Teaching Universal Unification

Native Alaskan ways of knowing and Western scientific knowledge share a common, grounding principle – that everything in the universe is cyclical and fundamentally unified.  They are also both centered around hypothesis and repeated observation-based investigation. This can be seen in the Venn diagram adapted by Prof. Good from Sidney Stephens' Handbook for Culturally Responsive Science Curriculum.
The Inuit see this connection in Sila, the “deity of sky, wind, and weather.” The Teacher Domain video People of the Arctic translates the word to “temperature and atmosphere,” but explains that it means, in essence, the “intelligence of the world.”  

As the article “Traditional Knowledge Systems in the Arctic” on the Alaska Native Science Commission’s website points out, Western science removes the “sacred” from its idea that the universe is fundamentally interconnected, but it still describes a unified “Earth System” – a biosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, cryosphere, and atmosphere that are united and interdependent. Like Sila, this Western system “controls everything that goes on in one’s life” – and in all life, for that matter. In the earth system, the oceans absorb and are heated by energy from the atmosphere, which causes heat and moisture to rise from the ocean, driving weather patterns that affect the cyclical melting and freezing of the cryosphere. Simultaneously, the energy transfer that takes place in the reoccurring process of plate tectonics drives the rock cycle and all changes in the lithosphere. All this constantly recycled water, rock, and energy, of course, affects the whole biosphere - all life on Earth. Any change in climate or geography, no matter how minute, tug at single parts of food chains, and ultimately produce widespread transformation in all life on earth (Earth as a System).

Although the fundamental principle of a unified universe is shared by Native Alaskans and Western scientists, there are also differences in the two systems of knowledge.  The article “Traditional Knowledge Systems in the Arctic” points out that Native Alaskan knowledge is significantly more holistic, intuitive, and subjective than that of the Western world, particularly because it includes the “sacred.” Additionally, the Native knowledge base has been acquired perhaps over thousands of years and does not seem to change as rapidly as Western scientific knowledge, which has been drastically altered since the 1600s, when, to everyone except Copernicus, Galileo, and their small group of followers, “nothing could be more obviously than the fact that the earth [was] not moving” (Galileo: Sun-Centered System).

The ways knowledge is communicated and applied also vary between Native and Western culture. Native knowledge is shared through metaphor and story telling and is practically applied in daily life –  such as in the collection of driftwood and the harvesting of edible plants, sod, animal skins, clams, and pink salmon by the Chevak residents in The Spirit of Subsistence Living, – whereas Western knowledge is communicated through relatively objective written records. And the resulting theories are not, at least first, particularly applicable to the average person’s everyday life.

For all of us, Native Alaskan and Western alike, the environment and culture we grow up in has a profound impact on how we learn. When we are able to make a connection between something new we are learning and something already in our schema (because it is an integral part of our environment or culture), the “click” happens seamlessly and learning takes place almost effortlessly. It is important to understand and be able to think in "both ways" because then learning becomes easier for us and we can connect of many different types of people.

Lucky children discover their culture and heritage from their parents, extended families, and community elders. Then we teachers come in, and with our carefully-planned integrated units that involve experts (especially Native community members and elders), we allow students to experience state learning standards in a way that is directly environmentally and culturally relevant to them. This way, the knowledge really sticks – and we teachers can rest assured not only that that our students will have the knowledge they need to do well on standard-based assessments like the SBA and Terra Nova, but more importantly, that they will be inspired to seek out more such knowledge because they care about it.

Unfortunately, there are many students who are not blessed with the familial and communal resources necessary to develop a solid understanding and appreciation of culture. Because this knowledge is crucial to becoming a good problem solvers, wise decision makers, and consequently, responsible citizen – everything we  teachers ultimately want for our students – it becomes necessary that we support students’ families and communities in helping students become more culturally knowledgeable.

When Anchorage assistant science teacher Dustin Madden was able to connect to his students through common heritage of subsistence lifestyle and love of dance, his message about the role good science plays in the preservation of the Native subsistence lifestyle and environment reached his students (Dustin Madden: Science Teacher).

Similarly this year, I was able to engage all my sixth graders during their nutrition unit by guiding them in exploring ways to make healthy food choices for their bodies as well as responsible food choices for our planet by sharing my experiences gillnetting in the sustainable salmon fisheries of Cook Inlet and Bristol Bay. Parents also involved in the fishing industry came in to help us in our studies as well. These experiences were relevant to the kids because the fishing lifestyle is familiar to them – they, or someone in their family, live it. In essence, the information they learned actually mattered to the students because it related to their physical environment and their culture.

Student exploring the many factors that affect the salmon lifecycle in Alaska through a game.

In an integrated social studies and geometry unit, my 2^nd and 3^rd graders and I, guided by a community elder, looked at some different reoccurring patterns in Native art. We examined a variety of different samples, picked out the ones my students found most intriguing, and then researched their backgrounds. I then showed them how traditionally, Native artists used their body parts (knuckles, fingers, palms, wrist to elbow, etc.) to make measurements to create the perfect, symmetrical shapes. My students see these patterns on a regular basis; learning about them in a more in depth way allowed the students to appreciate the patterns from a cultural and mathematical standpoint.

 

Image from the Native Drums collection of Department of Canadian Heritage

There are many reoccurring symmetrical shapes in Native art.

In an integrated biology and social studies unit, the 6^th and 7^th grade students and I  learned about the most common species of fungi and plants in our Kenai Peninsula bioregion, their cultural significance and traditional stories that involved them, and how they are involved in the food webs and interrelatedness of life in the bioregion. The Alaska Center for Coastal Studies and Islands and Oceans Center helped us with these studies.  This information actually mattered to the students because it related directly to their physical environment and their culture.

These are three examples of hands-on learning experiences that take place right in our local environment. They allowed students to make a connection between something  already in their schema (because they experience it in our everyday lives) and something new they learned in school; as a result, learning took place with less effort and students were inspired to seek out more knowledge on these topics.

A Few of the Resources for Teaching Culturally Responsively in Alaska that I LOVE!

Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies has some incredible resources for teaching about Alaska's water systems and the aquatic biome in a holistic, culturally inclusive way. They also have kits available for check-out (I think you can check these out by mail), including kits that incorporate Native art and Western science.

Alaska Sea Life Center

 Alaska's only public aquarium offers an abundance of resources for educators. The programs they do here are great for all ages. They also work with the Forest Service Education Department at Exit Glacier, which has its own great collection of culturally rich programs. They both do distance education.

Pratt Museum

 The Pratt has many wonderful scientific and cultural displays. Their education department does distance learning and has kit checkouts.

Alaska Seas and Rivers Curriculum

This is a comprehensive resource for teaching Alaska science content standards and GLEs in a way students will engage and connect with your lessons. Check out the "partnership" link to learn more about incorporating elders in your classroom. There is also some useful information on conservation and stewardship. 

Monterey Bay Aquarium also has some great resources, especially the songs. They are not all Alaska-specific, of course. There is a great video on conservation with walruses having to adapt quickly because their floating ice homes are melting.