Tag Archives: western science

Module 4, Post 3 | Weaving Indigenous and western knowledge

An article focusing on the growing interest in educational and research institutions across the country embracing a holistic approach to its scientific methods, which integrates Indigenous knowledge with classroom teaching methods to decolonize education.

A response to the TRC’s Calls to Action, this collaboration reinforces the cultural values of Indigenous knowledge and highlights applicability across a broad range of subjects.

https://www.universityaffairs.ca/features/feature-article/weaving-indigenous-and-western-knowledge/

M.4 P.3 Traditional Ecological Knowledge Defined

This straightforward, simple, and short PowerPoint presentation gives a brief, but informative, overview of what traditional ecological knowledge is.

“Traditional knowledge is complementary to western science, not a replacement for it” – David Suzuki

There is no universal definition for Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), however, they provide one possible definition;

As a cumulative body of knowledge, practice, and belief, evolving by adaptive processes and handed down through generations by cultural transmission, about the relationship of living beings (including humans) with one another and with the environment.

Some differences that I have pulled out for comparison between traditional ecological knowledge and western science are below;

Cultural barriers and misunderstandings sometimes prevent both Western scientists and Indigenous peoples from fully acknowledging the value of each other’s knowledge system. Limitations to the systematic use of TEK in resource management can be further examined from both a scientific and an Indigenous point of view.

References

Traditional ecological knowledge [PowerPoint slides]. SlidePlayer. https://slideplayer.com/slide/4834812/

M.4 P.2 Valuing Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Indigenous Wisdom

This article provides insights as well as raises important questions pertaining to Traditional Ecological Knowledge. Two of the questions I found particularly interesting are below.

How can we combine the best of modern technology, science, and cultural expression with the guiding wisdom of traditional, Indigenous cultures?

This is a pertinent question that I am asking myself as I work through my research process. As can be seen in the quotes to follow, the importance of place is not only evident to Indigenous cultures and ways of knowing and being, but cultural diversity is related to biological diversity. Relationships with the land are important for the healing of the earth.

We have to learn from both the successes and failures of modern technologies, and we have to pay more attention to the indigenous wisdom of local culture adapted to place. TEK is a place-based knowledge-belief-practice complex of ancient lineage. Locally adapted cultural diversity goes hand in hand with biological diversity. Together they constitute ecocultural diversity. What we are really restoring is our relationship with the places we live in and depend on as we learn, once again, how to be native to these places: to be caregivers to the land; to participate with our elder brothers and sisters, the plants and animals, in the spiritual and physical renewal of the earth and of ourselves.

How can we innovate and transform our culture with one eye on the past (learning from traditional wisdom and practice), and the other on the future (social, ecological, economic, and technological innovation)?

Indigenous human cultures are an expression of generations of co-evolution of humans within the ecosystems they inhabited.

Again, braiding both traditional ecological knowledge and western science can be a necessary relationship for the future prosperity of ecological habitats and to tackle environmental issues such as climate change. It is vital not to dismiss knowledge that has been passed for generations, that is holistic in nature, and not compartmentalized and time-sensitive which is often characteristics of western science.

Cultures that have managed to survive for millennia within their bioregions have a lot to teach us. Over the last few hundred years, we have developed the unfortunate habit of dismissing such knowledge as antiquated and calling such cultures ‘primitive’. Hypnotized by the apparent benefits of scientific and technological progress we made the mistake of dismissing traditional ecological knowledge that underpinned human survival for most of prehistory.

References

Wahl, D.C. (2017, April 23). Valuing traditional ecological knowledge and Indigenous wisdom. Age of Awareness. https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/valuing-traditional-ecological-knowledge-and-indigenous-wisdom-d26ebdd9e141

M.4 P.1 Managing Wildfire through Cultural Burning

I thought this post befitting for those of you in B.C. and either experiencing a close fire or experiencing the smoke from the fires.

Fire has always been part of California’s landscape. But long before the vast blazes of recent years, Native American tribes held controlled burns that cleared out underbrush, encouraged new plant growth, and helped manage wildfires. It’s a tradition that disappeared with the arrival of Western settlers.

This short podcast explains how tribal leaders are working with government officials to restore cultural burns, a practice that can minimize and control extreme wildfires in California. These controlled fires clean up the vegetation and brush that would be fuel for the extreme wildfires, they also do it to encourage new plant growth, and helped manage wildfires. It’s a tradition that disappeared with the arrival of Western settlers. 

“I think it’s really important that we don’t think about traditional burning as what information can we learn from Native people about how they care for the land and then exclude people and move on with non-Natives managing the land, but that Native people are at the forefront and are leading.”

This is an important quote. One that highlights the importance of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and not only interweaving Western science but having TEK at the forefront. Managing the lands as how it was done for centuries by First Peoples before campaigns like “Smokey the Bear” and an era of unhealthy fire suppression.

References

Baughman, B. (2020). Managing wildfire through cultural burning [Audio podcast]. Short wave. https://www.npr.org/transcripts/904600242

M.3 P.5 Braiding Sweetgrass

Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants

Robin Wall Kimmerer is a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and a botanist, trained to engage with the environment using the tools of science however, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. “Drawing on her life as an Indigenous scientist, a mother, and a woman, Kimmerer shows how other living beings—asters and goldenrod, strawberries and squash, salamanders, algae, and sweetgrass—offer us gifts and lessons, even if we’ve forgotten how to hear their voices.” She has written scientific papers on plant ecology, bryophyte ecology, traditional knowledge, and restoration ecology.

Kimmerer discusses alternative forms of Indigenous knowledge outside of traditional scientific methodologies. Focusing on plants, she compares a Traditional Ecological approach and a Western science approach. This book has popped up for me in many areas lately, and I think the timing is perfect to engage with this text and learn from an Indigenous scientist about my research paper. Continuing to learn about sustainable land stewardship by interweaving TEK and Western science has been an interesting journey and I beleive will better me as an educator.

Kimmerer said about the book that “I wanted readers to understand that Indigenous knowledge and Western science are both powerful ways of knowing, and that by using them together we can imagine a more just and joyful relationship with the Earth.”

References

Kimmerer, R. W. (n.d). Robin Wall Kimmerer [webpage]. Retrieved July 3, 2021. https://www.robinwallkimmerer.com/books

Kimmerer, R. W. (2013). Braiding Sweetgrass; Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants. Milkweed Editions.

M.3 P.3 Alaska Native Knowledge Network

The Alaska Native Knowledge Network’s goal is to serve as a resource for compiling and exchanging information related to Alaska Native knowledge systems and ways of knowing. It has been established to assist Native people, government agencies, educators, and the general public in gaining access to the knowledge base that Alaska Natives have acquired through cumulative experience over millennia.

I was drawn to this website particularly for the works of Ray Barnhardt, who is a professor at and director of the Center for Cross-Cultural Studies at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. His current research focuses on the systematic integration of Indigenous and western scientific knowledge in education. You can find his collective works through the website (there’s a lot of them!), one that many may find interesting is Creating a Place for Indigenous Knowledge in Education, but I focused on another one in particular.

Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Alaska Native Ways of Knowing, this article “seeks to extend our understandings of the learning processes within and at the intersection of diverse worldviews and knowledge systems.” He brings up the importance to integrate Indigenous knowledge and western science, how they can complement each other, and bridge gaps in important information that will lead to a better inclusive future for all. A few quotes that resonated with me that I would like to share are below;

“Although Western science and education tend to emphasize compartmentalized knowledge that is often decontextualized and taught in the detached setting of a classroom or laboratory, Indigenous people have traditionally acquired their knowledge through direct experience in the natural world.”

“Native people may need to understand Western society, but not at the expense of what they already know and the way they have come to know it. Non-Native people, too, need to recognize the coexistence of multiple worldviews and knowledge systems, and find ways to understand and relate to the world in its multiple dimensions and varied perspectives.”

“Western scientists have constructed the holographic image, which lends itself to the Native concept of everything being connected.”

References

Barnhardt, R. (2007). Creating a Place for Indigenous Knowledge in Education: The Alaska Native Knowledge Network. Place-Based Education in the Global Age: Local Diversity. https://uaf.edu/ankn/publications/collective-works-of-ray-b/Creating-a-Place-for-Indigenous-Knowledge.pdf

Barnhardt, R., Kawagley, A. O. (2005). Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Alaska Native Ways of Knowing. Anthropology and Education Quarterly. 36(1): 8-23. https://www.fws.gov/nativeamerican/pdf/tek-barnhardt-kawagley.pdf

M.3 P.1 Two-Eyed Seeing

Interweaving Indigenous Knowledge and Western Science

“If we can learn to see through two lenses, or with two eyes, we will better understand the world, ecology, or environmental science in general.”

This article reviews the importance of incorporating both traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and western science into wildlife management practices. Examples of such interwoven practices are given in the article like the Heiltsuk grizzly bear population, the Sahtu Dene caribou populations around Great Bear Lake, Cree Nation walleye populations of Mistissini, bison reintroduction of the Blackfeet Indian reservation, the caribou management of Taku River Tlingit First Nation, the Biigtigong Nishnaabeg moose population, and the Nisga’a salmon population.

This article also brings to light that there is no universally accepted definition of TEK, however, one commonly cited definition is given from ecologist Fikret Berkes; “a cumulative body of knowledge , practice and belief, evolving by adaptive processes and handed down through generations by cultural transmission, about the relationship of living beings (including humans) with one another and with their environment.”

Comparisons are made between TEK and western science including; western science is often compartmentalized dealing with a specific question about a specific part of the ecosystem versus TEK which is often more holistic. Western science often works under a short time frame (due to politics and funding), whereas TEK can span generations, which can be beneficial to researchers and managers. Indigenous knowledge can work as an early warning system, it recognizes regional differences in ecology that biologists might overlook.

Some difficulties of weaving the two include (but is not limited to); TEK is often discounted by scientists as mythology, elders can be reluctant to share their knowledge, past frictions between scientists and Indigenous peoples has led to strained relations, an the colonial history of settlement has left a lot of distrust. One solution that is provided to overcome some of these barriers includes incorporating TEK into university wildlife courses rather than solely Native studies or anthropology courses, this could help bridge the divide.

“Conservation successes are going to come when Indigenous people are empowered and have their stewardship and governance practices respected and realized.”

References

Learn, J.R. (2020). Two-Eyed Seeing: Interweaving Indigenous knowledge and Western science. The Wildlife Professional, 14 (4), 17-26. https://www.wildlife.org

M.2 P.5 Knowing Home: Braiding Indigenous Science and Western Science

When we braid Indigenous Science with Western Science we acknowledge that both ways of knowing are legitimate forms of knowledge.

I believe both of these books will prove to be useful not only for my research journey but for educators everywhere. Both of these books are free for download too! The relationship between Indigenous science and Western science is an important one. I think it touches on many points we have previously discussed in this course including Indigenous perspectives, world views, and ties them into science teachings and curriculum. It highlights another critical theme in Indigenous culture, the importance of place, and how this is interweaved with identity.

Together, the co-editors and authors, almost all of them Aboriginal, present multiple useful paths towards identifying and recognizing two huge shortfalls in the Canadian educational system to date. One is the abysmal failure of many schools to provide quality education for Aboriginal children and youth, particularly in the areas of science, technology, and health. This situation is reflected today in the marked underrepresentation of Aboriginal students participating in university-level programs in these areas, and, further, in the dearth of professional scientists from Aboriginal communities across the country. The second gap, equally lamentable, is that students of mainstream western science and technology have been deprived of learning about the immense body of Indigenous scientific knowledge, perspectives, and applications acquired and built over generations of dwelling in particular places.  Knowing Home…  will be a wonderful resource that will bring all Canadians to a higher level of understanding in these two areas.

Book 1 provides an overview of why traditional knowledge and wisdom should be included in the science curriculum, a window into the science and technologies of the Indigenous peoples who live in Northwestern North America, Indigenous worldview, culturally responsive teaching strategies and curriculum models, and evaluative techniques. It is intended that the rich examples and cases, combined with the resources listed in the appendices, will enable teachers and students to explore Indigenous Science examples in the classroom; and in addition, support the development of culturally appropriate curriculum projects.

Book 2 provides supportive research, case studies, and commentary that extends and enriches the chapters presented in Book 1. The chapters provide rich descriptions related to Indigenous cultural beliefs and values; an Aboriginal concept of time; transforming teacher thinking about Indigenous Science; the use of digital video as a learning tool for secondary Aboriginal students; the perceptions and experiences of post-secondary Aboriginal students during science instruction; a WSÁNEĆ concept of “knowledge of most worth”, and a study of successful Aboriginal students in secondary science.

Snively, G. & Williams, W. (2016). Knowing Home: Braiding Indigenous Science with Western Science Book 1. University of Victoria. https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/knowinghome/

Snively, G. & Williams, W. (2018). Knowing Home: Braiding Indigenous Science with Western Science Book 2. University of Victoria. https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/knowinghome/

M.2 P.4 STEM FOR ALL

The National Science Foundation (NSF) STEM for All Video Showcase is an annual online event. It is created by a TERC, which is an independent, non-profit, research-based organization dedicated to engaging and inspiring all students through stimulating curricula and programs designed to develop the knowledge and skills they need to ask questions, solve problems, and expand their opportunities.

Video: Indigenous Food, Energy, and Water Security and Sovereignty.

This video talks about building sustainable technologies in the face of the destruction of balance between people and the environment. An interesting aspect is that they involve the communities themselves in the process. It summarizes the work that can be found at https://energy.arizona.edu/indigefewss.

Video: Culturally Responsive Indigenous Science

This video highlights the work that discusses engagement in Indigenous knowledge systems and how public schools are missing this way of knowing and learning. The Culturally Responsive Indigenous Science (CRIS) project stems from decades of relationship building, in part facilitating culturally responsive youth development projects with our partners.

Video: Traditional Knowledge – Modern Science

The Ute STEM Project explores the integration of Western science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and Native American Knowledge bases. This video is one in a series of videos on the project, the others can be found at https://vimeo.com/showcase/5723628. The video discusses how knowledge of the environment (TEK) and innovations have been passed down for centuries, and Western science can help to understand that past. It also highlights that it is important to understand dichotomies and not rely on just one or the other (TEK or Western) science, as well as the importance to reconnect with the land as it is what informs us.

References

202o STEM For All Video Showcase. (2020) Learning from Research and Practice May 5 – 12. https://stemforall2020.videohall.com/

TERC. (2021). Because Math and Science Build Futures. https://www.terc.edu/

M.2 P.3 Indigenous Rights and STEM Education

The STEM teaching tools website has resources, tools, PD modules, news, and newsletters to help teach science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

I was particularly drawn to this website for the resources found under the TOOLS dropdown menu that highlight ways of working on specific issues that come up during STEM teaching called “Practice Briefs”. Each brief highlights the issue, why it matters, things to consider, reflection questions, equity, and actions you can take in an organized, concise, and effective way to easily access. Below are some briefs that I found particularly useful to my research on TEK and STEM.

#10 Teaching STEM In Ways that Respect and Build Upon Indigenous Peoples’ Rights: It is vital that educators incorporate Indigenous knowledge and rights into their teaching and lessons.

Teachers should understand and leverage Indigenous students’ ways of knowing and values.

#11 Implementing Meaningful STEM Education with Indigenous Students & Families: Integrating traditional ecological knowledge and western science is important if students are going to connect meaning to experiences.

Teachers should focus on Indigenous ways of knowing & encourage Indigenous students to navigate between Indigenous & Western STEM.

#55 Why it is crucial to make cultural diversity visible in STEM education: Students need to see themselves represented in STEM careers that collaborate and integrate Indigenous knowledge.

Teachers should carefully weave subject matter with activities and images within relevant contexts that validate the contributions of individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds.

#57 How place-based science education strategies can support equity for students, teachers, and communities: Place holds significance to Indigenous ways of knowing and learning. Knowledge rooted in land is at the heart of many Indigenous cultures, this needs to be at the forefront of education.

Teachers should connect science learning experiences in and out of the classroom to students’ sense of place, cultural perspectives, and community assets and issues

References

STEM Teaching Tools. (n.d.). Teaching Tools for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Education. http://stemteachingtools.org/