Science and Native American Communities: Legacies of Pain, Visions of Promise
Education among American Indians has lagged behind that of almost all other groups in both the United States and Canada, and it generally has not offered what Indian communities need. It is this disturbing state of affairs-along with the intractable realities, unexamined assumptions, and cultural conflicts and misunderstandings behind it-that Science and Native American Communities confronts. Representing an unprecedented gathering of Native American professionals working in the sciences and advanced technology, the book combines theory and practice, firsthand experience and strategic thinking, in a provocative exploration of the uneasy meeting ground between science and Native American communities.

In highly personal, deeply informed, and frequently moving essays, the authors wrestle with a legacy of mistrust and violence. They ask: Is a common ground between science and Native America possible? The problems and prospects that emerge from such a meeting, and that these essays address, include the impact of science and technology on Native lands and environment; economic and technological opportunities and challenges for reservation communities; and the differences and similarities between Native and scientific thought and practice. The authors not only showcase different reactions to the consequences of science, but also energetically propose strategies for renegotiating Native communities' relationships with science, seizing control of their destinies, and moving forward in the twenty-first century.

Keith James (Onondaga) is a professor of social and organizational psychology at the University of Alaska.
1111260007
Science and Native American Communities: Legacies of Pain, Visions of Promise
Education among American Indians has lagged behind that of almost all other groups in both the United States and Canada, and it generally has not offered what Indian communities need. It is this disturbing state of affairs-along with the intractable realities, unexamined assumptions, and cultural conflicts and misunderstandings behind it-that Science and Native American Communities confronts. Representing an unprecedented gathering of Native American professionals working in the sciences and advanced technology, the book combines theory and practice, firsthand experience and strategic thinking, in a provocative exploration of the uneasy meeting ground between science and Native American communities.

In highly personal, deeply informed, and frequently moving essays, the authors wrestle with a legacy of mistrust and violence. They ask: Is a common ground between science and Native America possible? The problems and prospects that emerge from such a meeting, and that these essays address, include the impact of science and technology on Native lands and environment; economic and technological opportunities and challenges for reservation communities; and the differences and similarities between Native and scientific thought and practice. The authors not only showcase different reactions to the consequences of science, but also energetically propose strategies for renegotiating Native communities' relationships with science, seizing control of their destinies, and moving forward in the twenty-first century.

Keith James (Onondaga) is a professor of social and organizational psychology at the University of Alaska.
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Science and Native American Communities: Legacies of Pain, Visions of Promise

Science and Native American Communities: Legacies of Pain, Visions of Promise

Science and Native American Communities: Legacies of Pain, Visions of Promise

Science and Native American Communities: Legacies of Pain, Visions of Promise

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Overview

Education among American Indians has lagged behind that of almost all other groups in both the United States and Canada, and it generally has not offered what Indian communities need. It is this disturbing state of affairs-along with the intractable realities, unexamined assumptions, and cultural conflicts and misunderstandings behind it-that Science and Native American Communities confronts. Representing an unprecedented gathering of Native American professionals working in the sciences and advanced technology, the book combines theory and practice, firsthand experience and strategic thinking, in a provocative exploration of the uneasy meeting ground between science and Native American communities.

In highly personal, deeply informed, and frequently moving essays, the authors wrestle with a legacy of mistrust and violence. They ask: Is a common ground between science and Native America possible? The problems and prospects that emerge from such a meeting, and that these essays address, include the impact of science and technology on Native lands and environment; economic and technological opportunities and challenges for reservation communities; and the differences and similarities between Native and scientific thought and practice. The authors not only showcase different reactions to the consequences of science, but also energetically propose strategies for renegotiating Native communities' relationships with science, seizing control of their destinies, and moving forward in the twenty-first century.

Keith James (Onondaga) is a professor of social and organizational psychology at the University of Alaska.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780803276154
Publisher: Nebraska Paperback
Publication date: 09/01/2001
Pages: 173
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.52(d)

About the Author

Keith James (Onondaga) is a professor of social and organizational psychology at the University of Alaska.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgmentsix
1.Fires Need Fuel: Merging Science Education with American Indian Community Needs1
Part 1.Education
2.Education and American Indian Communities: A History of Pain, a Future of Promise?11
3.Indigenous Consciousness, Education, and Science: Issues of Perception and Language16
4.A Personal Journey into Science, Feminist Science, and Aboriginal Science22
5.How to Get What Indian Communities Need from Science29
6.The Native American Honor Society: Challenging Indian Students to Achieve36
Part 2.Culture
7.Culture: The Spirit Beneath the Surface45
8.Tradition and Education: The World Made Seamless Again51
9.Rebuilding Languages to Revitalize Communities and Cultures57
10.Trodding the Circle from Indian Community to University Research and Back63
Part 3.Economic and Community Development
11.Building Futures Together71
12.Education as a Tool for American Indian Community Development: Needs and Strategies76
13.Managing Tribal Assets: Developing Long-Term Strategic Plans83
14.On the Front Lines of Indian Health: Practical and Political Issues in Providing Community Health Care92
15.Innovative Strategies for Promoting Development in Indian Communities99
Part 4.The Land, the People, and Science
16.Sons of the Sun, Daughters of the Earth107
17.Water and Water Quality Issues in and for American Indian Communities111
18.Land, People, and Culture: Using Geographic Information Systems to Build Community Capacity119
19.The Three Sisters: Care for the Land and the People126
Part 5.Science and Self-Governance
20.Science and Self-Governance: Power, Practice, and Politics137
21.Rebuilding Tradition to Create Workable Modern Systems and Practices for Indian Communities141
22.The Value of Scientific and Engineering Training for Indian Communities149
23.Land, Science, and Indigenous Science: Tales from a Modern Treaty Negotiation Process155
24.Conclusions: Closing the Circuit165
Contributors167
Index169
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