Lisa Nicole Cooper
Pehcevo Indigenous Knowledge Resource Book
WHAT? I think it would be beneficial to construct a book that can be used as a source of local information, including features about the local environment, resources, village history, & landmarks.
WHO? Participating will be E.D. Kladenec, local students, villagers, friends and families, village elders. It would also be great to have local experts, such as blacksmiths, beekeepers, dairy producers and marketers, fruit & vegetable growers, herders, teachers, etc.
WHERE? Project will be conducted here in the village, with the book itself to be kept in the local library once completed.
WHEN? As soon as possible! (ASAP) I think this project could be completed in two months, depending on other projects and availability of people to help with it.
W H Y !? (1) It's going to be a fun project, and something to help me learn more about Pehcevo in order to be a better development facilitator. It will help me get to know more people here, and open the door for further collaboration & conversations together.
(2) It will get the community (kids, elders, etc.) together to work on something they all have information about.
(3) The book will be an interesting resource and source of pride for people who live in Pehcevo, for years to come.
(4) It will get people thinking about resources indigenous to this area, and how they are utilized.
HOW? -The village can be divided into sections, according to a map, in the best way to facilitate community walks and drawings.
-People who want to participate can go on walks, draw the areas that we see in landscape sketches. The information that is needed would include geographical landmarks, agricultural areas, areas of environmental or economic importance, residential areas, protected areas (if applicable), etc.
-Once all the needed material is gathered, we can hold a poster contest to raise more awareness amongst local children. They can have a week to prepare their posters, and we can select the top 5 most representative of the subject, "Pehcevo Eco Art". The most representative one can be on the cover of the resource book, and the other four can be included in the publication. We should pick a venue to display all of the others, maybe at the school?
CONTENT?
COVER: The poster deemed most representative of Pehcevo's ecology.
INSIDE: A written history of Pehcevo, from the town's founding until the present time.
Timeline.
Landscape sketches conducted by people on the community walks.
Nutrient Flow Diagram - examples either by household or on a larger scale, if possible.
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER FOR HISTORY/TIMELINE:
1. When was the community founded, and by whom?
2. Who are some important historical figures and for what are they known? When did they live in the community?
3. What was the livelihood system, i.e., how people grew food and earned income, when the town was founded?
4. If the livelihood system has changed since the community was founded, how did it change?
5. Have there been natural disasters (i.e. flood, drought, earthquake) that have never left the community consciousness?
6. When and how did the community get its name?
OTHER QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:
1. How has the availability of any particular animal or plant changed over time, and why?
2. What items are available year-round in the bazaar?
3. What trees, plants, animals, etc. are most valued by people and why?
4. What are ten most important medicinal plants found in the community?
5. Are there any rare or endangered plants or animal species found in the region?
lisanicolecooper at yahoo dot com