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Indigenous Struggles Within the Colonial Project: Reclaiming Indigenous Knowledges in the Western Academy

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posted on 2020-09-21, 00:22 authored by B Leonard, Ocean MercierOcean Mercier
© 2016 by the Contemporary Science Association, New York. In this article we investigate strategies for authentically engaging Indigenous knowledges in the epistemologically Western "uni-versity" using data from cross-institutional, virtual international student exchanges between University of Alaska Fairbanks and Victoria University of Wellington. Analysis of student perspectives on Indigenous Knowledges (IK) from discussion forums illustrates their growing understandings of IK as authentic, complex systems generating distinct theoretical and analytic frames; including insights as to how these frames provide innovative, cross-disciplinary processes and solutions to current challenges. Targeted and student-generated questions initiated dynamic dialogue, including: the intersections and divergences of Western and Indigenous knowledge systems; the roles of Indigenous languages in enhancing understandings of IK; the potential for bridging or interfacing IK and Western knowledge versus attempting to integrate those systems; and the future of IK in the academy in terms of Indigenous peoples' pursuit of self-determination and sovereignty.

History

Preferred citation

Leonard, B. & Mercier, O. R. (2016). Indigenous Struggles Within the Colonial Project: Reclaiming Indigenous Knowledges in the Western Academy. Knowledge Cultures, 4(3), 99-116.

Journal title

Knowledge Cultures

Volume

4

Issue

3

Publication date

2016-01-01

Pagination

99-116 (18)

Publication status

Published

Contribution type

Article

ISSN

2327-5731

eISSN

2375-6527

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