Page 379 - Cultural Studies of Science Education

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engage in the mixing of different ways of knowing, often unconscious of the fact
that they are drawing on different forms of knowledge. Thus, scientific words and
phrases are drawn into everyday conversations and are all mixed up with traditional
sayings and explanations. Since this typically happens in the informal sector, there
is little resistance to it; (iv) There is resistance to attempts at hybridization. Again,
in my community context (Trinidad), that is what is happening in the formal educa-
tion system. There is little attempt to draw on students’ backgrounds and traditional
knowledge in the formal science classroom. Indigenous knowledge is sometimes
incorporated in areas such as language arts, fines arts, and so on, but hardly ever in
the science classroom. This does not mean that students and teachers are ignorant
of indigenous knowledge. What is more likely to occur is that teachers and students
draw on the indigenous knowledge in some aspects of their everyday lives (and the
extent of this varies). But their indigenous knowledge is kept separate and apart from
formal school knowledge since it is believed that it is formal or academic science
knowledge that has the power to take one to “higher” places in the society.
Deb: June, it is not surprising to hear that indigenous knowledge and understand-
ings of the world are, for the most part, relegated to informal learning contexts in
your country – indeed, this may be the case in many parts of the world. Attempts
to include this knowledge in the school curriculum may, in some cases, serve to
only reinforce eurowestern narratives. A case in point is Carter and Walker’s
description of Australians as … “the first human inhabitants of the Australian con-
tinent. Their occupancy is believed to be somewhere in the region of 50,000–70,000
years, making them this planet’s ‘oldest continual living culture.’ ” While traveling
and backpacking in Australia, I became familiar with the stories of the Wandjina
creation spirits. Reflecting the collective memory of the Wandjina people of the
Kimberly region of western Australia, these stories and the rock paintings that
depict them, offer a very different account of the inhabitation of Australia – one
embedded in the story of aboriginal creation, renewal, and transformation from
spirit being to human form. Most tribal people worldwide believe in creation narra-
tives and have always lived in the places where they are indigenous. Vine Deloria Jr.
(1997) made this point repeatedly in his work, lamenting on the attempts of those
working in the “scientific tradition” to derail tribal creation stories because science
can’t make sense of it. As a result, schools may unconsciously try to melt differ-
ence to make us “all the same,” and in the process, privilege certain histories while
devaluing others. As Joe Kincheloe (1999) points out, in our postmodern world, it
is imperative to “celebrate difference and enhance our realities by these differences,
making them equally valid” (p. 189).

Some Final Thoughts on TEK as the Embodiment of Diversity

Carter and Walker challenge us to consider the consequences of diversity, plurality,
and hybridity in a rapidly globalizing world, particularly for science education.
In doing so, we are convinced of the need for vigilance in protecting the diversity