Indigenous Knowledge Systems & Alaska Native Ways of Knowing PDF

+ Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Alaska Native Ways of Knowing Ray Barnhart Angayuqaq Oscar Kawagley Summer Week 3 + Ray Barnhardt, Professor of Cross-Cultural Studies, Indigenous Knowledge Systems + 3 Angayuqaq Oscar Kawagley n The UAA College of Education honored Dr. Ray Barnhart and the late Dr...

+ Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Alaska Native Ways of Knowing Ray Barnhart Angayuqaq Oscar Kawagley Summer Week 3 + Ray Barnhardt, Professor of Cross-Cultural Studies, Indigenous Knowledge Systems + 3 Angayuqaq Oscar Kawagley n The UAA College of Education honored Dr. Ray Barnhart and the late Dr. Angayuqaq O. Kawagley with the 2011 William Demmert Leadership Award for their work in the field of Indigenous Knowledge and Culture. The College of Education presented this award to Dr. Kawagley before his death (cancer) on April 24, 2011 + Ray Barnhardt and Oscar Kawagley honored with 2011 William Demmert Leadership Awards By: Staff May 16, 2011 n UAA College of Education bestows awards on Alaska Native education leaders n ANCHORAGE, AK – The UAA College of Education honored Dr. Ray Barnhardt and the late Dr. Oscar Kawagley with 2011 William Demmert Leadership Awards for their groundbreaking work in the field of indigenous knowledge and culture. The College of Education presented this award to Dr. Kawagley before he lost his battle with cancer on April 24, 2011. n Drs. Barnhardt and Kawagley spent their careers working tirelessly to build awareness of Native ways of knowing. They created the Cultural Standards and established the Alaska Native Knowledge Network, and have provided thousands of Alaskan educators a better understanding of the need for culturally responsive practices. n The William Demmert Leadership Award reflects the shared mission of Dr. William Demmert and the UAA College of Education to provide educational opportunities for Alaska Native students. The award, established this year, recognizes Alaskans for their significant contributions to the education of Alaska Natives through advocacy, teaching, practice and outreach programs. Awards are based on work performed in the state of Alaska that has impacted, influenced and expanded educational opportunities for Alaska Native children and youth. n William Demmert was a lifelong champion of Native language and educational issues. Tlingit and Oglala Sioux, he earned an Ed.D. in Education from Harvard College in 1973 and spent the rest of his life as a leader, scholar and advocate for Native learners. He was also a founding member of the National Indian Education Association. n “We recognize and appreciate that their [Drs. Barnhardt and Kawagley] work over the past several decades not only impacts tens of thousands of students in Alaska, but has influenced research and practice internationally,” said Mary Snyder, dean of the UAA College of Education. n For more information, please contact Cate Schmid at (907) 786-4613 or [email protected]. 4 + 5 Indigenous Knowledge and Western Science Converge Systems Indigenous people have traditionally acquired their knowledge through direct experience in the natural world. Indigenous people through long observation have become specialist in understandings the interconnectedness and holism of the world (12). For example, the Native elders can predict weather based on observations seen around them. Western science and education is often based on predetermined ideas of what a person should know, which is measured through varies “objective”tests. AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) defines traditional knowledge as: Information that people in a given community, based on experience and adaption to local culture and environment, have developed over time, and continue to develop. This knowledge is used to sustain the community and its culture and to maintain the generic resources necessary for the continued survival of the community (11). + Map of the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative (AKRSI) The AKRSI a statewide network of 20 partner school districts formed, involving 176 rural schools serving 20,000 Alaskan Native students (p.14). 6 + 7 The Initiatives of the AKRSI n Indigenous science knowledge base/multimedia cultural atlas development n Native ways of knowing/parent involvement n Elders and cultural camps/academy of elders n Village science applications/science camps and fairs n Alaska Native knowledge network/cultural resources and website n Alaska standards for culturally responsive schools n Native educator associations/leadership development (p.15) + 8 Figure 2. Qualities associated with Traditional (Indigenous) Knowledge Systems and Western Science (16). + 9 The Alaska Language Map This is the most widely accepted map of Alaska Native languages. Michael Krauss’ Native Peoples and Language of Alaska (1974, revised, 1982). This map is found in government offices, schools, and it has become ingrained on the public consciousness, both Native and non-Native. www.uaf.edu/ancl/resources/anlmap + 10 Bibliography Anchorage, University of Alaska. www.uaa.alaska.edu/news/raybarnhardt. n.d. Barnhart, Ray, and A. Oscar Kawagley. "Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Alaska Native Ways of Knowing." Anthropology and Education Quarterly (March 2005): 8-23. Fairbanks, University of Alaska. www.uaf.edu/ancl/resources/anlmap. n.d. Initiative, Alaska Rural Systemic. "Annual Report. Fairbanks, AK: Alaska Knowledge Network, University of Alaska Fairbanks, www.anka.uaf.edu/arsi.html.." (2003). + 11 Bibliography Barnhart, Ray, and A. Oscar Kawagley. "Education Indigenous to Place: Western Science Meets Indigenous Reality.." In Ecological Education in Action (1999): 117-140.