Indigenous KNOWLEDGE AND Ways of Knowing

"Perhaps the closest one can get to describing unity in Indigenous knowledge is that knowledge is the expression of the vibrant relationships between the people, their ecosystems, and the other living beings and spirits that share their Lands. "

~ Dr Marie Battiste

Indigenous KNOWLEDGE

The article Teaching by the Medicine Wheel: An Anishinaabe framework for Indigenous education, plublished on June 9, 2014 in EdCan Network, describes Indigenous knowledge as: "as a collection of knowledges from different Indigenous nations. Indigenous knowledge is therefore culture specific, contained within the local knowledge and worldview of the nation. It therefore also has to be ecological, where the knowledge is contained within the land of the geographic location of the nation. Knowledge is also contained within the people of the nation. Indigenous knowledge then becomes personal and generational, as there is a process of generational transmission. Indigenous knowledge is epistemological, in that each nation culturally determines for itself how it knows what it knows."

Retrieved from: https://fveslearningcommons.wordpress.com/indigenous-ways-of-knowing-first-peoples-principles/. Accessed on 08/06/2019.

DESCRIPTIVE LIMITATIONS

Dr. Marie Battiste has some very interesting insights about Indigenous Knowledge and its inability to be categorized. The quotes below were take from her article entitled: Indigenous Knowledge: Foundations for First Nations

"The Quandary of Defining Indigenous Knowledge: In Eurocentric thought, Indigenous knowledge has often been represented by the familiar term “traditional knowledge,” which suggests a body of relatively old data that has been handed down from generation to generation essentially unchanged. Taking the immutability of Indigenous knowledge as a given, much Eurocentric research has focused on identifying knowledge, practices, and techniques used by Indigenous peoples, recording their local names, and cataloguing their reported uses (Barsh, 1997)". ~ Dr. Marie Battiste
"Often, the argument is cloaked in the concept that Indigenous knowledge is “sacred,” thus in some sense immutable and inviolable. This approach can be self-defeating. Donning the protective cloak of sanctity and religious freedom is an admission that Indigenous people are the hapless victims of biophysical forces that they can endure only as awesome mysteries. In other words, they are as ignorant and superstitious as Eurocentric observers have long maintained." ~ Dr. Marie Battiste
"Ensuring the complete and accurate transmission of knowledge and authority from generation to generation depends not only on maintaining ceremonies, which Canadian law treats as art rather than science, but also on maintaining the integrity of the land itself." ~ Dr. Marie Battiste

"Indigenous knowledge thus embodies a web of relationships within a specific ecological context; contains linguistic categories, rules, and relationships unique to each knowledge system; has localized content and meaning; has established customs with respect to acquiring and sharing of knowledge (not all Indigenous peoples equally recognize their responsibilities); and implies responsibilities for possessing various kinds of knowledge."

~ Dr. Marie Battiste

Indigenous Ways of KnowinG

Describing Indigenous ways of knowing is tricky, because it is often done in reference or in contradiction to Western ways of knowing. The five principles of Indigenous Ways of Knowing, according to M.B. Castellano, are:

Indigenous knowledge is personal - There is no single person who knows the “truth”. Knowledge relies of the coming together of a multitude of perspectives, lived experiences and personal narratives in order to co-create knowledge;
Indigenous knowledge is orally transmitted - The oral tradition is a different way for knowledge-keeping and knowledge-sharing. As knowledge is shared, sometimes through stories, is becomes more reflective of different contexts in which it is shared. This reflects the idea that there is no absolute "truth". Both precision and contextualization are important;
Indigenous knowledge is experiential - Learning is authentic and experiential and has to be lived to be understood. This includes interactions with land, water, air, flora and fauna. It is in the relationships with all living elements that knowledge is co-created and a higher level of consciousness is reached;
Indigenous knowledge is holistic - As depicted by the Medicine Wheel which is part of some First Nations peoples in Canada, knowledge is mental, emotional, spiritual and physical. It is created using all senses and states of consciousness; and
Indigenous knowledge is narrative - It is shared via the oral tradition and is a collective knowledge, based on retellings of the story. It is living and breathing and has been internalized by those sharing the narratives.

Castellano, M. B. (2000). Updating Aboriginal traditions of knowledge. In G. J. S. Dei, B. L. Hall, & D. G. Rosenburg (Eds.), Indigenous knowledges in global contexts. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: University of Toronto Press.
Retrieved from: https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/oral_traditions/. Accessed on 10/06/2019.

The Ontario Institute for Education offers an introductory module on Indigenous Ways of Knowing. Take the self-paced course to learn more.

Inclusive Indigenous PeDagogies thAT Contribute to Decolonization of Education

Adapted from: http://www.mfnerc.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Immersion-Language-Booklet.pdf. Accessed on 15/05/2019.

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