Might Diversity also be Ontological? Considering Heidegger, Spinoza and Indigeneity in Educative Practice

By considering the work and words of some Anishinaabe Elders, Heidegger, and Spinoza we argue that these point at another state of being, a different ontological position, from the one most broadly expressed in modern western culture and in its schools. We call this state attentive receptivity. While leaving the door open for still other states of being, we sketch in some key conditions and qualities including its interdependence with the more-than-human world. We argue that the condition of attentive receptivity can be seen as a different ontological position because of fundamental differences in what is understood and enacted as self, place, community, and the environment. We also think that accompanying arguments for different ways of knowing imply a different way of being. Through this reflexively coupled loop of ontology and epistemology we end by suggesting that education, if it is serious about diversity, would do well to consider both ontology and epistemology in creating a truly diverse education.