Because of this paradox and a deep concern for strength-
ening relationships between humans and non-humans through land stewardship, Earth Partnership at the Univer- sity of Wisconsin-Madison partnered with Native Nations to develop a culturally relevant environmental education program to improve experiences in science learning. Young- Bear-Tibbitts lends supports in stating that “projects such as this one could revitalize Native intellectual traditions. This could go a long way in overcoming the stigma that ‘science isn’t cool,’ held by too many youth, Native and non-Native.” Earth Partnership’s Indigenous Arts and Sciences (IAS) is
an approach to environmental science education that engages Indigenous wisdom and scientific processes rooted in respect and reciprocity. While these are distinct from the more lin- ear and chronological traditions of Western science, there are intersections at which Western sciences and Traditional ecological knowledge can meet and interact with one another to their mutual benefit. According to YoungBear-Tibbitts, “Nowhere is this more evident than in the realm of place- based teaching and learning, for it is in our joint tenancy of this Great Turtle Island (North America) that we can and must find both literal and figurative common ground.”
Inside IAS Earth Partnership offers a university program in which teach- ers and youths of all cultural backgrounds can experience nature-based learning and restoration of native ecosystems. First Nations have been instrumental in developing insights and skills to form partnerships rooted in mutual respect. His- torically, university outreach to and research in Indigenous communities have been problematic, involving hierarchical imposition of methods or exploitation of extracted knowl- edge. In an effort to reimagine a tribal-university partnership based on mutual respect and shared interests, IAS’s initiative began is 2011 in response to community identified interests and needs. Information gathered through a series of listening ses-
sions and community dialogues in two tribal communities included water stewardship, protection of the subsistence harvest, resil- ience in the face of climate change’s impact on cultural practices, and First Nations youth access to higher education and natural resource careers. A collaborative approach was developed based on Traditional knowl- edge as well as contemporary research and protocols of First Nations. An elder participating in the dialogues
affirmed relationship building had occurred: “For the first time in my life, I think the uni- versity has heard me.” This led to teacher professional
development institutes, youth workshops, and community events based on culturally- based, seasonal approaches to environmental science and stewardship. A partnering elder shared, “This program shows that it is possible to integrate our Native perspectives with Western science learning.”
Green Teacher 119 Page 35
Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer, Citizen Potawatomi mem-
ber—botanist, renowned author of Braiding Sweetgrass, and IAS advisor—refers to this process as “indigenizing science learning.” IAS has grown to include six tribal communities as we
have jointly co-developed a three-pronged approach that offers 1) a year-long series of youth programming, explor- ing traditional cultural practices with elders and applying natural resource methods with tribal scientists and mentors; 2) community engagement linking traditional cultural prac- tices (e.g., wild rice harvest and maple sugaring) to scientific processes of data collection and analysis; 3) professional development for educators that emphasizes place- and inqui- ry-based learning in a cultural context (e.g., tribal sover- eignty, treaty rights, family and kinship systems, language, historical trauma, and resiliency). Educational experiences of these three audiences are
complimentary and provide a framework for approaches to “indigenized” science education that honor cultural wisdom, cosmologies, and lifeways. We believe this approach leads to better science learning and education, thus providing authen- tic, responsive teaching and sustaining/revitalizing pedagogy that honors historical and contemporary contexts for Indige- nous learners. For non-Indigenous learners, science learning is broadened to include a respectful and holistic view of the world as well as appreciation and empathy for diverse expe- riences and perspectives. The following sections explain the essence of the three components of IAS:
1. Youths
Youths participating in Learning from the Land in Ojibwe communities or Goja Howaite Hi (meaning Going on Con- tinuously) in the Ho-Chunk communities are typically enter- ing ninth and tenth grades. To foster leadership, students are encouraged to return the following years to mentor their younger peers. Students who have entered college have returned to help teach lessons, too. The days are structured
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