Week 6: Advancing Environmental Sustainability and Global Stewardship: The Role of Local and Traditional Environmental Knowledge, Part 1
Introduction
This two-week topic represents a shift from studying past and current problems to examining advancements and potential solutions. This topic will engage students in exploration and dialogue about the environmental philosophies, traditions and practices of the world’s Indigenous Peoples (IP). This first part, Traditional Environmental Knowledge, also called Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), will be compared to Western attitudes regarding the physical and natural worlds.
This Week, You Will be Expected to:
- Integrate this week’s exploration of Indigenous Peoples with what you have learned thus far in the course, with a focus on environment sustainability.
- Consider the role TEK could and already does play in advancing environmental sustainability and global stewardship.
- Research IPs across the globe to uncover their environmental philosophies and values.
- Update your glossary of terms.
Questions to Consider Throughout this Week:
- What are the differences between Indigenous and Western attitudes regarding nature and the physical world?
- What is TEK?
- How might TEK be important to tackling the climate change crisis?
- How can the Western world arrange to learn from and with Indigenous Peoples (IP)?
Readings and Content
- Indigenous Peoples (IP)
Defining IP
How are IP Grouped Locally?
Perspectives on Learning and Teaching: Wisdom of the Elders; Indigenous Ways of Knowing
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- Bell, N. (2013). Anishinaabe Bimaadiziwin: Living spiritually with respect, relationship, reciprocity, and responsibility. In A. Kulnieks, D. R. Longboat, & Y. Young (Eds.), Contemporary studies in environmental and Indigenous pedagogies (pp. 89-107). Brill Sense.
- Brown M., & Heaton S. (2015) Ko Ahau Te Awa Ko Te Awa Ko Ahau – I am the River, and the River is me. In M. Robertson, R. Lawrence, G. Heath (Eds.), Experiencing the Outdoors. Researching Environmental Learning. SensePublishers, Rotterdam.
Are There Unifying Philosophies Amongst All IP?
Western vs. Indigenous: Comparative Attitudes of Physical World to Nature
