Theory of Knowledge - Course Companion for Students Marija Uzunova Dang Arvin Singh Uzunov Dang
claim made about IndigenousAnotheris that they are holistic—theyknowledgesof domains such as history, art,conceivereligion, language and medicine asculture,overlapping, inseparable andinterconnected,into a whole. Think about howintegratedis different from the way knowledge isthisin the TOK course, where separatepresentedof knowledge have their distinct scopeareasmethods, producing different and possiblyandperspectives on the world. Thisirreconcilablethe questions of whether, and when,raisesis appropriate to use the tools of the areasitknowledge to understand Indigenousofin their interconnected complexity.knowledgeswe use the methods of science, or art orWouldto evaluate an Indigenous knowledgereligionDoes the holism of Indigenous knowledgesclaim?a different understanding of the world,facilitatecompared to the fragmented view arising fromasdifferent academic disciplines? Keep thesethein mind as you encounter claims acrossquestionsknowledge is often described asIndigenousbut dynamic; a cumulative bodytraditional,knowledge and set of practices, developedofmillennia through direct experience andover5.2 Painting depicting a location from an AustralianFiguresonglineAboriginala better metaphor for IndigenousPerhapsis a compass—a tool for orientingknowledgeknowledge is not a fixed body ofIndigenousthat can or should be preserved inknowledgeauthentic state. It is continuously adaptingsomegrowing in response to the forces that affect it.andview of the diversity, as well as theInlocal, holistic and dynamic naturesupposedIndigenous knowledge, consider theofquestions.followingRecall the map metaphor of knowledge1.we explored in Chapter 1. To whatthatis your knowledge, your mapextentthe world, informed by Indigenousofsuggested that Indigenous knowledgesShivabe rendered invisible by denying themcanstatus of “knowledge”, and threatenedthe“erasing and destroying the reality whichbyWhat is this reality that Indigenous2.attempt to represent?knowledges3. What are the forces destroying this reality?context of Australian Aboriginal songlines,thethrough the landscape used bypathwaysbeings of the Aboriginal creationancestral(known popularly as the Dreaming).storymeld together geography, history andSonglineswith song and art, and those who canastronomymany songs in the right sequence hold ansingknowledge about their environmentexpansivethe meanings of their world. Each songandimportant landmarks and other cluesdescribeshelp a traveller to navigate vast distances.thatAustralian continent is said to be coveredThesonglines, some of which extend hundreds ofinand cross numerous tribal, culturalkilometreslinguistic boundaries. Songlines can beandin multiple languages in sequence,composedI. ScopeI. ScopeFor discussionThe scope of Indigenous knowledgeknowledge?the chapters in this book, and elsewhere.they attempt to represent” (Shiva 1993).transmitted orally, in an ongoing process. Thatis,Box 5.2: Songlines—storytelling, music, geography and astronomyoneself in the world. Consider this metaphor inand their rhythm, rather than words, is said to115
I. ScopeII. Perspectivesthe contours and features of the terrain.mapto a song is described as equallyListeningmore effective for knowing the land thanoron or seeing it. Further, songlines canwalkingpainted in stages, with a complex key ofbestructures and colours that appearsymbols,groups of people, living on differentDifferentof land, will know different songlinessectionsis an astonishing diversity of beliefs,Thereand rituals among Indigenous cultures.practicesthese ways of knowing and beingCollectively,the world capture what we know about theinpotential of humanity. Much as thewondrousor the biosphere envelops the planet,atmospheretoo does the sum total of human cultures—soanthropologist Wade Davis hassomethingterms: Wade DavisSearchfrom endangeredDreamsthe link to listen to Davis explain theFollowof the ethnosphere, through examplesconceptits diversity and the forces threatening theofof Indigenous ways of living.survivaldifferent ways of thinking and being,Theover centuries, are practised bydevelopedof knowledge keepers. In engagingcommunitiesthe knowledge of Indigenous cultureswithis important not to exoticize, fragmentitselectively misinterpret them. Recall theandabout holistic Indigenous knowledge:argumentwhat extent can we grasp what it means fortoCofan of the Amazon to hear plants speakthesing to them, without understanding otheranddomains of that context and systeminterrelatedknowledge? This chapter invites you toofThe songlines contain vast culturalstory.akin to an entire cosmology,knowledge,the laws, responsibilities andoutliningof the people, and are meticulouslyceremoniesterms: What areSearchYouTubesonglines?Indigenous knowledges and practicesexplorethe contexts in which they are embedded—inexperience, language and ecology. Often,history,we are learning to engage with Indigenouswhenoutside of our cultural domain, it isknowledgesto forget that there are multiple perspectiveseasyIndigenous knowledge communities aswithinand each of these communities has ways ofwell,through disagreements and resolvingworkingclaims. As authors, it is not our placecompetingshare Indigenous stories with you. Gregoryto(Opaskwayak Cree Nation) specificallyYoungingagainst the tendency to treat and sharecautionsknowledge as gnaritas nullius or “noIndigenousknowledge”, and therefore everyone’sone’sThis undermines Indigenousknowledge.agency over how their knowledge isPeoples’in accordance to Indigenous Protocolsshareda long time, knowledge production practicesForas academic research) and knowledge(suchinstitutions (such as schools) havedisseminationand marginalized Indigenous ways oferasedand being. Today, these practices andknowingchallenge the relationship—pastinstitutionscontemporary—between education andandcolonialpower.5taught and learned by each generation.Follow the link to learn more about songlines.more like a visual code than a map.and therefore different chapters in the creationI I . P E R S P E C T I V E Stermed the “ethnosphere” (2003).cultures TED Talkand Customary Laws.II.1 Education for all116
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claim made about Indigenous
Another
is that they are holistic—they
knowledges
of domains such as history, art,
conceive
religion, language and medicine as
culture,
overlapping, inseparable and
interconnected,
into a whole. Think about how
integrated
is different from the way knowledge is
this
in the TOK course, where separate
presented
of knowledge have their distinct scope
areas
methods, producing different and possibly
and
perspectives on the world. This
irreconcilable
the questions of whether, and when,
raises
is appropriate to use the tools of the areas
it
knowledge to understand Indigenous
of
in their interconnected complexity.
knowledges
we use the methods of science, or art or
Would
to evaluate an Indigenous knowledge
religion
Does the holism of Indigenous knowledges
claim?
a different understanding of the world,
facilitate
compared to the fragmented view arising from
as
different academic disciplines? Keep these
the
in mind as you encounter claims across
questions
knowledge is often described as
Indigenous
but dynamic; a cumulative body
traditional,
knowledge and set of practices, developed
of
millennia through direct experience and
over
5.2 Painting depicting a location from an Australian
Figure
songline
Aboriginal
a better metaphor for Indigenous
Perhaps
is a compass—a tool for orienting
knowledge
knowledge is not a fixed body of
Indigenous
that can or should be preserved in
knowledge
authentic state. It is continuously adapting
some
growing in response to the forces that affect it.
and
view of the diversity, as well as the
In
local, holistic and dynamic nature
supposed
Indigenous knowledge, consider the
of
questions.
following
Recall the map metaphor of knowledge
1.
we explored in Chapter 1. To what
that
is your knowledge, your map
extent
the world, informed by Indigenous
of
suggested that Indigenous knowledges
Shiva
be rendered invisible by denying them
can
status of “knowledge”, and threatened
the
“erasing and destroying the reality which
by
What is this reality that Indigenous
2.
attempt to represent?
knowledges
3. What are the forces destroying this reality?
context of Australian Aboriginal songlines,
the
through the landscape used by
pathways
beings of the Aboriginal creation
ancestral
(known popularly as the Dreaming).
story
meld together geography, history and
Songlines
with song and art, and those who can
astronomy
many songs in the right sequence hold an
sing
knowledge about their environment
expansive
the meanings of their world. Each song
and
important landmarks and other clues
describes
help a traveller to navigate vast distances.
that
Australian continent is said to be covered
The
songlines, some of which extend hundreds of
in
and cross numerous tribal, cultural
kilometres
linguistic boundaries. Songlines can be
and
in multiple languages in sequence,
composed
I. Scope
I. Scope
For discussion
The scope of Indigenous knowledge
knowledge?
the chapters in this book, and elsewhere.
they attempt to represent” (Shiva 1993).
transmitted orally, in an ongoing process. Thatis,
Box 5.2: Songlines—storytelling, music, geography and astronomy
oneself in the world. Consider this metaphor in
and their rhythm, rather than words, is said to
115