This science curriculum was written to inspire rural Alaskans, primarily Alaska Natives, to find science in their local environment. The author lived a subsistence lifestyle in the Alaskan bush for over 30 years and claims that understanding science has often kept him from being stuck out in the woods. Section 1, Skills, Tools, and Craftsmanship,…

In 1995 the National Science Foundation funded the Alaska Rural System Initiative (RSI), a joint effort of the Alaska Federation of Natives and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Among its goals, the RSI aims to increase the presence of Alaska Native knowledge and perspectives in all areas of science and education in rural Alaska, develop…

Examines legal and ethical issues related to Internet use and use of other technologies in Native American communities. Discusses conflict between federal telecommunications policy and the principles of tribal sovereignty, cultural appropriation, intellectual property rights, gatekeeping to limit access to traditional knowledge, and effects of…

Limited sunlight, low temperatures, and slow natural growth make the Arctic environment extremely vulnerable to pollution. Circumpolar nations formed the Arctic Council to cooperate in promoting sustainable development in the region. An integrated approach is required, encompassing social conditions, health, culture, education, and environmental…

The purpose of this study is to propose a framework drawing on theoretical and empirical science education research that explains the common prominent field-based components of the handful of persistent and successful Earth science education programs designed for indigenous communities in North America. These programs are primarily designed for…

The Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative (AKRSI) was established in 1994 under the auspices of the Alaska Native/Rural Education Consortium, representing over 50 organizations concerned with education in rural Alaska. Its purpose is to implement initiatives that systematically document the indigenous knowledge systems of Alaska Native peoples and…

Arguing that consultative and authoritative frameworks for rural development programs allow those in a superior position to define development priorities and to determine when and to what extent those in subordinate positions can participate, this paper outlines the need for participative-group management of such projects. The paper notes that…

The educational journey of modern Indian people spans two distinct value systems and worldviews, as the Native American sacred view inevitably encounters the material and pragmatic focus of the larger American society. In that meeting ground lies an opportunity for the two cultures to teach and learn from each other. The 15 essays in this book are…

The U.S. Global Change Research Program was established in 1990 to develop scientific projections of anticipated impacts of the changing biosphere on humans and social systems. As part of this program, the National Science Foundation created the Arctic System Science Program (ARCSS). This document describes the ARCSS Human Dimensions of the Arctic…

The Science and Mathematics for Indian Learners and Educators (SMILE) Project at Northern Arizona University provided science inservice training to K-8 teachers from Bureau of Indian Affairs schools on the Navajo reservation. The training aimed to increase and improve science instruction for Indian children and to connect science education to…

A 4-day conference in late 2001 examined challenges facing Native people in the 21st century and the positive thinking required for future generations. Thirty-three intergenerational participants shared indigenous wisdom specific to land and economy, education and socialization, governance and leadership, health and reproduction, and…

The Tewa Language Project CD-ROM was developed at the University of Washington in collaboration with San Juan Pueblo, New Mexico, to restore the use of spoken and written Tewa and to repatriate cultural property. The CD-ROM contains an interactive multimedia dictionary, songs, stories, photographs, land and water data, and linguistic resources…

Brock University (Ontario); an Ontario television station; and the Iroquois, Ojibwa, and Metis Nations are collaborating on the development of an Aboriginal adult education degree program. The clan system was modified for use as a planning tool, elders and other Aboriginal educators were included, and Aboriginal learning styles and perspectives…

This article provides a conflict analysis of colonial schooling in Fiji, tracing how imported schooling was incorporated into indigenous structures of status differentiation. It begins with a discussion of the chieftaincy system as the socio-political institution in place in this South Pacific archipelago when European explorers and missionaries…

Explanations of natural phenomena within a traditional Native American context are often at odds with Western scientific philosophy and what is taught in school science. Herein lies a very real conflict between two distinctly different worldviews: the mutualistic/holistic-oriented worldview of Native American cultures and the…