Decolonizing Our Thinking
Decolonizing Minds: Modern Education vs. Indigenous Teachings
In an era marked by rapid technological advancements and globalization, the code at the heart of our education systems remains tethered to colonial frameworks, reiterating certain values while inadvertently marginalizing others. Indigenous scholar and author, Four Arrows, also known as Don Trent Jacobs, is the foremost thinker on decolonization of our education systems. By re-wiring our thinking on just about everything, he sheds light on the possible harmonization of modern education and indigenous teachings.
The juxtaposition between modern education and indigenous (decolonized) teachings reveals striking differences, more importantly, it uncovers potential pathways to integrating both for a richer, more holistic learning experience and a healthier life as a result.
Modern Education: The Assembly Line of Knowledge
Modern education, largely rooted in industrial-era values, treats students as products on an assembly line, separate from nature.
Despite the importance we place on it as parents, we rarely ask the question “What is school for?” Its clearly no longer fit for purpose.
The focus remains predominantly on producing efficient, employable graduates rather than nurturing holistic thinkers able to adapt to the quickly changing landscape.
Lifetime educator and author, Four Arrows, notes the obvious disconnect between our historic selves and the 21st version of humanity. "Today, we're disconnected, and it's hurting us." This disconnect stems from an education system that prioritizes linear knowledge acquisition over understanding interconnectedness.
Moreover, the current curriculum remains a reflection of colonial values. History is often told from the victor's perspective, marginalizing indigenous voices. It emphasizes competition over collaboration, individual achievement over collective well-being, and theoretical knowledge over experiential learning.
Indigenous Teachings: The Web of Wisdom
Contrary to the linear progression of modern education, indigenous teachings emphasize a cyclical understanding of life. For indigenous communities, knowledge isn't just about understanding a concept but about comprehending its relation to everything else. Understanding complexity from a position of inter-being. Four Arrows paints a vivid picture, "We operate according to our worldview precepts. Resilience is amazing."
Such teachings emphasize harmony with nature, understanding of seasonal cycles, and the deep interconnectedness of all life forms.
Stories play a pivotal role here. "In the old days," Four Arrows reflects, "we'd sit around the campfire, weaving tales." These weren't just tales; they were lessons, moral compasses, and historical records. They taught us what it was to be human beings, capable of harboring hope in even the most difficult of circumstances.
Shifting Education to Inject Hope Back into the System
As well as preparing our children and organizations better for the intense challenges we face as a species staring down the barrel of earth’s next mass extinction event, a more holistic approach can inject hope back into the system.
“Do you think we can turn things around?”, Four Arrows recalls being asked by a student in one of his lectures. “’Probably not’. I said. ‘It's possible. Anything's possible. But I personally don't think we're going to turn things around in time. I think that that hope is a delusion’”.
Not what his perplexed students expected from their uplifting professor.
“Well, then why are you here at all? Why are you doing this work?” was the incredulous response.
“Because I want to be a human being.”
Not Four Arrows’ own words, but rather some ancient wisdom borrowed from one of his spiritual heroes, the Native American indigenous leader Sitting Bull.
“I got that from my little monograph on Sitting Bull who was known to have been an amazing person. Even at a time when smallpox had killed almost all of his people and all the buffalo had all been killed, Sitting Bull was always generous, just amazingly to a fault, even to the enemy. He was always writing his songs, he never stopped his ceremonies, he was just living life to the fullest. When a reporter asked Sitting Bull one day about how he earned his reputation as such a spiritual leader? He said, simply because ‘I want to be a human being’.
“Right? I think a better definition of hope is not the certainty of a good outcome. Hope is the certainty that whatever the outcome, what I'm doing is the right thing to do.”
Comparing the Edifices: Where Modern Education Meets Indigenous Wisdom
Approach to Learning:
Modern Education: It often emphasizes rote learning. Students are evaluated on their ability to reproduce information, with little emphasis on critical thinking or experiential learning.
Indigenous Teachings: These stress learning by doing, observing, and experiencing. Nature is the classroom, and elders are the guides.
Knowledge Validation:
Modern Education: Validates knowledge based on empirical evidence, often sidelining indigenous knowledge as 'mythical' or 'unscientific.'
Indigenous Teachings: Knowledge isn't just empirical; it's experiential, passed down through generations.
Connection with Nature:
Modern Education: While environmental studies are part of the curriculum, the intricate relationship humans share with nature often remains unexplored.
Indigenous Teachings: Nature is an integral part of learning. Four Arrows' beautiful relationship with animals, notably the pelican, underscores this bond.
Spiritual Foundation:
Modern Education: Spiritual and moral values are often segregated from mainstream education.
Indigenous Teachings: Spirituality is interwoven into the fabric of education, emphasizing moral values and ethical living.
Purpose of Education:
Modern Education: Primarily aims to prepare students for employment, emphasizing career-oriented skills.
Indigenous Teachings: Education is a tool for holistic development, emphasizing character building, community welfare, and harmony with nature.
Toward an Integrated Future
Four Arrows' wisdom urges us to reconsider the roots of our education systems. Integrating indigenous teachings isn't about replacing modern education; it's about enriching it. Imagine a curriculum where students learn mathematical patterns through nature, historical events through indigenous tales, and ethics through community living.
Decolonizing education isn't a mere shift in curriculum; it's a shift in perspective. As Four Arrows wisely professes, acknowledging, respecting, and integrating diverse worldviews is the path to holistic education. The future awaits an education system where modern methodologies and indigenous wisdom coalesce, crafting a tapestry of holistic learning and living.
To listen to Four Arrows talk more about decolonizing our thinking, tune in to our podcast, Dear Wise Earth: Talks.