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The indigenous worldview of Yupiaq culture: Its scientific nature and relevance to the practice and teaching of science
Author(s) -
Kawagley Angayuqaq Oscar,
NorrisTull Delena,
NorrisTull Roger A.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of research in science teaching
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.067
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1098-2736
pISSN - 0022-4308
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1098-2736(199802)35:2<133::aid-tea4>3.0.co;2-t
Subject(s) - science education , relevance (law) , context (archaeology) , sociology , sociology of scientific knowledge , indigenous , nature of science , traditional knowledge , science, technology, society and environment education , epistemology , frame (networking) , scientific thinking , teaching method , pedagogy , engineering ethics , social science , political science , philosophy , engineering , biology , ecology , law , paleontology , telecommunications
Is science an invention of European thought, or have legitimate scientific bodies of knowledge and scientific ways of thinking emerged separately in other cultures? Can indigenous knowledge systems contribute to contemporary science teaching? Here we describe evidence from the Yupiaq culture in southwestern Alaska which demonstrates a body of scientific knowledge and epistemology that differs from that of Western science. We contend that drawing from Yupiaq culture, knowledge, and epistemology can provide not only a more culturally relevant frame of reference for teaching science concepts to Yupiaq students, but also a potentially valuable context for more effectively addressing many of the recommendations of U.S. science education reform initiatives. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 35: 133–144, 1998.