Rethinking environmental science education from indigenous knowledge perspectives: an experience with a Dene First Nation community

Abstract

This auto-ethnographic article explores how land-based education might challenge Western environmental science education (ESE) in an Indigenous community. This learning experience was developed from two perspectives: first, land-based educational stories from Dene First Nation community Elders, knowledge holders, teachers, and students; and second, the author’s critical self‐reflections focusing on how land-based education could offer unlearning, rethinking, relearning, and reclaiming ESE. This auto-ethnography provides particular insights into who we are as environmental educators, the challenges in Western ESE, why land-based education matters, why and how a significant move should be made from Western ESE to land-based ESE, and how land-based education offers a bridge between Western and Indigenous education.

Keywords:

• Land-based education
• Western science
• Indigenous
• auto-ethnography
• environmental science education

Acknowledgements

I am grateful to Dene First Nation Elders, Knowledge-holders, teachers, and students. I would like to acknowledge Dr Alan Reid, editor, Environmental Education Research and Dr Marcia McKenzie, director, Sustainability Education Research Institute (SERI) and Project Director, Sustainability and Education Policy Network (SEPN) for their invaluable feedback and support with revisions. I would also like to thank Vince Anderson and Kathleen Aikens for their comments and support. I am also greatful to the University of Saskatchewan's Science Ambassador Program and program's coordinator Dr. Sandy Bonny.

Notes

1. The term Western is used as a particular Eurocentric ideology that privileges dominant Euro-centered cultural values and beliefs (Aikenhead 1996). The term Western science is used to refer to a type of environmental science education which does not include Indigenous land-based education according to Indigenous knowledge and culture (Quigley 2009).

2. Aikenhead (1996) and Aikenhead and Ogawa (2007) explains the term Colonial legacy as Western education and as coming from outsiders, which undermines local culture and knowledge.

3. I use the term decolonization according to a Dene Elder perspective. Decolonization, for one of the Elders, means ‘relearning science and environmental education from our traditional indigenous knowledge [IK], which helps our communities’ needs and promote their culture’.

4. I use the term minority here to refer to non-Islamic peoples such as Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, and various Indigenous communities (Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities Report 2013). Minorities face many difficulties regarding equal land rights, policy-making, and education in Bangladesh (Human Rights Watch 2014).

5. Cultural camp is a traditional scientific, ecological, cultural skills and knowledge sharing space for young people through mentorship opportunities that promote the world views, cultural practices and activities of First Nations and Métis peoples in Saskatchewan (more at http://www.saskculture.ca/programs/funding-programs/grants/aboriginal-arts-and-cultural-leadership-grant).

6. Students explained that the school’s ESE evaluation involved memorizing, writing, and forgetting.

7. This student explained that the current science education in school ‘only benefits humans and denies the community’s plants, animals, and other non-human rights. Such limited science education puts the community’s traditional education of environment in danger’.