By Answer.to.the.rock – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63123506
Use this collection of resources as an inspiration for your Indigenization work. As you explore, consider which of the following Indigenous epistemologies/pedagogies are highlighted in each example:
- Holistic (engaging with physical, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual domains)
- Place-based (connected to a location, experience, or people)
- Relationality (to self, to others, to other living beings, to land)
- Experiential (learning by doing)
- Intergenerational (focus on ancestral knowledge)
Chemistry – 100/200 Level
Interior Salish Pit Cooking Practices as a Contextual Framework in Introductory Chemistry (10 minutes / presentation / UBC Okanogan)
Prof. Stephen McNiel connects an Indigenous cooking practice to the four main units of CHEM 123 (thermodynamics, kinetics, acid-base, and organic chemistry). Some points of strength come from revisiting the same module throughout the semester (centring Indigenous knowledge instead of keeping it on the sidelines) and collaborating with local Knowledge Keepers. This resource is an open education resource, meaning it can be adapted for other courses with proper attribution.
Culturally Relevant Chemistry for American Indian Students (5 minutes / reading / Various Tribal Colleges and Universities)
Prof. Mark Griep outlines the process of designing an introductory chemistry lab manual that is relevant to Indigenous students. This work does a lot of things really well; consultation with local Indigenous groups to identify key issues, creating space for highly-personalized, land-based connections, and using learning to benefit local communities. A great approach for any lab course. Details on how students engage with these connections can be found in the published lab manual.
Development of Novel Chemistry Courses and Labs Highlighting Indigenous Traditions (90 minutes / presentation / First Nations University of Canada)
Prof. Vincent Ziffle details his experiences in designing and delivering an introductory “Chemistry of Food and Cooking” course with Indigenous context woven throughout. The course highlights Indigenous food traditions and is engaged fully with Elders and Traditional Knowledge Keepers. Really good example of using experiential and place-based learning. The presentation also includes some really honest discussions about the key challenges associated with this kind of work, as well as some upper-year examples of Indigenizing chemistry research.
Chemistry and Inuit Life and Culture (30 minutes / reading / University of Waterloo)
A collection of short articles connecting Inuit life and culture to introductory chemistry content. Articles are filled with detailed illustrations and citations; they are a really good foundation for building other modules on. Of note is the breadth of this resource and the way it honours Indigenous science. I think there is a lot of room to build reflection activities or projects using these connections, consider how you can help students engage with Indigenous ways of knowing using them.
Chemistry – Upper Level
Indigenous Medicinal Plants in Drug Design (2 minutes / reading / Thompson River University)
A presentation by Jess Allingham of Thompson Rivers University at CSC 2023. In a 4th year medicinal chemistry course, an Elder guided students through the medicinal plants that exist on campus. Students wrote reflections on this experience and designed pamphlets / poster sharing this knowledge with others. A great example of integrating Indigenous ways of knowing while positioning them as a relevant and important to our day-to-day life, and of having students meaningful engage via reflection.
Exploring Indigenous Science to Identify Contents and Contexts for Science Learning in Order to Promote Education for Sustainable Development (15 minutes / reading / University of Bremen / University of Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa)
A study looking for connections between Indigenous Science from the Indonesian Baduy tribe and Western science curriculum. While these practices are related to local Indigenous peoples, some of the connections may serve as inspiration, and the explanation for how the authors identified connections and integrated them in a classroom is very useful. For a more practical example of how one of these connections was applied in the classroom, see this follow-up study (reading / 10 minutes).
Chemistry – High School
Science First Peoples Teacher Resource Guide (30+ minutes / reading / First Nations Education Steering Committee)
While this resource was made for high school (Gr 10 – 12) curriculum, it is a really good example of respectful weaving together, and one of the most practical examples one can find, complete with learning outcomes, activities, assessments, and additional resources. Chemists may be particularly interested in Units 3 and 10 for connections. Use this resource for examples of establishing meaningful connections and guiding students reflection.
The Science of Bannock (10 minutes / reading / Canadian Light Source)
Students watch a video (20 minutes) demonstrating the traditional practice of making bannock and some of the chemistry underlying the practice. The lesson plan has a worksheet for students to reflect on similarities / differences between Indigenous Knowledge and Western Science and ideas for facilitating discussion.
Knowing Home, Book 1: Chapter 7 – A window in the Indigenous Science of some Indigenous Peoples of Northwestern North America (30 minutes / reading)
A collection of Indigenous Science practices (fishing, medicine, clam gardens, cultivation) from coastal BC. The resource emphasizes that these innovations are 100% Indigenous, and challenges the readers to consider how the discovery of these innovations mirrors and/or differs from Western Science. Use these examples for inspiration.
Ways to Engage with the Periodic Table (10 minutes / reading / Canadian Light Source)
Stories, languages, and personal connections are key aspects of Indigenous ways of knowing. This challenges students to re-examine something they are familiar with, the periodic table, through these lenses. The key learning outcome is that students engage with their own communities / histories, and engage in independent research.
Other Sciences
A Case-Based Approach for Pharmacy Teams on Providing CARE for First Nations Clients (1 hour / reading / UBC Pharmaceutical Sciences)
This course is a great example of what reflection looks like as students engage with Indigenous perspectives. Pharmacy students are asked to consider how they would respond to different cases, and apply ideas they learned previously.
The Dark Side of Mineral Mining (10 minutes / reading / Ulster County Community College)
A resource exploring four case studies related to the impacts of mining on a region. Students consider the various stakeholders in each case study (including Indigenous peoples) and engage with discussion questions for assessment. The case study approach is one that could be adapted to chemistry contexts. See additional case studies for American Indigenous peoples here.