Essential Question: How is everything connected from the perspectives of indigenous peoples and Western scientists? What are the advantages to knowing both ways?
~ EXPLAIN ~
Indigenous peoples see the whole world as being interconnected by a spirit form that they refer to as “Sila” or “Inua”. Through a subsistence lifestyle, trial and error experimentation and intensive observational skills, they have learned to understand, respect, honor, and exist within the various environments of Alaska for generations. This rich environmental understanding has been passed on through their oral traditions, crafts, art etc. to the young of their tribes. While they don't have the academic training that Western scientists possess they have an immense experiential wealth of knowledge that they have honed to ensure their survival. This experiential background allows them to apply a more holistic approach to science that includes a religious aspect of science that Westerners do not include in their studies.
Westerners see the interconnectedness of the world through various historical discoveries that develop into theories that are supported or refuted by experiments that support the concept of Earth as a hugely complex system. They use a more rigid approach that involves experiments to explain things they observe in nature. They rely heavily on models, hypotheses, procedures, evidence, observations (both direct and indirect), theories, and measurements to explain their world. Its a more direct evidence based model.
The advantage to using both is that scientists will benefit from the “best of both worlds” approach. They can use their technological tools to scientifically verify a natural phenomena and then further support their ideas by using Native ways to verify or disprove their ideas backed by generations of observations and experiential proof.
~ EXTEND ~
This attempt to merge Native ways of knowing and Western scientific methods are not new nor specific to Native Alaskans. I see a direct parallel to medicine. For generations Western science has disregarded the holistic alternative medicine of the Native Americans. They recognized the interconnectedness of things but refer to it as the “Great Mystery” among other names. They believe in healing the whole person not just the disease. This skill is based on observation and experiential knowledge passed on through the oral traditions of each tribe.
Not until recently have Westerners started to recognize the scientific relevance of the Native medicinal practices and knowledge based on experiential learning and handed down throughout the generations much like the environmental science of the Alaskan Natives. Westerners still struggle with providing scientific evidence to support the claims of Native healers.
Links
http://www.acsevents.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3X_Native_American_Healing.asp
http://altmed.creighton.edu/AKNative/
~ EVALUATE ~
I believe the Alaska Native ways of Knowing and the Western scientific methods are integral parts of a bigger puzzle. They can harmoniously co-exist for the improvement of humankind. Generations of experiential knowledge should never be discounted when considering scientific problems and solutions. I argue that the union of the two in fact will be the only beneficial response for current and future generations.
This module identified Alaska Native ways of knowing as intellectual property that must be protected and not abused. This was a new concept that I had not given much thought. It will cause me much reflection before I seek Alaskan Native information for future use. The module also helped to support the concept of Alaska Native direct involvement (especially the young) in all future decisions.
~ EXPLAIN ~
Indigenous peoples see the whole world as being interconnected by a spirit form that they refer to as “Sila” or “Inua”. Through a subsistence lifestyle, trial and error experimentation and intensive observational skills, they have learned to understand, respect, honor, and exist within the various environments of Alaska for generations. This rich environmental understanding has been passed on through their oral traditions, crafts, art etc. to the young of their tribes. While they don't have the academic training that Western scientists possess they have an immense experiential wealth of knowledge that they have honed to ensure their survival. This experiential background allows them to apply a more holistic approach to science that includes a religious aspect of science that Westerners do not include in their studies.
Westerners see the interconnectedness of the world through various historical discoveries that develop into theories that are supported or refuted by experiments that support the concept of Earth as a hugely complex system. They use a more rigid approach that involves experiments to explain things they observe in nature. They rely heavily on models, hypotheses, procedures, evidence, observations (both direct and indirect), theories, and measurements to explain their world. Its a more direct evidence based model.
The advantage to using both is that scientists will benefit from the “best of both worlds” approach. They can use their technological tools to scientifically verify a natural phenomena and then further support their ideas by using Native ways to verify or disprove their ideas backed by generations of observations and experiential proof.
~ EXTEND ~
This attempt to merge Native ways of knowing and Western scientific methods are not new nor specific to Native Alaskans. I see a direct parallel to medicine. For generations Western science has disregarded the holistic alternative medicine of the Native Americans. They recognized the interconnectedness of things but refer to it as the “Great Mystery” among other names. They believe in healing the whole person not just the disease. This skill is based on observation and experiential knowledge passed on through the oral traditions of each tribe.
Not until recently have Westerners started to recognize the scientific relevance of the Native medicinal practices and knowledge based on experiential learning and handed down throughout the generations much like the environmental science of the Alaskan Natives. Westerners still struggle with providing scientific evidence to support the claims of Native healers.
Links
http://www.acsevents.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3X_Native_American_Healing.asp
http://altmed.creighton.edu/AKNative/
~ EVALUATE ~
I believe the Alaska Native ways of Knowing and the Western scientific methods are integral parts of a bigger puzzle. They can harmoniously co-exist for the improvement of humankind. Generations of experiential knowledge should never be discounted when considering scientific problems and solutions. I argue that the union of the two in fact will be the only beneficial response for current and future generations.
This module identified Alaska Native ways of knowing as intellectual property that must be protected and not abused. This was a new concept that I had not given much thought. It will cause me much reflection before I seek Alaskan Native information for future use. The module also helped to support the concept of Alaska Native direct involvement (especially the young) in all future decisions.
I see it now
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