Social:Indigenous science

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Short description: Indigenous knowledge applied to the scientific method

Indigenous science is the application and intersection of Indigenous knowledge and science. In ecology, this is sometimes termed traditional ecological knowledge.[1][2][3] Indigenous science refers to the knowledge systems and practices of Indigenous peoples, which are deeply rooted in their cultural traditions and relationships understanding of an Indigenous Nations territory or place. Indigenous science is holistic.[4] It follows the same methods of Western science including (but not limited to): observation, prediction, interpretation, questioning.[5] Despite the knowledge and expertise that Indigenous science brings, it has often been devalued by the Western scientific establishment.[6] However, there has been a growing recognition in recent decades of the importance of incorporating Indigenous perspectives and knowledge systems into mainstream scientific practice, particularly in fields such as ecology and environmental management.[7][8]

Traditional and scientific

Indigenous knowledge and experiences have traditionally been passed down orally from generation to generation.[9][10] The concept of Indigenous science promotes the idea that every culture has its own science and understanding of the world.[11] This point of view has been employed by scientists and policy makers to adopt new paradigms for the interpretation and human management of natural processes.[12][13] While there are differences in the use of and structure between Indigenous science and scientific knowledge, Indigenous science has an empirical basis and has traditionally been used to predict and understand the world.[14][15][16]

In ecology

Main page: traditional ecological knowledge
Culturally modified trees (CMTs) are when resources from a tree are used in a way that does not kill the tree itself.
Illustration of fish weir, designed to guide salmon in the enclosure to be hand selected as a way to manage the salmon population to ensure healthy runs the following year.

Indigenous Science is often used by the term "traditional ecological knowledge" or "TEK". However, Indigenous science refers to a multi-contextual thought.[17] Whereas TEK refers to a term given by Western scientists to explain more regarding ecology, but it is a good representation of a category of Indigenous science.[18]

The study of Ecology focuses on the relationships and patterns between organisms in their environment,[19] which is a fundamental aspect of Indigenous Science. Using the subject of ecology is a great place to start when looking to see the different pathways of bridging Indigenous science and Western science. However, since this knowledge is place-based, it is important to understand that the various knowledges can vary depending on the questions and answers needed.[20] It is often seen in Western science, the combination of two sciences to create a new subject with a new form of understanding. For example, ethnobiology combines biology with ecology allowing ethnobotanists to utilize methods of Indigenous knowledge and botany for the purpose of identification and classification of species.[21] Using ecology can also be a great start when trying to understand the perspective of (w)holistic thought by thinking of impacts such as how the declining fish population effects nature, the food web, and coastal ecosystems.[22]

Indigenous science has helped to address ecological challenges including the restoration of salmon,[23] management of seabird harvests,[24] outbreaks of hantavirus,[25] and addressing wildfires.[26]

Place based sciences

Indigenous science, unlike western science, differs in perspective because Indigenous science is subjective and not reductionist and objective like Western science is.[27] What this means, is that a person's understanding of science is holistically based on their territory, cultural practices, and experiences/teachings throughout life.[28]

This understanding in contemporary settings has led to the collaboration between Indigenous communities and scientists in projects, thus "indigenizing" the scientific method. This allows for Indigenous-led projects and community work to respect and legitimize their knowledge and understandings.[29]

Climatology studies have made use of traditional knowledge (Qaujimajatuqangit) among the Inuit when studying long-term changes in sea ice.[30][31]

As well as in ecology, Indigenous knowledge has been used in biological areas including animal behaviour, evolution, physiology, life history, morphology, wildlife conservation, wildlife health, and taxonomy.[32]

Indigenous technologies

The definition of technology is "the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry.".[33] This would imply that when an Indigenous technology was developed, the science or knowledge of it came first. There are many examples of Indigenous technologies that were developed for specific use based on their location and culture such as: clam gardens, fish weirs, culturally modified trees (CMTs), looms, textiles, jewelry, etc....[34] It is also important to note that these technologies were not as simple as providing tourist experiences but range a wide variety of subjects such as: agri- and mari-culture, fishing, forest management and resource exploitation, atmospheric, and land based management techniques.[34]

Indigenous technologies were not commodities for profit but land-based, ecologically sustainable feats of science and mathematics. Chaco Canyon is an excellent example of this.[35]

Technology by area

As stated above, different technologies were developed by location. The following will cover various technologies used by Indigenous peoples in areas of what is now the United States.

The American Southeast

Agriculture in the southeast was efficient and could produce massive yields. It was based on a mixed-crop, shifting cultivation system. [36] This efficiency is partially due to the method of growing corn, beans, and squash together in the same mounds; an inter-cropping system known as the three sisters. [37] In this horticultural technique, each plant offers something to the others, making for flourishing crops. To explain the technique plainly, corn provides support for the beans, beans provide nitrogen from nitrogen-fixing bacteria that live on their roots, and squash provide ground cover (suppresses weeds and keeps soil moist). [37]A few other foods would have been grown by some; things like sunflowers or grains like barley or maygrass. [38] However, the three sisters were staple foods in the native southeast diet. Dozens of varieties of each plant were grown.  

Notable scholars

References

  1. ↑ Cajete, Gregory (2000). Native science : natural laws of interdependence. Clear Light Publishers. ISBN 1-57416-035-4. OCLC 610678710. http://worldcat.org/oclc/610678710. 
  2. ↑ Huntington, Henry P. (2000). "Using Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Science: Methods and Applications" (in en). Ecological Applications 10 (5): 1270–1274. doi:10.1890/1051-0761(2000)010[1270:UTEKIS2.0.CO;2]. ISSN 1051-0761. 
  3. ↑ Cajete, Gregory A. (17 November 2020). "Indigenous Science, Climate Change, and Indigenous Community Building: A Framework of Foundational Perspectives for Indigenous Community Resilience and Revitalization" (in en). Sustainability 12 (22): 9569. doi:10.3390/su12229569. ISSN 2071-1050. 
  4. ↑ Capistrant, Susan Lee (2012). How Paiutes science education is influenced by their myths and legends (MS thesis). University of Nevada, Reno. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  5. ↑ Henri, Dominique A.; Provencher, Jennifer F.; Bowles, Ella et al. (April 2021). "Weaving Indigenous knowledge systems and Western sciences in terrestrial research, monitoring and management in Canada: A protocol for a systematic map" (in en). Ecological Solutions and Evidence 2 (2). doi:10.1002/2688-8319.12057. ISSN 2688-8319. https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2688-8319.12057. Retrieved 17 April 2023.  open access
  6. ↑ Kimmerer, Robin Wall (2013). Braiding sweetgrass (1st ed.). Minneapolis, Minnesota. ISBN 978-1-57131-335-5. OCLC 829743464. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/829743464. Retrieved 17 April 2023. 
  7. ↑ Battiste, Marie (2005). Hsieh, Jolan. ed. "Indigenous Knowledge: Foundations for First Nations". International Journal of Indigenous Education Scholarship 1. https://journals.uvic.ca/index.php/winhec/article/view/19251. Retrieved 17 April 2023. 
  8. ↑ Berkes, Fikret (2012-03-29) (in en). Sacred Ecology (1st ed.). Routledge. doi:10.4324/9780203123843. ISBN 978-1-136-34173-1. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9781136341731. Retrieved 17 April 2023. 
  9. ↑ Reynolds, Nathaniel; Romano, Marc (2013). "Traditional Ecological Knowledge: Reconstructing Historical Run Timing and Spawning Distribution of Eulachon through Tribal Oral History". Journal of Northwest Anthropology 47 (1): 47–70. 
  10. ↑ Nimmo, Evelyn R.; Carvalho, Alessandra I. de; Laverdi, Robson; Lacerda, André E. B. (2020). "Oral history and traditional ecological knowledge in social innovation and smallholder sovereignty: a case study of erva-mate in Southern Brazil" (in en). Ecology and Society 25 (4): art17. doi:10.5751/ES-11942-250417. ISSN 1708-3087. https://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol25/iss4/art17/. Retrieved 7 August 2022. 
  11. ↑ Ogawa, Masakata (1995). "Science education in a multiscience perspective" (in en). Science Education 79 (5): 583–593. doi:10.1002/sce.3730790507. ISSN 0036-8326. Bibcode: 1995SciEd..79..583O. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/sce.3730790507. 
  12. ↑ Colorado, Pam (1 January 1988). "Bridging Native and Western Science". Convergence 21 (2). ProQuest 1437894282. https://www.proquest.com/docview/1437894282. Retrieved 7 August 2022. 
  13. ↑ Johnson, Jay T.; Howitt, Richard; Cajete, Gregory; Berkes, Fikret; Louis, Renee Pualani; Kliskey, Andrew (2016). "Weaving Indigenous and sustainability sciences to diversify our methods" (in en). Sustainability Science 11 (1): 1–11. doi:10.1007/s11625-015-0349-x. ISSN 1862-4065. 
  14. ↑ Stevenson, Marc G. (1996). "Indigenous Knowledge in Environmental Assessment". Arctic 49 (3): 278–291. doi:10.14430/arctic1203. ISSN 0004-0843. 
  15. ↑ Traditional ecological knowledge : concepts and cases. Julian Inglis, International Program on Traditional Ecological Knowledge, International Development Research Centre, International Association for the Study of Common Property. Meeting, Common Property Conference. Ottawa, Ont., Canada. 1993. ISBN 9780889366831. OCLC 137342338. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/137342338. Retrieved 7 August 2022. 
  16. ↑ Kadykalo, Andrew N.; Cooke, Steven J.; Young, Nathan (2021). "The role of western‐based scientific, Indigenous and local knowledge in wildlife management and conservation" (in en). People and Nature 3 (3): 610–626. doi:10.1002/pan3.10194. ISSN 2575-8314. https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pan3.10194. Retrieved 7 August 2022. 
  17. ↑ Diana, Diaz; Demissew, Sandra; Carabias, Sebsebe (2015). The IPBES Conceptual Framework - connecting nature and people. Stockholms universitet, Stockholm Resilience Centre. OCLC 1234230658. http://worldcat.org/oclc/1234230658. Retrieved 17 April 2023. 
  18. ↑ Snively, Gloria; Corsiglia, John (2000). "Discovering indigenous science: Implications for science education". Science Education 85 (1): 6–34. doi:10.1002/1098-237x(200101)85:1<6::aid-sce3>3.0.co;2-r. ISSN 0036-8326. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/1098-237x%28200101%2985%3A1%3C6%3A%3Aaid-sce3%3E3.0.co%3B2-r. Retrieved 17 April 2023. 
  19. ↑ Odum, Eugene (1971). Fundamentals of Ecology (Vol. 3 ed.). Saunders Philadelphia. 
  20. ↑ Alexander, Steven M.; Provencher, Jennifer F.; Henri, Dominique A.; Nanayakkara, Lushani; Taylor, Jessica J.; Berberi, Albana; Lloren, Jed Immanuel; Johnson, Jay T. et al. (July 2021). "Bridging Indigenous and Western sciences in freshwater research, monitoring, and management in Canada" (in en). Ecological Solutions and Evidence 2 (3). doi:10.1002/2688-8319.12085. ISSN 2688-8319. 
  21. ↑ Johnson, Jay T.; Howitt, Richard; Cajete, Gregory; Berkes, Fikret; Louis, Renee Pualani; Kliskey, Andrew (2016-01-01). "Weaving Indigenous and sustainability sciences to diversify our methods" (in en). Sustainability Science 11 (1): 1–11. doi:10.1007/s11625-015-0349-x. ISSN 1862-4057. 
  22. ↑ Díaz, Sandra; Demissew, Sebsebe; Carabias, Julia; Joly, Carlos; Lonsdale, Mark; Ash, Neville; Larigauderie, Anne; Adhikari, Jay Ram et al. (2015-06-01). "The IPBES Conceptual Framework — connecting nature and people" (in en). Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability. Open Issue 14: 1–16. doi:10.1016/j.cosust.2014.11.002. ISSN 1877-3435. Bibcode: 2015COES...14....1D. 
  23. ↑ Footen, Brian. "Darkness to Dawn: Columbia River Native Tribes' Science and Salmon Restoration Success". https://nativecases.evergreen.edu/collection/cases/darkness-to-dawn-columbia-river-native-tribes-science-and-salmon-restoration-success. 
  24. ↑ Moller, H.; Berkes, F.; Lyver, P. O. B.; Kislalioglu, M. (2004). "Combining science and traditional ecological knowledge: monitoring populations for co-management". Ecology and Society 9 (3). doi:10.5751/ES-00675-090302. 
  25. ↑ Stumpff, Linda. "Hantavirus and the Navajo Nation: A Double Jeopardy Disease". https://nativecases.evergreen.edu/collection/cases/hantavirus-navajo. 
  26. ↑ Stumpff, Linda. "Your Tribal Land is Not Secure: Traditional Knowledge and Science Face Wildfire in the Valley of the Wild Roses". https://nativecases.evergreen.edu/collection/cases/your-tribal-land-is-not-secure-traditional-knowledge-and-science-face-wildfire-in-the-valley-of-the-wild-roses. 
  27. ↑ Anto., Johnson, Peter, Indigenous North American cosmological and astronomical knowledge : perspectives & teachings, ISBN 978-1-77369-702-4, OCLC 1333224828, http://worldcat.org/oclc/1333224828, retrieved 2023-04-17 
  28. ↑ Aikenhead, Glen S.; Ogawa, Masakata (2007-07-01). "Indigenous knowledge and science revisited" (in en). Cultural Studies of Science Education 2 (3): 539–620. doi:10.1007/s11422-007-9067-8. ISSN 1871-1510. Bibcode: 2007CSSE....2..539A. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-007-9067-8. Retrieved 17 April 2023. 
  29. ↑ Hernandez, Jessica; Spencer, Michael (2022). "Weaving Indigenous Science into Ecological Sciences: Culturally Grounding Our Indigenous Scholarship". Human Biology. doi:10.1353/hub.2017.0088. ISSN 1534-6617. http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/hub.2017.0088. 
  30. ↑ Nicholas, George (21 February 2018). "When Scientists "Discover" What Indigenous People Have Known For Centuries". Smithsonian. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-science-takes-so-long-catch-up-traditional-knowledge-180968216/. 
  31. ↑ "Enabling Resiliency in the Face of Climate Change: SmartICE is an award-winning technological innovation for the North.". https://smartice.org/. "We are the worldʼs first climate change adaptation tool to integrate traditional knowledge of sea ice with advanced data acquisition and remote monitoring technology. Our system combines these approaches to provide invaluable, data-driven insights into sea ice thickness and local ice conditions, in near real-time." 
  32. ↑ Jessen, Tyler D; Ban, Natalie C; Claxton, Nicholas XEMŦOLTW; Darimont, Chris T (15 November 2021). "Contributions of Indigenous Knowledge to ecological and evolutionary understanding". Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment (Wiley) 20 (2): 93–101. doi:10.1002/fee.2435. ISSN 1540-9295. 
  33. ↑ "Oxford.". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2012-01-05. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/91810. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/91810.  (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 Gumbo, Mishack T. (2015), Williams, P John; Jones, Alister; Buntting, Cathy, eds., "Indigenous Technology in Technology Education Curricula and Teaching" (in en), The Future of Technology Education (Singapore: Springer): pp. 57–75, doi:10.1007/978-981-287-170-1_4, ISBN 978-981-287-170-1, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-170-1_4, retrieved 2023-04-17 
  35. ↑ Hudson, Dee T. (20 August 1972). "Anasazi Measurement Systems at Chaco Canyon, New Mexico". Kiva 38 (1): 27–42. doi:10.1080/00231940.1972.11757770. https://www.jstor.org/stable/30247773. 
  36. ↑ Foster, I. H. T (2010). "Risk Management among Native American Horticulturalists of the Southeastern United States (1715-1825)". Journal of Anthropological Research, 66(1), 69–96 66: 69–96. doi:10.3998/jar.0521004.0066.104. 
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 Ngapo, Tania M.; Bilodeau, Pauline; Arcand, Yves; Charles, Marie Thérèse; Diederichsen, Axel; Germain, Isabelle; Liu, Qiang; MacKinnon, Shawna et al. (2021-03-03). "Historical Indigenous Food Preparation Using Produce of the Three Sisters Intercropping System". Foods 10 (3): 524. doi:10.3390/foods10030524. ISSN 2304-8158. PMID 33802384. 
  38. ↑ Scarry, C Margaret; Scarry, John F (June 2005). "Native American 'garden agriculture' in southeastern North America". World Archaeology 37 (2): 259–274. doi:10.1080/00438243500095199. ISSN 0043-8243. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00438243500095199. 



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