Three ways I might use the resources in Module IV in my classroom:
1. The Teacher Domain sites are invaluable to building a visual understanding for students and teachers alike. They explain the Pacific Rim of Fire visually, which cannot be reproduced in words. Using Google Earth to locate places and to calculate distances is also a wonderful tool to any teacher's toolbox. I will definitely use it.
2. I would use the TD and You Tube resources to reinforce the idea that the earth is a dynamic, powerful “being” under our feet. And, many cultural stories stem from trying to make sense of this dynamic, and many times catastrophic, display of power, which occurs as a result of earth’s turmoil with itself. Things we earthlings depend upon to be consistent just isn’t over time. And as such, in ancient times a great respect for Mother Earth was created because she had the power to create and destroy. Today, modern science elevates itself above such reverence, and therein lies the disconnect between academia and culture.
3. Resources:
Volcano Woman
Volcanoes around the world
Three things I learned:
1. Two types of earth's forces that cause volcanoes: hot spots and plate action;
2. I know about the controversy on Hawaii over the observatories. I’ve heard speakers for both positions and watched documentaries concerning the cultural history and relevance of the mountain. What was new information for me was the need/desire to build a new structure. I agree with the native traditional perspective. Use what is there – upgrade or whatever, but another structure would not only be an eye sore, but also, negating native Hawaiian traditional values.
3. How to use the ruler in Google Earth. That was cool! My class is writing to students in Craig, AK so I will go on Google Earth and show them the community and use the ruler to show that Craig is about 733 miles from Anchorage.
Three colleagues:
Ernestine Hayes.
I appreciate her cultural comments and her perspective on land. I also love her comments, which include comments from Paul Marks. All indigenous people lived by the moon. We Native people have 13 lunar cycles to our year. The western way of thinking had to cram 2 full moons into one month to make all of the full moons fit into a 12 month year. And when 2 full moons occur in one month we say, "Once in a blue moon". How blue got associated with 2 full moons in one month is a story I don't know.
Konrad Mittelstadt.
I really liked Konrad’s research into traditional stories. His relaying of the Tlingit legends of a monster frog living in the bay that created a death trap is so relevant to me. Native people have observed phenomenon, and their stories tell “tales” if the listener can make the conscientious link between culture and “science”.
Tracy R. Pulido.
I liked her humor laced with a reality check. I think all of us who have survived from the land feel we have a reasonable chance of making it if the world does go to “hell”.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
Module III - Landforms and Their Impact on Cultures
Module III
Module III explores the idea of connectedness between culture and landforms. Exploring how landscapes formed and how, in turn, they shaped cultures by their landforms is not only interesting, but also a fundamental necessity in understanding any culture.
. The Yupik, Cupik, Athabaskin, and Tlingit cultures were featured in the Teacher Domain episodes. Each is very unique in certain aspects of their culture, and this uniqueness stems from restraints and opportunities afforded by the local, regional landforms and geological processes in their area. Each of these cultures had to find ways to live in harmony with what was around them.
For example, the Athabaskins along the Yukon River use the river for transportation, survival – both subsistence and non-subsistence, and aesthetics. The river is constantly being traversed by boat, snow machine, dog team, automobile, or serving as a landing strip for airplanes. In turn the river brings fish, barges, water, and wood. And, there isn’t a more astounding and beautiful sight on earth as when the “sun dogs” appear or the moon is being reflected from the white ribbon of river ice.
This same river can be menacing when it swells and floods or becomes so turbulent it swamps boats. The Athabaskins living along this river have a “centered” respect for what it “is” – beneficial, beautiful, and threatening. The Yukon connects the people to the land. It provides for them, and they in turn have come to love and revere it.
When I say the river brings wood that may sound strange to someone who hasn’t lived along the river. During spring break up, the river delivers all kinds of driftwood. The water is high from melt off, so trees along the banks often loose their grip due to erosion and become part of a journey to the sea. Natives along the way look for good logs and then go out in boats to drag them ashore for use. I have watched this and heard constantly phrases like, “Let that one go for our relatives down the coast” or “That’s a good one, we should get it”.
I used the Yukon River and the Athabasin culture for my primary source to show how landforms create a connectedness with the people subjected to them. But, I would also like to say that in Tlingit country I felt that same sense of reverence from them toward the cedar and sea. In Aleut, Unangan, country the wind and sea hold tradition and life in their hands. The Inupiat and Yupik have the true tundra and sea, which also have a hold over them. Each season has its gifts and challenges. All of our cultures are tied intrinsically to the land, and its formations - from which a predictable life was carved and established.
People living in an urban area cannot begin to develop this sense of reverence for the landforms unless they leave the comfort of their living rooms and venture out into the surrounding “wildness”. This is a challenge for Native people. How can this value for the land be kept alive if we don’t expose our children to all of its features? With so many rural families moving to urban areas, this should be a point of concern. If we lose the connectedness to the land, then we cannot be good stewards of it.
The concept of Pangaea explains commonalities among fauna, flora and ethic groups living on different continents. It seems to make sense, and it seems to be an accepted theory. How else do we get the Himalayas? And, some awesome, dynamic force pushed Denali to a height unequaled on the planet from base to summit. It had to be colliding landmasses of some sort. Weathering and erosion are natural forces of nature like birthing, living, and dying when the time comes – if one is fortunate to live the full circle.
In Anchorage, like most places in Alaska, it is easy to see the impact of geological forces at work. We have the Chugiak Mountains forming a semi-ring around the city. We have Mt. Redoubt, Sleeping Lady, and the Valdez-Chugiak Faults in our back yards. I will use the resources on Teacher Domain showing how the geological forces formed different mountain types, and how these forces are dynamic even today.
Goggle Earth is wonderful! I looked at the island of Attu because my dad fought there in WWII. He told me how difficult it was to route the Japanese out of the hills in the fog and terrain. Then I contrasted Attu with Wrangell to show how different the land was for the Aleuts. I find this type of teaching invaluable as students are pushed to examine and evaluate how the Aleuts had to adapt during their interment.
Unless we look critically at all of this, and appreciate what it means to “adapt”, then we are misusing our opportunity to “teach” and we are robbing students of the opportunity to synthesize, evaluate, and apply new knowledge.
Three Colleagues:
Matt Hunter of Sitka. I loved his pictures and my granddaughter goes to MEHS.
Lila's blog also caught my eye. I liked her ideas and on intergrating Native knowledge and western science.
Ester Gust's blog is another one I visited. I am interested in hearing other Native perspectives and how they are using the ideas in the course.
Module III explores the idea of connectedness between culture and landforms. Exploring how landscapes formed and how, in turn, they shaped cultures by their landforms is not only interesting, but also a fundamental necessity in understanding any culture.
. The Yupik, Cupik, Athabaskin, and Tlingit cultures were featured in the Teacher Domain episodes. Each is very unique in certain aspects of their culture, and this uniqueness stems from restraints and opportunities afforded by the local, regional landforms and geological processes in their area. Each of these cultures had to find ways to live in harmony with what was around them.
For example, the Athabaskins along the Yukon River use the river for transportation, survival – both subsistence and non-subsistence, and aesthetics. The river is constantly being traversed by boat, snow machine, dog team, automobile, or serving as a landing strip for airplanes. In turn the river brings fish, barges, water, and wood. And, there isn’t a more astounding and beautiful sight on earth as when the “sun dogs” appear or the moon is being reflected from the white ribbon of river ice.
This same river can be menacing when it swells and floods or becomes so turbulent it swamps boats. The Athabaskins living along this river have a “centered” respect for what it “is” – beneficial, beautiful, and threatening. The Yukon connects the people to the land. It provides for them, and they in turn have come to love and revere it.
When I say the river brings wood that may sound strange to someone who hasn’t lived along the river. During spring break up, the river delivers all kinds of driftwood. The water is high from melt off, so trees along the banks often loose their grip due to erosion and become part of a journey to the sea. Natives along the way look for good logs and then go out in boats to drag them ashore for use. I have watched this and heard constantly phrases like, “Let that one go for our relatives down the coast” or “That’s a good one, we should get it”.
I used the Yukon River and the Athabasin culture for my primary source to show how landforms create a connectedness with the people subjected to them. But, I would also like to say that in Tlingit country I felt that same sense of reverence from them toward the cedar and sea. In Aleut, Unangan, country the wind and sea hold tradition and life in their hands. The Inupiat and Yupik have the true tundra and sea, which also have a hold over them. Each season has its gifts and challenges. All of our cultures are tied intrinsically to the land, and its formations - from which a predictable life was carved and established.
People living in an urban area cannot begin to develop this sense of reverence for the landforms unless they leave the comfort of their living rooms and venture out into the surrounding “wildness”. This is a challenge for Native people. How can this value for the land be kept alive if we don’t expose our children to all of its features? With so many rural families moving to urban areas, this should be a point of concern. If we lose the connectedness to the land, then we cannot be good stewards of it.
The concept of Pangaea explains commonalities among fauna, flora and ethic groups living on different continents. It seems to make sense, and it seems to be an accepted theory. How else do we get the Himalayas? And, some awesome, dynamic force pushed Denali to a height unequaled on the planet from base to summit. It had to be colliding landmasses of some sort. Weathering and erosion are natural forces of nature like birthing, living, and dying when the time comes – if one is fortunate to live the full circle.
In Anchorage, like most places in Alaska, it is easy to see the impact of geological forces at work. We have the Chugiak Mountains forming a semi-ring around the city. We have Mt. Redoubt, Sleeping Lady, and the Valdez-Chugiak Faults in our back yards. I will use the resources on Teacher Domain showing how the geological forces formed different mountain types, and how these forces are dynamic even today.
Goggle Earth is wonderful! I looked at the island of Attu because my dad fought there in WWII. He told me how difficult it was to route the Japanese out of the hills in the fog and terrain. Then I contrasted Attu with Wrangell to show how different the land was for the Aleuts. I find this type of teaching invaluable as students are pushed to examine and evaluate how the Aleuts had to adapt during their interment.
Unless we look critically at all of this, and appreciate what it means to “adapt”, then we are misusing our opportunity to “teach” and we are robbing students of the opportunity to synthesize, evaluate, and apply new knowledge.
Three Colleagues:
Matt Hunter of Sitka. I loved his pictures and my granddaughter goes to MEHS.
Lila's blog also caught my eye. I liked her ideas and on intergrating Native knowledge and western science.
Ester Gust's blog is another one I visited. I am interested in hearing other Native perspectives and how they are using the ideas in the course.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Where on Earth Was I Born
I was born in a log cabin located on the Kuskokwim Riverin Alaska. There was no hospital, just some trappers, my mom and the landlady of the trading post. The place is named Medfra and was, at one time, an active and viable trading post for trappers, miners and local Native people. It is surrounded by low hills and still has an airstrip where a small plane can land. I was gifted the small cabin I was born in, and it is still there.
Medfra:
63° 6'24.00"N
154°42'51.00"W
Medfra:
63° 6'24.00"N
154°42'51.00"W
Saturday, October 16, 2010
module II Weekly 3
3 Questions & 3 Colleagues
3 Questions
1. Explain: What new learning have you taken from this module?
I am still puzzled over what Einstein’s theory really is. I took my best stab. I think I’m not posting in the right place because I saw only one person who answered the blog on their blogger page I found. Other than that, I found several ideas, concepts, and information that are profound. I am Alaska Native, so most of their world view I knew. What was an “aha” was how using traditional knowledge and western science together can help both parties and farther the goal(s) of humanity.
2. Extend: How can/will you use this week’s resources and/or others in your community in your lessons?
I will use Tim Bauer’s blog to show the Aleutians; and I will use Teacher’s domain to show how traditional Native people love and connect to the environment.
3. Evaluate: How useful, insightful or relevant are this module’s information and resources for you?
The module usefulness is very complete. I thought some of it was repetitive, but that was only because I had included my thoughts in prior responses and felt like I might be starting to sound like a CD stuck on REPEAT. All of the domains contains excellent information. I enjoyed them, but honestly, waited too long before starting this week’s assignments.
3 Colleagues
Alongside your writing, blogs should also include appropriate images and links to related resources the author has found.
I’m not sure what “link to” means, but these are the blogs I visited and commented on:
1. http://ehhayesexplorealaska.blogspot.com/
2. http://kuehlexploresalaska.blogspot.com
3. http://westernmosttown.blogspot.com
3 Questions
1. Explain: What new learning have you taken from this module?
I am still puzzled over what Einstein’s theory really is. I took my best stab. I think I’m not posting in the right place because I saw only one person who answered the blog on their blogger page I found. Other than that, I found several ideas, concepts, and information that are profound. I am Alaska Native, so most of their world view I knew. What was an “aha” was how using traditional knowledge and western science together can help both parties and farther the goal(s) of humanity.
2. Extend: How can/will you use this week’s resources and/or others in your community in your lessons?
I will use Tim Bauer’s blog to show the Aleutians; and I will use Teacher’s domain to show how traditional Native people love and connect to the environment.
3. Evaluate: How useful, insightful or relevant are this module’s information and resources for you?
The module usefulness is very complete. I thought some of it was repetitive, but that was only because I had included my thoughts in prior responses and felt like I might be starting to sound like a CD stuck on REPEAT. All of the domains contains excellent information. I enjoyed them, but honestly, waited too long before starting this week’s assignments.
3 Colleagues
Alongside your writing, blogs should also include appropriate images and links to related resources the author has found.
I’m not sure what “link to” means, but these are the blogs I visited and commented on:
1. http://ehhayesexplorealaska.blogspot.com/
2. http://kuehlexploresalaska.blogspot.com
3. http://westernmosttown.blogspot.com
Galileo: Sun-Centered System
Galileo: Sun-Centered System
EXPLAIN
Galileo's discovery of our Heliocentric (Sun-centered) planetary system challenged traditional knowledge at the time because it stated the earth was not the center of the universe, and that there were imperfections in the created heavens. In Galileo’s time challenging the traditional knowledge meant challenging God and the layperson of his day could not even contemplate such an atrocity.
Traditional knowledge sometimes can become an obstacle to better understanding when there are religious values involved. Even today, there is strong religious influence in our national politics and moral issues in values and science, e.g. embryonic cell research. I can only guess at the demons almost everyone associated with Galileo!
EXTEND
Using careful observation made available by “new technology” Galileo was ale to not only chart the movement of Venus, but also its changing shapes. He systematically charted and drew his observations of Venus and of other heavenly body movements. Presenting this quantitative evidence, Galileo was able to argue the Copernican theory and defend his heliocentric theory. Galileo’s findings showed how things were connected through his systematic approach when gathering evidence and careful drawings.
String Theory: A Strange New World
EXPLAIN
Einstein challenged traditional knowledge by suggesting gravity and electromagnetism travel at the same speed. He challenged our long held truths purported by Newton about the laws of gravity. He believed a unifying force, which he longed to discover, held everything together.
(I’m not really sure how Einstein demonstrated that everything is connected, but I’ll take a stab at it.) He knew that gravity depended upon the movement, mass, and position of everything in the universe – nothing is isolated or can be isolated and maintain itself. One thing exists and because of this, it has an effect upon everything else.
EXPLAIN
Space missions and satellites helped integrate the sciences and shape the way we understand our planet by providing close up pictures and exposing data over time. Storm patterns have been, and can be, tracked. Temperature fluctuations and the over all impact from this can also be traced and graphed with correlating implications for the planet. We now have a more complete composite picture of our planet and just how fragile it is because of space missions and satellites.
Many different pathways for the flow of matter and energy drive Earth’s System(s). It seems heat is at the catalysis for setting all of them in motion. Heat is absorbed in the atmosphere, water, and land. Heat escapes from earth’s core creating volcanoes and earthquakes. All of this infusion of heat affects weather, temperature, and life on earth. It is all connected.
EXTEND
Our growing understanding of Earth as a System has changed our view of the world and our place in it by making us see just how small we really are, while at the same time just what an impact we can make on our systems. We have the power to eliminate ourselves through pollution, over harvesting, pesticides, over population, disease. So while we are “small” we are also “huge”!
EXPLORE SOME MORE
Everything is connected literally and metaphorically. Like the song says, “We are all made of star dust”. What an amazing thought! The stars are us and we are them….) I like that concept. While it seems things are so vast they can’t be understood or harnessed, all I have to do is look down at my hand and know the atoms making it up also make up the known matter.
EXPLAIN
Galileo's discovery of our Heliocentric (Sun-centered) planetary system challenged traditional knowledge at the time because it stated the earth was not the center of the universe, and that there were imperfections in the created heavens. In Galileo’s time challenging the traditional knowledge meant challenging God and the layperson of his day could not even contemplate such an atrocity.
Traditional knowledge sometimes can become an obstacle to better understanding when there are religious values involved. Even today, there is strong religious influence in our national politics and moral issues in values and science, e.g. embryonic cell research. I can only guess at the demons almost everyone associated with Galileo!
EXTEND
Using careful observation made available by “new technology” Galileo was ale to not only chart the movement of Venus, but also its changing shapes. He systematically charted and drew his observations of Venus and of other heavenly body movements. Presenting this quantitative evidence, Galileo was able to argue the Copernican theory and defend his heliocentric theory. Galileo’s findings showed how things were connected through his systematic approach when gathering evidence and careful drawings.
String Theory: A Strange New World
EXPLAIN
Einstein challenged traditional knowledge by suggesting gravity and electromagnetism travel at the same speed. He challenged our long held truths purported by Newton about the laws of gravity. He believed a unifying force, which he longed to discover, held everything together.
(I’m not really sure how Einstein demonstrated that everything is connected, but I’ll take a stab at it.) He knew that gravity depended upon the movement, mass, and position of everything in the universe – nothing is isolated or can be isolated and maintain itself. One thing exists and because of this, it has an effect upon everything else.
EXPLAIN
Space missions and satellites helped integrate the sciences and shape the way we understand our planet by providing close up pictures and exposing data over time. Storm patterns have been, and can be, tracked. Temperature fluctuations and the over all impact from this can also be traced and graphed with correlating implications for the planet. We now have a more complete composite picture of our planet and just how fragile it is because of space missions and satellites.
Many different pathways for the flow of matter and energy drive Earth’s System(s). It seems heat is at the catalysis for setting all of them in motion. Heat is absorbed in the atmosphere, water, and land. Heat escapes from earth’s core creating volcanoes and earthquakes. All of this infusion of heat affects weather, temperature, and life on earth. It is all connected.
EXTEND
Our growing understanding of Earth as a System has changed our view of the world and our place in it by making us see just how small we really are, while at the same time just what an impact we can make on our systems. We have the power to eliminate ourselves through pollution, over harvesting, pesticides, over population, disease. So while we are “small” we are also “huge”!
EXPLORE SOME MORE
Everything is connected literally and metaphorically. Like the song says, “We are all made of star dust”. What an amazing thought! The stars are us and we are them….) I like that concept. While it seems things are so vast they can’t be understood or harnessed, all I have to do is look down at my hand and know the atoms making it up also make up the known matter.
Traditional Knowledge
ENGAGE
Traditional Native Knowledge
The Native understanding of Spirit understood from a western point of view encompasses the known universe and world. Spirit is essence. A tree has a spirit because it is part of what has been created, and a rock has a spirit for the same reason.
Inua is the inner spirit of living beings. We breathe and have life so we have an Inua – a soul spirit. Sila, to my understanding, encompasses the Inua, (inner spirit), but expands it to the forces like wind, air, the cosmos. Sila is like a God force – all over at the same time, moving and intelligent.
EXPLORE
In People of the Arctic it is very obvious how tied to the land the people are in their total being.
ENGAGE
Traditional Native knowledge systems differ from Western science knowledge systems primarily in the approach they each take to looking at the world. One is holistic and the other is part to whole. The values of the Native knowledge system are to respect the entire whole, while the Western value system is to know the whole. They compliment each other by striving to understand problems through observation, gathering of information, and predicting outcomes based upon the data gathered.
Alaska Native Science Commission
EXPLAIN
Native knowledge systems help western science understand local environments while western science helps Native people understand the long-term effects that may be caused by environments far away from theirs.
EXTEND
ANSC and AFN perspectives help inform me by highlighting the major concerns of Native people and environments. They not only inform of issues, but also accentuate the proper protocol of how outsiders might “properly” come into an area and conduct an investigation.
EVALUATE
I personally do not see how Native people can be left out of science at any level. The Aleut people had very sophisticated knowledge of the human body, and all Native tribes knew the plants of their area and how to use them. Their stories have been handed down so there is longevity showing how the environment or the people have changed over time. One science would be deficient without the other.
Traditional Native Knowledge
The Native understanding of Spirit understood from a western point of view encompasses the known universe and world. Spirit is essence. A tree has a spirit because it is part of what has been created, and a rock has a spirit for the same reason.
Inua is the inner spirit of living beings. We breathe and have life so we have an Inua – a soul spirit. Sila, to my understanding, encompasses the Inua, (inner spirit), but expands it to the forces like wind, air, the cosmos. Sila is like a God force – all over at the same time, moving and intelligent.
EXPLORE
In People of the Arctic it is very obvious how tied to the land the people are in their total being.
ENGAGE
Traditional Native knowledge systems differ from Western science knowledge systems primarily in the approach they each take to looking at the world. One is holistic and the other is part to whole. The values of the Native knowledge system are to respect the entire whole, while the Western value system is to know the whole. They compliment each other by striving to understand problems through observation, gathering of information, and predicting outcomes based upon the data gathered.
Alaska Native Science Commission
EXPLAIN
Native knowledge systems help western science understand local environments while western science helps Native people understand the long-term effects that may be caused by environments far away from theirs.
EXTEND
ANSC and AFN perspectives help inform me by highlighting the major concerns of Native people and environments. They not only inform of issues, but also accentuate the proper protocol of how outsiders might “properly” come into an area and conduct an investigation.
EVALUATE
I personally do not see how Native people can be left out of science at any level. The Aleut people had very sophisticated knowledge of the human body, and all Native tribes knew the plants of their area and how to use them. Their stories have been handed down so there is longevity showing how the environment or the people have changed over time. One science would be deficient without the other.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Everything is Connected
EXPLAIN
The most fundamental difference between traditional Native knowledge and Western science is the difference in their worldviews. Traditional Native people easily embrace spirituality as part of being whole. Nothing can be whole without acknowledging physical and spiritual importance. Western science emphasizes the segmented to build a physical whole and does not acknowledge a spiritual realm as having any bearing upon final products or outcomes.
Another big difference is how the information is passed along and given credibility. For Native people the emphasis is on oral stories and personal experience. For Western science it is what is written and recorded – what can be proved empirically.
A third difference is in the utility of the information. Native people don’t need to “know” everything about something to believe or use it. Westerns tend to need proof, to know how and why things are what they are. They pull apart, dissect to discover while Native people don’t feel the drive to know something to that level to appreciate its function and place.
Some of the common beliefs and practices between Traditional Native people and Western science are cycles. Both see the value and interdependence of cycles in a closed system. Both parties value honesty, open-mindedness, and observation. They both look for a repeated event or pattern for verification of an idea or hypothesis.
EXTEND
One of the major benefits of applying both Traditional knowledge and Western science is respect. Native students learn to value the stories they’ve heard, and both parties spend more time looking at information with a shift in perspective.
Science experiments can be designed based upon commonly held beliefs to see if there is truth in them or are they just nice stories or superstitions. One story I use with my astronomy unit is the Old Woman who Held Back the Tides. It’s from the Tlingit Moon and Tides unit. The class always thinks it’s just a nice story until we get the tide books out and plot the tides over a month. Things like this are so powerful and give learning a purpose.
Certainly the use of elders and scientists are resources to tap into as added sources of infromation. The Internet has great sites and interactive lessons, which should not be overlooked as well.
EVALUATE
Knowing both ways creates a more solid, integrated mindset. The stories aren’t just “pooh- pooh”, but are heard with a new ear. If a Native student was told that wormwood is good to keep mosquitoes away and they just believe it, then there’s no integration or value in Western science. But, if they use that information as a springboard to investigate the chemical properties of wormwood and find out that it has one or more ingredients (chemicals, compounds) that repel mosquitoes, then they have used both “eyes”. Knowing and proving are powerful propellants!
Another benefit is lending credence to oral traditions and survival techniques. The power of observation, making notes of surroundings whether mental or written, and then extrapolating those observations to arrive at a conclusion also gives credibility to the observer.
The most fundamental difference between traditional Native knowledge and Western science is the difference in their worldviews. Traditional Native people easily embrace spirituality as part of being whole. Nothing can be whole without acknowledging physical and spiritual importance. Western science emphasizes the segmented to build a physical whole and does not acknowledge a spiritual realm as having any bearing upon final products or outcomes.
Another big difference is how the information is passed along and given credibility. For Native people the emphasis is on oral stories and personal experience. For Western science it is what is written and recorded – what can be proved empirically.
A third difference is in the utility of the information. Native people don’t need to “know” everything about something to believe or use it. Westerns tend to need proof, to know how and why things are what they are. They pull apart, dissect to discover while Native people don’t feel the drive to know something to that level to appreciate its function and place.
Some of the common beliefs and practices between Traditional Native people and Western science are cycles. Both see the value and interdependence of cycles in a closed system. Both parties value honesty, open-mindedness, and observation. They both look for a repeated event or pattern for verification of an idea or hypothesis.
EXTEND
One of the major benefits of applying both Traditional knowledge and Western science is respect. Native students learn to value the stories they’ve heard, and both parties spend more time looking at information with a shift in perspective.
Science experiments can be designed based upon commonly held beliefs to see if there is truth in them or are they just nice stories or superstitions. One story I use with my astronomy unit is the Old Woman who Held Back the Tides. It’s from the Tlingit Moon and Tides unit. The class always thinks it’s just a nice story until we get the tide books out and plot the tides over a month. Things like this are so powerful and give learning a purpose.
Certainly the use of elders and scientists are resources to tap into as added sources of infromation. The Internet has great sites and interactive lessons, which should not be overlooked as well.
EVALUATE
Knowing both ways creates a more solid, integrated mindset. The stories aren’t just “pooh- pooh”, but are heard with a new ear. If a Native student was told that wormwood is good to keep mosquitoes away and they just believe it, then there’s no integration or value in Western science. But, if they use that information as a springboard to investigate the chemical properties of wormwood and find out that it has one or more ingredients (chemicals, compounds) that repel mosquitoes, then they have used both “eyes”. Knowing and proving are powerful propellants!
Another benefit is lending credence to oral traditions and survival techniques. The power of observation, making notes of surroundings whether mental or written, and then extrapolating those observations to arrive at a conclusion also gives credibility to the observer.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Favorite Place
Monday, October 4, 2010
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