The relationship between Indigenous knowledges and Western Science presented in Saskatchewan's science education curricula (Canada)

• In Event: Curricular representations of indigenous perspectives: examining stakeholder interactions within African, Asian, and North American contexts

Proposal

With the final publication of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) report in 2015, the landscape of Canadian education has been changing to include local Indigenous peoples’ knowledges and perspectives. Since the 2005 curriculum renewal, the Ministry of Education of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan has focused on creating Indigenous knowledges-science (IK-S)–infused K-12 science curricula (Aikenhead & Elliott, 2005). In this paper, I explore the question: What are the relationships at play in integrating Indigenous perspectives and content in science curricula in Saskatchewan?

In conceptualizing curriculum as a text, I followed Fairclough’s (1989) three-tiered model. As such, this study involved: 1) a textual level: analysis of K-12 official curriculum documents; 2) a discursive practice level: interviews with diverse stakeholders (e.g., Ministry of Education science education consultants, teachers, First Nations and Métis education coordinators, and university professors); and 3) a historical practice level: the exploration of the historical and political contexts of the development of IK-S–infused science curricula in Saskatchewan.

Situated as re/search, rather than the positivist notion of research, this project valued both the process and outcome of the project (Kovach, 2009; Wilson, 2008). As such, I aim to focus on showing the whole process and the product of the project: the personal and academic purposes of the project; the ways in which I engaged with theories and stories from Indigenous scholars and knowledge keepers and non-Indigenous scholars; the development of the conceptual framework called the ‘Dancing Amoeba Model’ (Kim, in press); and changes of the inquiry based on the relationships built (or lack thereof), the methodology, the analysis process, and the findings.

The findings from the study suggest that the integration of IK-S in science education curricula is a multilevel process involving political pressure from federal and provincial governments, academia, classroom teachers, as well as grassroots movements. The exploration of the historical and political contexts illustrates the ways Western modern knowledge-science (WMK-S) obtained its status as the universal and only kind of science to be included in curricula. The findings from the curriculum analysis show the diverse ways in which IK-S has been conceptualized for science teaching. The interviews with the stakeholders emphasize the importance of teachers’ education and professional development that provide true and authentic learning opportunities, wherein teachers can have opportunities to build relationships with Indigenous Elders and knowledge keepers. In turn, I argue that teachers should focus on creating a “sharing place” wherein teachers and students are engaged in building and strengthening relationships with each other, local Indigenous peoples, and the Land. I conclude that thinking, learning, and acting with IK-S–infused science curricula is a lifelong learning process. I also emphasize the importance of relationships that diminish the colonial logic frontier (Donald, 2009) and help us to move forward to our shared future.

Author

• Eun-Ji Amy Kim, Department of Integrated Studies in Education, McGill University, Canada