the deep, specific knowledge that comes from experiences working within a particular ecosystem over an extended period.

General Resources:

• Teaching STEM In Ways that Respect and Build Upon Indigenous Peoples' Rights
• Native People and the Land: The A:Shiwi (Zuni) People - Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian resources looking at reciprocal relationships with the land and how the A:shiwi people, also known as the Zuni, adapt to the semiarid climate of New Mexico through a centuries–old farming technique known as a waffle garden.