This presentation is a summary key findings and recommendations for the Bandelier National Monument Traditional Use Study. This presentation was given by Dr. Stoffle during seperate meetings with National Park Service staff and the involved tribes.

abstract: Amazonia, inhabited and investigated for millennia, continues to astonish scientists with its cultural and natural diversity. Although Amazonia is rapidly changing, its vast and varied landscape still contains a complex natural pharmacopeia. The Amazonian tribes have accrued valuable environmental and geological knowledge that can be studied. This dissertation demonstrates that Indigenous Knowledge considered alongside Western Science can enhance our understanding of the relationship of people to geological materials and hydrological resources, and reveal mineral medicines with practical applications. I used methods from anthropology and geology to explore the geological knowledge of the Uitoto, a tribe of the Colombian Amazon. The Uitoto use two metaphors to describe Earth systems: 1. the earth is a body, and 2. the Amazon is a tree. I found that they classify surface-water systems according to observable characteristics and use mineral clays to treat various maladies. I argue that Uitoto knowledge about Amazonian mineral resources and surface water is practical, empirically–based and, in many cases, more nuanced than mainstream scientific knowledge. I studied the mode of action of a natural antibacterial clay from the Colombian Amazon (AMZ) to discover whether the Uitoto’s claims about the clay’s medicinal values was verifiable using the methods of Western Science. Natural antibacterial clays can inhibit the growth of human pathogens. Methods from microbiology and geochemistry were combined to evaluate the mineral-microbe interactions that inhibit growth of model Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis) bacteria. The AMZ antibacterial clay contains 45 % kaolinites and 30 % smectites. Its high surface area maintains an acidic environment (pH 4.5) and releases high concentrations of aluminum. Aluminum accumulates in the outer membrane of E. coli by binding to phospholipids. Furthermore, the membrane’s permeability increases due to synergistic effects between aluminum and transition metals released from the AMZ (i.e. Fe, Cu). The changes in the membrane may compromise its function as a barrier. Understanding the antibacterial mechanism of AMZ is key for its safe use as a natural product. These findings can help us harness the capabilities of antibacterial clays more efficiently. Lastly, I integrated the results of this work in place-based, cross-cultural educational materials tailored for the tribal schools in the Colombian Amazon. The design of the units was informed by principles of curriculum design and successful pedagogic approaches for Native American students. The purpose of these educational materials is to return the results of research, enhance learning and participation of indigenous peoples in geosciences, and respond to the multicultural and plurilingual educational needs in countries such as Colombia. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Geological Sciences 2016

abstract: Ethnogeology is the scientific study of human relationships with the Earth as a system, typically conducted within the context of a specific culture. Indigenous or historically resident people may perceive local places differently from outside observers trained in the Western tradition. Ethnogeologic knowledge includes traditional indigenous knowledge (alternatively referred to as traditional ecological knowledge or TEK), which exceeds the boundaries of non-Indigenous ideas of physical characteristics of the world, tends to be more holistic, and is culturally framed. In this ethnogeological study, I have implemented several methods of participatory rapid assessment (PRA) from the discipline of field ethnography to collect culturally framed geological knowledge, as well to measure the authenticity of the knowledge collected. I constructed a cultural consensus model (CCM) about karst as a domain of knowledge. The study area is located in the karst physiographic region of the Caribbean countries of the Dominican Republic (DR) and Puerto Rico (PR). Ethnogeological data collected and analyzed using CCM satisfied the requirements of a model where I have found statistically significance among participant’s agreement and competence values. Analysis of the competence means in the population of DR and PR results in p < 0.05 validating the methods adapted for this study. I discuss the CCM for the domain of karst (in its majority) that is shared among consultants in the countries of PR and the DR that is in the form of metaphors and other forms of culturally framed descriptions. This work continuing insufficient representation of minority groups such as Indigenous people, Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Hispanic/Latinxs in the Earth Sciences. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Geological Sciences 2018