10 aboriginal and four non-aboriginal graduate students from the University of Victoria (British Columbia, Canada) are working with First Nations elders, community leaders and educators to identify science content elements of aboriginal knowledge and determine the most culturally appropriate and effective ways of teaching and learning science, according to University paper The Ring:
Using case studies, field studies, surveys, informal interviews and ethnography (such as elder circles, songs and traditional stories) the graduate students are investigating topics as wide-ranging as how elders transmit ecological knowledge and wisdom, how science is taught through traditional storytelling, and how to use digital video as a learning tool for retaining and transferring aboriginal knowledge.
“The big, central questions here are what is science, and is aboriginal knowledge science? We’re saying it is science, and that every culture has its own science. Right now, there’s a complete blank—traditional knowledge is not only devalued, for most teachers it doesn’t exist”, Gloria Snively, associate professor of science, environmental and marine education, says.
UPDATE. Comment by Kerim Friedman:
How can we keep creationism out of our science classrooms if we simultaneously embrace “aboriginal science”? The answer is we can’t.
(…)
It is true that many things aborigines know through their traditional forms of knowledge have, in fact, been proven to coincide with scientific knowledge as well. But some have not. This alone shows that traditional forms of knowledge can never be coterminous with science.
(…)
The solution to the relative status of traditional knowledge compared to science is not to simply label knowledge as “science.” It is to find ways create space within which it can find legitimate expression in our society and be accorded a status other than “superstition.” It is also to better educate people about scientific knowledge and its limits, so that all citizens can better distinguish between good and bad science.
>> read Kerim’s post and the discussion on Savage Minds
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Indigenous Peoples’ Day: New Universities for a Multicultural Mexico
New Research Study about Traditional Folk Knowledge related to Plants in Albania
10 aboriginal and four non-aboriginal graduate students from the University of Victoria (British Columbia, Canada) are working with First Nations elders, community leaders and educators to identify science content elements of aboriginal knowledge and determine the most culturally appropriate and…