Date of Award:

8-2023

Document Type:

Dissertation

Degree Name:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department:

Environment and Society

Committee Chair(s)

Mark W. Brunson

Committee

Mark W. Brunson

Committee

Ninna Piiksii Mike Bruised Head

Committee

Stefani Crabtree

Committee

Sarah Klain

Committee

James Maffie

Abstract

My research sought to better engage with Indigenous ways of knowing and being (IWKB). Specifically, I collaborated with Blackfoot Elders (and Hawaiian Kupuna) to better understand 1) their perspectives towards land, 2) what factors instigate and perpetuate these perspectives, 3) how these perspectives play out in terms of identity; well being; daily life; education; environmental concern, behavior, and stewardship, and 4) ways that these perspectives towards land can inform and transform Western perspectives on land and perhaps lead to better and more equitable social-ecological outcomes. I approached this from three angles. First, I described a method for braiding Indigenous and Western scientific approaches to broaden the ways we might think about the human-environment relationship. Then I explored how IWKB (Blackfoot and Native Hawaiian) regarding nature are disrupted by recreation use, to the detriment of both Indigenous experience of their native lands and of the land itself. Finally, I described how K-12 science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) educators may be able to effectively accommodate both Western and IWKB in their teaching and how this broader perspective could lead non-Indigenous persons to treat the land differently as well as create greater continuity for Indigenous learners.

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