Introduction: why link Indigenous ways of knowing with the teaching of environmental studies and sciences?

Abstract

This paper introduces a mini-symposium on bringing Indigenous ways of knowing together with the teaching of environmental studies and sciences (ESS). Both knowledges share a fundamental interest in the relationship of humans with the Earth, yet until recently, Indigenous ways of knowing have rarely been visible in the teaching of ESS. Teaching with both knowledges can better prepare ESS students for a multicultural world and help them develop a more complex perception of the environment. Such teaching helps address the social justice issue of longstanding marginalization of Indigenous peoples in academia. As ESS explores its boundaries and identity, addressing the many knowledges that lie outside of Western scientific and intellectual frameworks is critical. The authors include faculty and researchers from biological science, plant ecology, integrative science, sustainability, Indigenous environmental studies, and education. They identify as members of specific Native American, First Nations or Aboriginal communities, and/or Anglo-European or European heritages. They hail from public, private, and tribal institutions in the USA and Canada, serving Indigenous and mainstream students. Their papers range from scholarly analyses to conceptual reviews to personal narrative and a Trickster tale. A theme throughout is the need to respect both ways of knowing, dismissing neither science nor Indigenous ways of knowing, but bringing both together. The papers describe significant groundwork in teaching practices, conceptual frameworks, a body of literature, and course and program structures. The authors address the relationship between knowledges, why and to whom this interface is important, the impact of cultural erasure, the necessity for Indigenous voice in the classroom, the teaching/learning process, and directions for further research.