More than Stories, More than Myths: Animal/Human/Nature(s) in Traditional Ecological Worldviews

Abstract

Reason and rationality, upon which modern, westernized, societies have been founded, have powerfully characterized the nature of human relations with other species and with the natural world. However, countless indigenous and traditional worldviews tell of a very different reality in which humans, conceived of as instinctual and intuitive, are a part of a complex web of ecological relationships. Other species, elements of the natural world, and people are active participants in relations overflowing with communications, interactions sometimes recorded in ethnographies, or as 'myths' and 'stories'. The present article draws upon a range of traditions to explore the biases which shape how indigenous and traditional life-ways are represented in westernized contexts; the phenomenon of receiving direct insight or intuitive knowing from more-than-human worlds; and the numerous valuable understandings regarding the nature of the human being, other species, and how to live well, that are offered by a deeper comprehension of different worldviews. I also argue that the various capacities for instinctual and intuitive knowledge which accompanies these life-ways are endemic to the human species yet overlooked, the correction of which might work to usefully recalibrate our ethical relations with each other, and with other life on earth.

Embedding Cultural Competence in Science Curricula

“…This resulted in consequent dominance over Indigenous people, societies, cultures, languages, knowledge and ultimately science. The science and technological innovation and invention that were not destroyed, were classified and trivialised by western scientists as "art" and "myth" (Battiste, 2002;Sepie, 2017). Historic "scientific" studies that were conducted on, about and with Indigenous people were most often exploitative, positioned science with power and dominance over IKs, and reinforced colonial control.…”

“…Shifting our focus to sustainability in science education requires focusing on Indigenous people's long-term sustainable relationship with the land and how this is underpinned by IKs and, as an integral part of that, science (Kimmerer, 2002). Doing this may provide valuable insight into the nature of human beings, how humans can live together with other species and with this planet in a renewable, regenerative way (Sepie, 2017). The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (2015, p. 103) defines "Indigenous and Local Knowledge" as:…”

“…Further, IKs connect the sciences to other disciplines and broaden the scope of what can be considered interdisciplinary. It is this holistic ontological and epistemological worldview that is key to enabling truly sustainable living (Sepie, 2017) and, if embedded into science curricula, offers a way forward to mend the fragmentation between peoples, between people and nature, and perhaps, between this world and the spirit world.…”

“…To embed cultural competence in science curricula, a major challenge will be acceptance of the science of other cultures, by overcoming a reliance on a one-dimensional view of reality as a physical entity that can be cut up and measured to produce the only decisive fact and truth (Thaman, 2003). Decolonising the scientific tradition, for those who have been indoctrinated into it, is an essential prerequisite for culturally competent educators (Hauser et al, 2009;Nakata, 2011;Ryan, 2008;Sepie, 2017;Smith, 2012).…”

Feminist geographies in Aotearoa New Zealand: cultural, social and political moments

“…These worldviews treat space and time and culture in ways that can innovatively expand ways of knowing in many dimensions. And, these are the dimensions that are required to understand how to address wider issues of global concern of the Anthropocene (Diprose et al 2017;Roelvink 2015;Sepie 2017;Underhill-Sem 2015). Many of us in our network are indeed involved in collectives actively working for change in the specific places we find ourselves (Cave et al 2012) and other techno-activist groups internationally and nationally; some of these groups meet and coordinate via our nationwide university videoconferencing system and the national online portal for social science, eSocSci.…”