OPTA
Created by: Jamie M.A Smith
Title: Eurocentric science and Indigenous Ways of Knowing
Course: HZT4U
Time: 70-140 minutes (1 or 2
class periods)
Unit: Epistemology/
Philosophy of Science
Topic: Eurocentric Science and Indigenous Ways
of Knowing
LEARNING GOALS:
By the end of this lesson,
students will be able to:
AGENDA:
MATERIALS AND RESOURCES:
1. Quiz party
2. Overview of
Similarities and
differences between
scientific and
indigenous ways of
knowing
3. Group art conference
4. Gallery
walk/presentation
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
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

Identify and explain some
similarities and differences
between Eurocentric science
and FN ways of knowing.
Understand and use
terminology of philosophy of
science and FN ways of
knowing.
Chart paper, markers,
copies of 4 group sheets (2 for each group)
copies of parallels and differences graphic
organizer
 cards for exit cards
 Picture or pictures on chart paper drawn by
teacher before class to model depicting one of the
differences between Eurocentric science and FN
ways of knowing
 Remember that Indigenous elders are the real
experts in Indigenous philosophy; develop
community relationships that show respect and
enrich your students' education.
CURRICULUM EXPECTATIONS
Philosophy of Science:
• demonstrate an understanding of how philosophical questions apply to disciplines such as
physics, mathematics, and psychology;
• evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the responses to some questions of natural and
social sciences defended by some of the major philosophers and schools of philosophy, and
defend their own responses.
Epistemology:
• identify the main questions, concepts, and theories of epistemology;
Research and Inquiry Skills:
• Correctly use the terminology of philosophy
• Using Reasoning Skills: apply logical and critical thinking skills to problems that arise in jobs and occupations
• Using Communication Skills: clearly explain their own views in philosophical discussions in class and in other types of
exchanges
PLANNING NOTES
This lesson can be taught as one class period or two. You may use the graphic organizer to jigsaw the students before
the poster drawing part of the lesson. Additionally, you can have the students work individually on ideas for the poster
before working as a group, or vice versa.
Prior Reading for Teachers (strongly suggested): Bridging Cultures: Scientific and Indigenous Ways of Knowing
(Pearson, 2011, by Aikenhead and Mitchell). Especially chapters 5-7.
Coordinating a Guest Speaker:
Throughout Ontario there are many Native Cultural Centers, First Nations Houses, Friendship Centres, etc. that house
elders in residence who may be willing to speak to classes of students on various matters. First Nations teachings are
always best learned from First Nations people, especially elders. Contact your local First Nations resource centers for
OPTA
Created by: Jamie M.A Smith
details about the availability of elders and respectful ways to request and thank them for sharing their wisdom. Ernie
Sandy, an elder who taught Indigenous Philosophy at Nippising University, and elsewhere, is a wonderful resource for
this and many other topics. He can be reached via Dodem Kanonsha cultural facility:
http://www.dodemkanonhsa.ca/contact.htm.
ASSESSMENT
TIME
□ Assessment FOR
Learning (AfL)
□ Assessment AS
Learning (AaL)
□ Assessment OF
Learning (AoL)
- AoL: Students’
depictions of ideas
accurately represent
and depict them.
Groups well
describe their work
to class.
-AoL: Students’
concluding
discussion/exit
cards are accurate
and thoughtful.
LESSON DESCRIPTION
MINDS ON
- Quiz Party! While music (by contemporary First Nations artists if possible)
plays students move around the room with cards that have questions on the
front and answers on the back. The music stops and they ask one another
their questions, tell the right answers, and trade cards. Repeat for one or two
cycles so each student has seen several of the questions and answers.
ACTION
- Students are convened in their desks – teacher goes through comments
(appendix 1) on FN philosophy. Students can read and make notes on
organizer handout.
- Students are put in groups and given sheets for one of the differences of FN
ways of knowing from Eurocentric science.
- Teacher shows their diagram and class guesses what difference between
Eurocentric science and FN ways of knowing it depicts.
- Students are put in groups and given sheets with quotations about
differences between Eurocentric science and FN ways of knowing, and given
chart paper and markers.
- Students read quietly, then discuss as a group, then draw one or more
picture to illustrate ideas from their sheet. Tell students they may choose to
divide their chart paper in 2, 3, 4 or however many they wish to try out
different depictions of the ideas.
CONSOLIDATION
- Students present their work, and class tries to guess which ideas their picture
depicts.
- In remaining time, class discussion of what made sense and what was
strange in today’s lesson and/or exit card of same question.
ACCOMMODATIONS
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Teacher comments are echoed on organizer handout.
????
APPENDICES
1 Teacher comments
2 Graphic organizer of differences and similarities
between Eurocentric science and FN ways of
knowing.
3-7 sheets for groups to work from (monist,
wholistic, relational, spiritual).
8 questions for minds-on Quiz Party
REFLECTION
OPTA
Created by: Jamie M.A Smith
Similarities and Differences: Eurocentric Science and
Indigenous Ways of Knowing
Similarities between Eurocentric Science and Indigenous Ways of Knowing:
- Both use rational, intuitive, and logical thinking;
- Both observe data and make generalizations;
- Both are related to the community in which they take place;
- Both use intellectual processes such as observing and predicting;
- Both change over time as new things are observed, and based on experimental data;
- Both have their own cultural bias and relevance in their own culture.
Differences between Eurocentric Science and Indigenous Ways of Knowing
Indigenous ways of knowing are Monist
Eurocentric Science is Cartesian
‘Monist’ comes from the ‘Mono’, which
means __________
Named after _____________
His big idea was ___________.
-
-
-
Indigenous ways of knowing are
normative
Eurocentric Science is not normative
The word ‘Normative’ comes from the
word _________, meaning something a
group or society values.
Eurocentric Science clearly distinguishes
between F____ and V_____.
-
-
-
-
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Created by: Jamie M.A Smith
Indigenous ways of knowing are Wholistic
Eurocentric Science is Reductionistic
‘Wholism’ comes from the word _______.
‘Reductionism’ comes from the word
______________.
-
-
-
Indigenous ways of knowing are Relational
Eurocentric Science is impersonal
‘Relational’ refers to the relationships
among _______________.
Each person is separate from everyone else.
We can all be objective, meaning we can
separate ourselves from what we view.
-
We are detached from what we view.
-
Indigenous ways of knowing are Spiritual
Eurocentric Science is not Spiritual
‘Spiritual’ means that everything in the
world is A_________ and I__________.
Everything is D______, and without people
the world is ________________.
-
-
-
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Created by: Jamie M.A Smith
APPENDIX 1: Teacher comments
Today we’re going to learn a little bit about Indigenous ways of knowing
- If someone who grew up in a city went to a place without cities, they’d be an expert on
cities. Similarly, an indigenous person who grew up with indigenous culture is an expert
on indigenous culture.
- Does any one want to identify themselves as indigenous? You don’t have to. FN people
can if they wish especially help educate the class.
- “Indian” is the name given by Europeans to FN people. It reflects the error the
Europeans made, thinking that the Americas were India. It is not the right way to refer
to FN people.
- Good words are indigenous, native, or First Nations. Many think that FN is best because
it remembers that they are nations, just like Quebec or Scotland, and that they were in
the Americas first, before Europeans.
Respectful vocabulary
- I’ve learned so much from my study of indigenous philosophy and want to pay respect
to it and to indigenous people by using respectful language.
- What does indigenous mean?
- Who started calling Indigenous people ‘Indians’? Europeans.
- Eurocentric – puts Europe in the center, as if non-European was secondary and Euro is
most important
- Eurocentrism will come up again in today’s class
Descriptive VS prescriptive
- info from Bridging Cultures: Scientific and Indigenous Ways of Knowing
- written by Indigenous and non-Indigenous authors
- describes what they learned about Indigenous ways of knowing, does not prescribe how
Indigenous _should_ do things. There are many exceptions.
No sacred teachings
- today we’ll learn about general outlines of indigenous ways of knowing – not sacred
teachings – those things should be learned from an indigenous elder, or at least from
someone who learned it from an elder.
- Today we’ll learn some similarities and differences between Eurocentric science and
Indigenous ways of knowing.
Science
- European science usually supposes that there is only one science. IWLN does not.
Nature
- it’s a presupposition of Eurocentric science that there is a thing called nature and it is
different from us people who know it.
- Descartes – I is separate from world
- But what if Descartes is wrong, or doesn’t have the whole truth? Every cogito lives in a
body of some kind – the body influences the mind and the mind influences the body.
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Created by: Jamie M.A Smith
The European belief system has generally distinguished between humans and animals,
but we are animals. We are not standing apart from nature, like someone looking in an
aquarium; rather we are in nature, part of nature.
Knowledge
- sounds like there is a thing called knowledge, that people have or don’t have.
- But there are many different types of knowledge, many things to do with knowledge;
many indigenous writers recently have preferred the term ‘ways of knowing’ to
acknowledge that there are many ways of learning, teaching and doing knowledge.
Knowledge is always being ‘done’ by someone in a specific way.
- If Descartes is wrong, when we know, we mix ourselves up in what we are knowing.
And also vice versa – when we know, we put ourselves into what we know; we treat it
differently. Eg. if I know something is a treasure, I’ll treat it differently than if I think
it’s junk.
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Created by: Jamie M.A Smith
Indigenous ways of knowing are Monist (not Cartesian)
- MONISM
o Material and spiritual (or non-material) worlds are intertwined,
mixed together. Mind and body, spirit and nature.
o “The material world is imbued with Spirit. Thus, everything in
the universe is alive: animals, plants, humans, rocks, celestial
bodies, natural forces, etc.”
o “Humans and the natural world interpenetrate one another at
many levels, including the air we breathe, the carbon dioxide we
contribute to the food we transform, and the chemical energy we
transmute at every moment of our lives from birth to death.”
o Only by understanding the physical world will we understand
the spiritual world, and only by understanding the spiritual
world can we undertand the physical world.
- Cartesianism (named after Descartes)
o “Religion and science are strictly different. Science has no
values, it just gives the facts.”
o Descartes argued that mind and body are distinct. He is famous
for the phrase “I think, therefore I am”.
OPTA
Created by: Jamie M.A Smith
Indigenous ways of knowing are Wholistic (not
Reductionistic)
- Wholism
o “Parts of nature have meaning only in terms of their
interrelationships with the whole of nature.”
o Nature and culture exist as an integrated whole.
o “No separation of science, art, religion, philosophy, or aesthetics
exists in indigenous thought; such categories do not exist. Thus,
Eurocentric researchers may know the name of a herbal cure
and understand how it is used, but without the ceremony and
ritual songs, chants, prayers, and relationships, they cannot
achieve the same effect.”
- Reductionism (=reducing the whole to parts)
o To understand the whole, you must understand the parts. There
is no extra thing to understand after you know all the parts.
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Created by: Jamie M.A Smith
Indigenous ways of knowing are Relational (not isolated
and impersonal)
o
“Within each person exists the entire universe: all who have ever lived, all who
are living now, and who are yet to be born, as well as nature – Our Mother
Earth, the sun, moon, planets, and all the stars – all of the sacred universe since
the beginning and until the end of time…we are all cosmic beings. We come
from the stars.”
o All things are related, and I have a duty towards them, just as they have a duty
towards me.
o “‘Everything is one’ means a wholistic network of spiritual relationships exists.”
o “Indigenous ways of living in nature tend to focus on relationships between
knowledge, people, and all of creation (the natural world as well as the
spiritual)….this requires participating fully and responsibly in such
relationships.
o “To understand the world is to live in harmony with it, and not to dominate any
part of it. Domination disturbs the balance and equality among relationships.”
o “When everything is related and relationships require responsibilities, the whole
of existence is made up of a web of interrelationships sustained by
responsibilities. As we experience the world, we are also experienced by the
world.”
o “The indigenous act of observing is the opposite of a typical scientist’s
‘objective’ observation, in which the observer is supposedly emotionally,
morally, economically, socially, politically, and culturally detached. A
relational, responsible world is a personal world, but a detached, objective world
is impersonal.”
OPTA
Created by: Jamie M.A Smith
Indigenous ways of knowing are Spiritual
-
Spiritual
o Learning begins with respect for the spiritual relationships that exist
between all things.”
o “Everything is energy. This is what our traditional teachers say. Great
Sprit is the feeling of that energy expressed in all things, radiating
everywhere around us…We are all one being. We are all one soul, and we
need each other. That is Spiritual. That is truth.”
o People have a relationship with all creation. Spirit flows through all of
existence; it gives a sacred significance to all things.”
o “Death is a metamorphosis wherein the spirit of the deceased does not
disappear, but becomes part of the animating and creative forces of
nature.”
o Spirit flows through everything in creation; everything is alive with spirit.
o “If you hurt spirit in other beings in nature, you hurt the very essence of
your own spirit; much like poisoning the water system is identical to
poisoning humankind. It is rational the think of spirit flowing through all
humans, regardless of their religion, ancestry, or beliefs.”
-
Non-spiritual
o Only humans have rights and deserve respect.
o The world is here for humans to own and use as we see fit.
o The world is just lots of stuff. Only animals are alive, and humans are the
most powerful and important animal.
o Everything is made of stuff, and that stuff is not alive or important on it’s
own. It only becomes important when people think it’s important.
OPTA
Created by: Jamie M.A Smith
Appendix 8: Questions for minds-on Quiz Party
‘Monist’ comes from the ‘Mono’, which means __________
The word 'Cartesian' is named after the philosopher ________________
Descartes' most famous phrase is "I think ____________ __ ____."
The word 'normative' comes from the word '__________', meaning something a group or
society values.
We often say that ____________ are true no matter what, while ____________ differ from
place to place and between cultures.
The word 'Wholism' comes from the word ________________
The word ‘Reductionism’ comes from the word ______________.
‘Relational’ refers to the relationships among _______________.
'Impersonal' knowledge is knowledge where it ______________ matter who learns the
knowledge or who teaches it.
To say the world is 'Spiritual' is to say that everything is ______________
(alive, important)
If the world is Material, things are made of matter, and there is no ____________ inside of
them, or animating them. (spirit/soul/essence)
Why did Europeans call First Nations people 'Indians'? Why is it disrespectful to call someone
by a name they did not choose?
Name 2 reasons why Indigenous/Native people prefer to call themselves and be called 'First
Nations'?
What two words are joined together in the word 'Eurocentric'?
Are people part of nature, or separate from nature?
If I know something and tell it to you, do you know the same thing that I do? Eg. #1 I tell you
about my day; eg. #2 I show you how to do a math problem. How are these different?
Could what I know about something end up changing it?