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. Acknowledging that the science and technology of nation-states have been used to eradicate, suppress, and rob Native peoples, 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; ongoing economic and technological opportunities and challenges for reservation communities; and the differences and similarities between Native and scientific thought and practice. Coming from perspectives in government, industry, and research, 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 is associate professor of social and organisational psychology at Colorado State University and a member of the Onondaga community.

Full Product Details

Author:   Keith James
Publisher:   University of Nebraska Press
Imprint:   University of Nebraska Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 1.30cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.227kg
ISBN:  

9780803276154

ISBN 10:   080327615
Pages:   173
Publication Date:   01 September 2001
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Out of stock  
The supplier is temporarily out of stock of this item. It will be ordered for you on backorder and shipped when it becomes available.

Table of Contents

Contents - Acknowledgments; 1. Fires Need Fuel - Merging Science Education with American Indian Community Needs - Keith James; Part 1. Education; 2. Education and American Indian Communities - A History of Pain, a Future of Promise? - Keith James; 3. Indigenous Consciousness, Education, and Science - Issues of Perception and Language - Cornel Pewewardy; 4. A Personal Journey into Science, Feminist Science, and Aboriginal Science - Lillian Dyck; 5. How to Get What Indian Communities Need from Science - Clifton Poodry; 6. The Native American Honor Society - Challenging Indian Students to Achieve - Frank Dukepoo; Part 2. Culture; 7. Culture - The Spirit Beneath the Surface - Keith James; 8. Tradition and Education - The World Made Seamless Again - Oscar Kawageley; 9. Rebuilding Languages to Revitalize Communities and Cultures - Ofelia Zepeda; 10. Trodding the Circle from Indian Community to University Research and Back - Gilbert John; Part 3. Economic and Community Development; 11. Building Futures Together - Keith James; 12. Education as a Tool for American Indian Community Development - Needs and Strategies - James Lujan; 13. Managing Tribal Assets - Developing Long-Term Strategic Plans - Dean Howard Smith and Joseph S. Anderson; 14. On the Front Lines of Indian Health - Practical and Political Issues in Providing Community Health Care - Gerri Shangreaux; 15. Innovative Strategies for Promoting Development in Indian Communities - Ron Jamieson; Part 4. The Land, the People, and Science; 16. Sons of the Sun, Daughters of the Earth - Keith James; 17. Water and Water Quality Issues in and for American Indian Communities - Freda Porter-Locklear; 18. Land, People, and Culture - Using Geographic Information Systems to Build Community Capacity - Jhon Goes in Center; 19. The Three Sisters - Care for the Land and the People - Jane Mt. Pleasant; Part 5. Science and Self-Governance; 20. Science and Self-Governance - Power, Practice, and Politics - Keith James; 21. Rebuilding Tradition to Create Workable Modern Systems and Practices for Indian Communities - Reggie Crowshoe; 22. The Value of Scientific and Engineering Training for Indian Communities - George Thomas; 23. Land, Science, and Indigenous Science - Tales from a Modern Treaty Negotiation Process - Cliff Atleo; 24. Conclusions - Closing the Circuit - Keith James; Contributors; Index

Reviews

The authors (nearly all Native Americans) do not downplay the ways in which mainstream science has been used (or abused) to oppress or obliterate native peoples, and no unified approach emerges; nevertheless, the essays collectively convey a sense of the value of a creative synthesis of superficially incompatible traditions. -- Choice

The authors (nearly all Native Americans) do not downplay the ways in which mainstream science has been used (or abused) to oppress or obliterate native peoples, and no unified approach emerges; nevertheless, the essays collectively convey a sense of the value of a creative synthesis of superficially incompatible traditions. -Choice Choice

Author Information

Keith James is associate professor of social and organizational psychology at Colorado State University and a member of the Onondaga community.

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