The Flathead Geoscience Education Project (FGEP) is investigating the geological history of the Flathead Indian Reservation (FIR) through a combination of modern geological research, tribal knowledge and oral histories. Through a series of meetings, discussions, field trips, video and audio recordings, and development of a curriculum replacement unit for reservation high schools, geoscience concepts are being integrated with Indigenous knowledge and views of the landscape. The project is being used to both enhance Earth Science education across the reservation and recruit new Earth Science students into Salish Kootenai College. High school students and their teachers are key targets for the FGEP. Students in grades 11 and 12 and their teachers are partnering with Salish Kootenai College students and faculty and tribal elders to analyze a variety of natural resources data (geology, hydrology, soils, and vegetation) via Geographic Information Systems and address scientific questions pertinent to members of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. These efforts will provide participants with a more in-depth understanding of local geology and hydrology, while promoting awareness of Indigenous knowledge of landscapes and their evolution and incorporating connections between western science, native science, and culture into curricula at different educational levels. Collaborations formed through this project are expected to help improve natural and cultural resource education, management, and preservation on the reservation.
