LibGuides: Native American & Indigenous Communities: Indigenous Knowledge

Ways of Knowing

Books, Reports, Articles

Gewin, Virginia. “How to Include Indigenous Researchers and Their Knowledge.” Nature, vol. 589, no. 7841, Jan. 2021, pp. 315–17. www.nature.com, doi:10.1038/d41586-021-00022-1.
An article surfacing the marginalization that researchers from Native American and Indigenous experience in the academy through four interviews. Includes recommendations for higher education institutions, its administrators, and researchers.
Nicholas, George. “It’s Taken Thousands of Years, but Western Science Is Finally Catching up to Traditional Knowledge.” 14 Feb. 2018, The Conversation.
Provides examples of Indigenous ways of knowing and introduce terms to describe this information including Traditional Knowledge (TK), Indigenous Knowledge (IK) or Traditional Ecological Knowledge (EK).
Snively, Gloria, and Wanosts’a7 Lorna Williams (eds.). Knowing Home: Braiding Indigenous Science with Western Science, Book 1. Victoria, University of Victoria, 2016.
Notes the value of indigenous perspectives for guiding decisions related to our environment and provides examples of innovations of Indigenous peoples in Northwestern North America. See chp. 6 “Indigenous Science: Proven, Practical and Timeless”.
Snively, Gloria, and Wanosts’a7 Lorna Williams (eds.). Knowing Home: Braiding Indigenous Science with Western Science, Book 2. Victoria, University of Victoria, 2018.
“Knowing Home weaves Indigenous perspectives, worldviews, and wisdom practices into the science curriculum. It … shows how Indigenous perspectives can give insight and guidance as we attempt to solve the complex environmental problems of the 21st century.”
Stephens, Sidney. Handbook for Culturally Responsive Science Curriculum. 2001, The Alaska Science Consortium and the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative. ERIC.
Proposes a “standards-based and culturally relevant science curricula that effectively integrate[s] indigenous and Western knowledge”. Page 11 provide a Venn diagram outlining Traditional Native Knowledge, Western Science, and areas of Common Ground. This graphic is commonly used to illustrate differences and similarities between these ways of knowing.

Websites

Alaska Native Science Commission
Its goals include bringing local knowledge into the sphere of research and science. Defines traditional knowledge and compares its characteristics with scientific knowledge. Provides guidance for research. See “Alaska Federation of Natives Board Policy Guidelines for Research.”
Indigenous Knowledge System, Alaska Native Knowledge Network
A compilation of links on topics related to Indigenous Knowledge Systems.
Local and Indigenous Knowledge Systems (LINKS), UNESCO
This program by UNESCO “promotes local and indigenous knowledge and its inclusion in global climate science and policy processes” by engaging indigenous peoples with scientists and policymakers. Themes include Science Policy, Biodiversity, Climate Change, and Knowledge Transmission.
Reconciling Ways of Knowing
A forum for dialogues related to Indigenous knowledge and science including a recognition of practices where Western knowledge has invalidated Indigenous ways of knowing. See Past Forums for recordings and blog summaries for each dialogue. Based in Canada. Affiliated with several foundations and the Canadian government.
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) vs. Western Science, National Park Service
A list with summaries of reports, documents, and videos that discuss how an understanding of the environment requires Indigenous knowledge.
What are Indigenous and Western Ways of Knowing? University of Guelph & Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
This PDF outlines characteristics of Indigenous and Western knowledges. Provides brief summaries of research frameworks that link Indigenous and Western knowledges.

Tutorial

Indigenous Ways of Knowledge, University of Toronto, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
A self-guided tutorial addressing four learning outcomes with topics related to the characteristics and sources of Indigenous knowledge. The purpose of this module is to enrich education practices.

Intellectual Property & Impacts

Anderson, Jane. Indigenous/Traditional Knowledge & Intellectual Property. Center for the Study of the Public Domain, Duke University School of Law. 2010.
Addresses indigenous knowledge protection in the context of intellectual property law. “Indigenous people are asking for their cultural systems and ways of governing knowledge access and use to be recognized as legitimate, and to be respected as custodians/owners/nurturers of knowledge that is valuable within and beyond indigenous contexts.”
Digitizing Traditional Cultures (World Intellectual Property Organization)
Refers to WIPO’s “Cultural Documentation and IP Management Training Program”. Points to its initial 2008 pilot in Kenya to preserve Maasai cultural heritage. Includes additional links about protecting indigenous communities and their cultures. Intellectual properties issues are emphasized.
Garrison, Nanibaa’ A. “Genomic Justice for Native Americans: Impact of the Havasupai Case on Genetic Research.” Science, Technology & Human Values, vol. 38, no. 2, 2013, pp. 201–23. PubMed Central, doi:10.1177/0162243912470009.
The author interviewed human genetic researchers and IRB chairs regarding the Havasupai Tribal lawsuit against the Arizona Board of Regents and Arizona State University (ASU) regarding use of DNA sample from tribal members in secondary studies especially the topic of informed consent. Shifts to broad consent form, as a result of the case, may result in reduced genetic research participation by indigenous and minority population. Not engaging these individuals, may reduce potential health benefits for their communities.

Citing: More Than Personal Communication

To better acknowledge the value and importance of oral histories of Indigenous scholars, Lorisia MacLeod (James Smith Cree Nation) in partnership with staff of the NorQuest Indigenous Student Centre crafted citation templates for unrecorded oral teachings to use in APA and MLA styles. See MacLeod's article "More Than Personal Communication: Templates for Citing Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers" which provides the templates for APA and MLA and an explanation of each the elements in the templates.

The templates recognize the richness of oral teaching and does not relegate them to personal communications which is the category often used in citation styles.
The templates provide a "more culturally appropriate manner" to reference oral Indigenous knowledge.

See "Referencing Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers" at NorQuest College Library.

APA style
MLA style Cite | Reference

5200 N. Lake Road
Merced, CA 95343
library@ucmerced.edu
(209) 228-4444