Decolonizing Public Education 5: Indigenous Knowledge

We’ve brought up Indigenous Knowledge and mentioned ways of knowing a few times throughout this series, and hopefully it was understood in the context of each post. Today, for the fifth principle–Learning Recognizes the Role of Indigenous Knowledge–we’re going to go deeper into what ‘Indigenous Knowledge’ means and why it’s important to talk about.

Perhaps the best way to describe Indigenous Knowledge, also referred to as Indigenous Ways of Knowing, is holistic; it is not simply a collection of facts, but of connections, contexts, and broader meanings. While the entirety of this definition cannot be fully explained in this blog post (so I highly recommend reading up on the linked resources and other posts in this series for more), the part I want to focus on is morality (sometimes called ethics).

As someone who was trained in the western paradigm (essentially, a way of learning, teaching, and understanding something) of science, I know that western methods of teaching science do not typically include a question of right and wrong. Should we do this? What are the consequences? Such questions are not limited to what we see in science fiction movies (looking at you Jurassic Park), but in much more real, relevant, and practical ways. We can see the devastating effects that industrial applications of science have had on the environment. This perspective on consequences is a shared philosophy among many Indigenous cultures. One example is the Seventh Generation Principle of the Haudenosaunee: How decisions now impact sustainability for the next seven generations.

As is so often used as an example when describing and applying Indigenous Knowledge and Ways of Knowing, colonizer science has had profound negative consequences all over the world. Indigenous knowledge, in particular the sharing or teaching of knowledge, on the other hand, has morality embedded in it–there is a responsibility to take care of the natural world that cannot be separated.

Indigenous Knowledge isn’t just facts or a scientific method; it’s understanding, it’s wisdom, it’s conscience. And it is something that, now more than ever, we need in our education system. The value of unappropriated Indigenous Knowledge and Ways of Knowing cannot be overstated.

---

Author: Lexa Winters, ITMP Blog Coordinator

Image Credits: Wix Media