The school curriculum in the United States of America is very Eurocentric and westernized. All of the pioneers of modern science seem to be white males. Essentially, women and people of color become erased from science and scientific discoveries. There is no way to address this without applying a sociological perspective. Historically, the school and the church has been institutions that have largely contributed to the erasure of Indigenous knowledge and culture. This still stands today. When learning about certain geographical reason and earth processes, students are disconnected from the people who may have originally lived in these areas. This is problematic for several reasons.
In the abstract of James Murray’s paper, Ethnogeology and …show more content…
A section of the website entitled Kids Rock provides some information about Indigenous knowledge in an adolescent friendly way. Indigenous views look at the earth as a maternal figure. They also view aspects of nature as gifts from the creator, and the elders teach that these gifts should be used respectfully and that a gift should be given back to the earth in return. (Manitoba Rocks) This page on the website then goes into further detail about the importance of Rocks in Indigenous culture. This importance goes hand in hand with western geology. Indigenous people considered rocks to be the wisest of all earth elements due to being around for so long. It is also important to note that Indigenous people have been able to view the process of the rock cycle and their interpretation of it can be named as the circle of life or life cycle. When the rocks erode or break down, the minerals within the rocks are absorbed by plants and animals. (Manitoba …show more content…
Indigenous people in Manitoba once mined for a variety of reasons. The articles speak of the use of the red colored mineral known as Hematite as paint. As well as the rock, flint, which was made of silicon or quarts. Flint was used for a variety of purposes such as a cutting tool, arrowheads for hunting, and to strike a flame. Rocks were also used for special ceremonies, landmarks, and monuments. (Manitoba Rocks) In Arizona, the aboriginal people were heavily involved in different types of mining. The Hohokam mined for clay, coal, hematite, salt, turquoise and quartz. They even established trade routes to access other commodities that they themselves did not have in the area. (Ascarza, 2013)
Another example of this type of education is found in the Navajo nation. Tsé na'alkaah, which translates to “rock study" in the Diné language, is an Indigenous Physical Geology course. It is based on the Colorado Plateau and Navajo culture. The course addresses different aspects of plateau geology, climate, and environmental quality. Steve Semken goes into great detail about the students’ studies and how the geologic components and cultural components are
In the abstract of James Murray’s paper, Ethnogeology and …show more content…
A section of the website entitled Kids Rock provides some information about Indigenous knowledge in an adolescent friendly way. Indigenous views look at the earth as a maternal figure. They also view aspects of nature as gifts from the creator, and the elders teach that these gifts should be used respectfully and that a gift should be given back to the earth in return. (Manitoba Rocks) This page on the website then goes into further detail about the importance of Rocks in Indigenous culture. This importance goes hand in hand with western geology. Indigenous people considered rocks to be the wisest of all earth elements due to being around for so long. It is also important to note that Indigenous people have been able to view the process of the rock cycle and their interpretation of it can be named as the circle of life or life cycle. When the rocks erode or break down, the minerals within the rocks are absorbed by plants and animals. (Manitoba …show more content…
Indigenous people in Manitoba once mined for a variety of reasons. The articles speak of the use of the red colored mineral known as Hematite as paint. As well as the rock, flint, which was made of silicon or quarts. Flint was used for a variety of purposes such as a cutting tool, arrowheads for hunting, and to strike a flame. Rocks were also used for special ceremonies, landmarks, and monuments. (Manitoba Rocks) In Arizona, the aboriginal people were heavily involved in different types of mining. The Hohokam mined for clay, coal, hematite, salt, turquoise and quartz. They even established trade routes to access other commodities that they themselves did not have in the area. (Ascarza, 2013)
Another example of this type of education is found in the Navajo nation. Tsé na'alkaah, which translates to “rock study" in the Diné language, is an Indigenous Physical Geology course. It is based on the Colorado Plateau and Navajo culture. The course addresses different aspects of plateau geology, climate, and environmental quality. Steve Semken goes into great detail about the students’ studies and how the geologic components and cultural components are