Ways of Knowing
Indigenous ways of knowing are in contradiction with Western ways of knowing in many ways. First, Western knowledge tends to be decontextualized and compartmentalized into neat little packages with little consideration to interaction across fields. Aboriginal ways of knowing focus on the connections across disciplines and are based in experiential learning (Barnhardt & Kawagley, 2005). Aboriginal ways of knowing consider generational experience, passed on through storytelling and time-bound ceremonies and learning, while Western ways of knowing focus on current research and anytime, anyplace access to information. This creates conflicts in the two-way flow of information. Aboriginal cultures cannot simply put all information “out there” for on-demand consumption, and Western cultures cannot function in context and time-bound learning. Western cultures have difficulty thinking across disciplines, while Aboriginal cultures cannot function in a compartmentalized way. These incongruences mean valuable ways of knowing are lost in both directions.
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A very important element in Aboriginal ways of knowing in the role of elder knowledge. This is especially the case in generational knowledge. Elders not only hold the knowledge of their own generations, but of generations past as well (Hare, 2011). This generational knowledge creates a deep and meaningful history and ways of knowing and being. Western ways of knowing tend to marginalize the value of generational knowledge, often thinking it irrelevant. This perspective is damaging to Aboriginal learners who have been taught that elders and elder knowledge are relevant and useful today.