Indigenous Knowledge Systems

Why is it important to study IKS? IKS helps us to realize that there are different ways of viewing the world and gaining knowledge about it. The scientific method is not the “right” way of acquiring knowledge but merely one way to acquire knowledge.  The idea that there is more than one way of acquiring knowledge about the world is called “epistemological pluralism.” Whereas the West acquires knowledge through the senses and verified by logical, scientific, or mathematical testing, IKS relies on theoretical beliefs and views knowledge as much more subjective.

Why is it important to study IKS? (continued) Protecting an endangered way of life. The human “ethnosphere” (Wade Davis), is the sum total of human culture: all thoughts, dreams, myths inspirations, and intuitions that we had since the dawn of consciousness.  Nearly half of the ethnosphere is facing extinction.

The Diversity of Language As previously stated, language is a key characteristic of an indigenous society.  There are about 7,000 different indigenous languages. To put in perspective, there are 730 million people living on the continent of Europe.  When thinking about the diversity of Europe, there are only 78 languages spoken on that continent by groups of more than 120 people. Europe contains twice as many people as indigenous societies worldwide, but ten times fewer languages. Indigenous languages are under serious threat.  Roughly one language dies out every 3 months, which means that by the end of the century, over 3,000 languages will have disappeared.  Currently, there are approximately 450 languages spoken by fewer than 10 people.  When a language dies from an oral society, the society also loses its identity and knowledge.

Why is it important to study IKS? (continued) Learning from indigenous knowledge We can learn from it and use it on both a personal and societal level. “What hubris allows us, cocooned comfortably in our cyber-world, to think that we have nothing to learn from people who a generation ago were hunter- gatherers?  What they know—which we’ve forgotten or never knew—may some day save us.” —K. David Harrison Hubris [def.]- a form of arrogance that is based on pride and self-confidence in oneself or one’s own society.

Why is it important to study IKS? (continued) Views on materialism Indigenous societies are based on egalitarian lines with status based on skills or the role played within the society or the age of the person.  Personal wealth is virtually unknown. Views on equality in the community In the west, the individual is celebrated.  In traditional societies, members think of themselves as part of a community and the health of the group is considered far more important than individual needs and rights. Views on justice and ethics Western societies seek to establish who is to blame for a wrong being committed, followed by an appropriate compensation.  Indigenous justice focuses on mutual resolution.  The aim of justice is to ensure that resentment and ill feelings are no longer existing.

Why is it important to study IKS? (continued) Approaches to health, lifestyles, and diet The West’s approach to diet is based around the concept that food consumption is very separate from food production, and consumers prefer to buy food that is frozen, clean, wrapped in plastic, and has little resemblance to the animal or plant from which it was derived. Indigenous societies eat what is available rather than what they want, gather and prepare food themselves, and plan ahead in order to ensure that there is always a supply of food for their society. Approaches to the natural world IKS can teach the West how to treat and look after the environment.  Indigenous territories comprise just 18-25% of the Earth’s land surface, but around 80% of its biodiversity (the variety of life in the world).

The Acquisition of Knowledge in Indigenous Societies Indigenous knowledge is acquired in a very different way than the West.  The process of finding out about the world is far more empirical (experimental).  First-hand experience is considered the best or at times, the only way to properly learn.  To understand something, one must use one’s sense perception, as well as language, to experience it. “The need to walk on the land in order to know it, is a different approach than the one-dimensional, literate approach to knowing…Persons taught to use all their senses—to absorb every clue to interpreting a complex dynamic reality—may well smile at the illusion that words alone, stripped of complementary sound and color and texture, can convey meaning adequately.” —Marlene Brant Catellano in Science, Colonialism, and Indigenous Peoples

The Sacredness of Land For indigenous societies to gain knowledge, there must be a very strong bond between the people and the place in which they live. The land itself—rather than libraries or the Internet—is where indigenous knowledge is gained and stored. So, any relocation of indigenous peoples means a complete dislocation from everything that defines them.

The Acquisition of Knowledge in Indigenous Societies (continued) Elder members of indigenous societies oversee the learning process. They convey knowledge to younger individuals by telling stories. These stories provide wide-ranging information to their listeners, such as how Earth was created, the way in which animals and plants came about, why certain moral rules exist within the society, etc. Two important implications with this: The need to use one’s imagination means that listeners develop a bond with the environment in which they live. The story telling, song learning, or ritual dance helps to strengthen community bonds, with the younger generation learning from the older, and building a respect for their knowledge and position in society. This is why many indigenous societies consider written knowledge to be inferior to spoken language. The Acquisition of Knowledge in Indigenous Societies (continued)

“Cultures at the Far Edge of the World” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bL7vK0pOvKI

IKS: HW Assignment Students will choose a skill/task/information that they want to learn. They will learn about it using characteristics of Indigenous knowledge.  This means learning through experience, observation, through telling or being told, and through putting their learning in the context of other things they  already know. Example tasks: · Learn what kinds of plants grow best in what places in the garden · Learn how to make fried rice (or pasta, or soup, or  toast, etc.) · What time does the sun rise in the morning and what time does it set?  Students should then learn something new using characteristics of Western knowledge. Compare and contrast the two experiences.