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Terminology in Indigenous Contexts
The language pertaining to Indigenous peoples is always political and situated.
Key Terms:
Indian, Aboriginal, Native, Indigenous:
These terms evolve and vary across different temporal and geographic contexts.
No term is universally considered the correct term at all times.
There is a distinction between insider vs. outsider usage; the term "Indian" is often viewed as antiquated but may still be used within certain communities.
It's permissible to ask which term is preferred by individuals or communities.
Acknowledging mistakes (e.g., saying “I’m sorry” and correcting oneself) is acceptable in conversations regarding terminology.
Specific terms relating to nations or peoples are often most appropriate; listening closely to how terms are pronounced and spelled requires practice.
Ethical Considerations:
Discussion around whether the focus should be on political correctness or political appropriateness.
Understanding "Indigenous"
Definition of "Indigenous":
Traditional views emphasize biological connection to ancestors and land.
Indigenous peoples have developed a multifaceted understanding of being Indigenous, intertwining political self-determination and networking for survival in a global context.
Indigeneity encompasses:
Not merely biological ancestry but cultural, political, and community relations.
Emergence as coherent cultural groups deeply connected to specific places and sacred landscapes.
Standard Dictionary Definition:
UN Working Definition of Indigenous Peoples includes:
A pre-colonial presence in a specific territory.
Continuous cultural, linguistic, or social distinctiveness from surrounding populations.
Self-identification as "Indigenous" or recognition by other Indigenous groups as such.
Reference: Sheryl Lightfoot, Global Indigenous Politics, 2016.
European Colonial Science
Key Concepts from Londa Schiebinger:
Science: Defined as systematic knowledge about nature, covering both natural and social sciences, though the course primarily focuses on the natural sciences.
Colonial Science:
Refers to scientific endeavors in Europe that utilized colonial resources and also any science conducted in regions part of European empires.
The course interprets colonial science as an ongoing issue, linking historical scientific practices with contemporary European scientific traditions, especially in settler-colonial contexts.
Settler Colonialism: Described as a persistent system of power responsible for the genocide and repression of Indigenous peoples and cultures, which sustains settler occupation and exploitation of Indigenous lands and resources.
Feminist scholars and Indigenous critics parallel each other's analyses of how colonial science has treated marginalized populations.
Rohan Deb Roy on Historical and Contemporary Colonial Science
Overview of colonial science history, detailing how European powers utilized the knowledge of colonized peoples while claiming to bestow scientific gifts.
Contemporary Context:
The author highlights the need for decolonization of science following the fall of European empires.
Critique:
Rohan Deb Roy minimizes the ongoing impact of U.S. imperialism and settler colonialism, which remains prevalent today.
The critique emphasizes that scientific practices in the U.S. continue to engage in colonial dynamics.
Debating Decolonization
Proposal by Rohan Deb Roy:
Emphasizes more equitable collaborations between developed and developing nations in scientific research.
Advocates for halting unethical clinical trials and that institutions discuss repatriating specimens to former colonies.
NS 115 Critique:
A robust understanding of decolonization involves more than equity and symmetry; it requires repatriation of lands, life, and cultural artifacts, not just inclusion.
Key Aspects of Decolonization:
Respecting Indigenous governance and laws.
Returning resources for Indigenous scientific capacity building.
Establishing Indigenous scientific institutions.
Objectivity in Scientific Inquiry
The concept of "objectivating the intersubjective":
Within European science, there is a tendency to objectify human relational activities.
Shorter articulates the issue:
Objectivity can lead to reducing relationships to static categories, which neglects ethical commitments to respect authority and relationships.
Examples such as "sexuality" and "nature" illustrate how relational concepts can become rigid objects of study.
Suggestion: Recognize sexuality as a dynamic process reflective of power and social relations rather than a fixed concept.
Indigenization vs Inclusion
Indigenization: Represents an attempt to broaden the narrow conceptions of knowledge within academia to incorporate Indigenous perspectives meaningfully (Rauna Kuokkanen, 2008).
Indigenous Inclusion: Focuses on increasing Indigenous student populations and supporting their adaptation to academic settings, often without necessitating significant structural changes in institutions.
Reconciliation in Indigenous Context
Definitions:
Reconciliation involves the restoration of friendly relations and establishing compatibility between differing views or beliefs.
Reconciliation vs Indigenization:
Aims for broader consensus regarding knowledge while emphasizing the need for structural change within universities.
Educational initiatives should focus on reshaping understandings and actions toward Indigenous peoples.
Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Definition:
Describes reconciliation as an ongoing process aimed at repairing relationships, including apologies, reparations, and actions leading to societal transformation.
Concepts of Decolonization
Decolonial Indigenization:
Envisions a comprehensive restructuring of academic institutions to balance power dynamics between Indigenous peoples and Canadians.
Defines decolonization (Tuck & Yang) as involving the return of Indigenous lands and lives, cautioning against superficial uses of the term that dilute its significance.