The scientific method, Nintendo, and Eagle feathers: Rethinking the meaning of "culture-based" curriculum at an Ojibwe tribal school

Cultural processes in science education: Supporting the navigation of multiple epistemologies

“…Issues of epistemology are a rich area of scholarship for Indigenous people working within a variety of disciplines and from a variety of perspectives (e.g., Waters, 2003). A body of scholarly work has described and analyzed the plethora of ways in which ethnocentrism plays out, especially in regard to epistemology, Indigenous traditions, Western‐European traditions, and those that have emerged from them (see Kawagley, 1995; Deloria, 1998; Cajete, 1999a; Hermes, 2000; Deloria & Wildcat, 2001; Meyer, 2001; Barnhardt & Kawagley, 2005).…”

Expanding the conversation: further explorations into Indigenous environmental science education theory, research, and practice

“…While statements such as this seem promising, leading Indigenous scholars such as Marie Battiste (2005), Leanne Simpson (2004) and Mary Hermes (2000) contest the integration of Indigenous knowledge into previously established Western-style educational programs or curricula. As Mack et al themselves recognize, intense pressure to conform to Western standards often arises due to government-mandated curricula and standardized testing, inhibiting the genuine efforts of educators attempting to give voice to Indigenous perspectives:…”

“…In response to these kinds of concerns, Battiste (1998), Simpson (2004) and Hermes (2000) all suggest that, in order to avoid the subjugation or ''watering down'' of Indigenous knowledge, Indigenous educational programs must be developed from an Indigenous perspective first before considering how they might meet be tailored to meet Western standards, rather than the opposite. By employing such a strategy, Indigenous knowledge will be centrally acknowledged from the outset, rather than added on to a previously established Western framework.…”

Navigating the Problem of Inclusion as Enclosure in Native Culture-Based Education: Theorizing Shadow Curriculum

“…The problem of curricular inclusion as enclosure has often been highlighted in research relating to Indigenous knowledges in the United States (Castagno & Brayboy, 2008; Hermes, 2000, 2005b; Lomawaima & McCarty, 2006). The work of Mary Hermes (2000, 2005a, 2005b) in particular, has consistently pointed out the significant challenges facing Native and non‐Native teachers in facilitating Indigenous, specifically Anishinaabe, epistemologies in tribally run schools and educational settings more generally. “Lesson plans, subject areas and course content,” she writes, “all attempt to act as containers for culture‐based curriculum” (Hermes, 2005b, p. 44).…”

“…“Lesson plans, subject areas and course content,” she writes, “all attempt to act as containers for culture‐based curriculum” (Hermes, 2005b, p. 44). As Hermes's (2000, 2005b) and others' research on curriculum for Native students has shown, Indigenous cultural knowledges are transformed and often muted as they become included in the curricular and pedagogical practices of mainstream education. Hermes's comment above and elsewhere (Hermes, 2000), argues that the force of the “practical” demands of curriculum and teaching combined with teachers' lack of knowledge about Native peoples facilitate the processes of “containing” Indigenous epistemologies.…”