OSPE - The Voice - Fall 2019 - 33

STUDENTS

Principles of Indigenous
Worldviews &
Technological Stewardship
T

he Indigenous Environmental Institute (IEI), Turtle Island Institute,
and Engineering Change Lab (ECL)1 organized a three-day workshop,
in May 2019, to introduce members of the engineering and technology
community to Indigenous worldviews, principles, and values. The workshop
was intended to present a thoughtful conceptualization of technological
stewardship, one that considers the interface of coupled human-natural systems,
including recognition of the potential Indigenous ways of living in nature, to serve
as an important source of understanding of the physical world.
The workshop took place at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, on the
traditional territory of the Mississauga Anishinaabeg, a group of Indigenous people
comprised of the Ojibwa, Odawa, Potawatami, Chippewa, Mississauga, Algonquin,
and Delaware communities. Before it became known as Peterborough, the area was
called Nogojuwanong, Ojibwa for "place at the end of rapids".
The workshop was facilitated by Melanie Goodchild from Turtle Island Institute
and Dr. Dan Longboat from the Indigenous Environmental Institute and Indigenous
Environmental Studies program at Trent University. Both Melanie and Dr. Longboat
shared their expertise through professional and personal anecdotes and led the group
through a series of educational sessions. Storytelling is a key component of the way
in which Indigenous Peoples convey knowledge. The facilitators presented their own
stories but also allowed participants to tell some of their personal stories, breaking
down boundaries, and bringing the group closer to a collective understanding.
The workshop focused on several key themes including respect, relationships,
reciprocity, and responsibility. The group explored the importance of recognizing
different ways of knowing and different knowledge systems, as we discovered the
complex relationship between technology and society, and the consideration of
ideas and issues that have not traditionally been raised in engineering. The event
fostered a mutual understanding between the Indigenous knowledge holders and
non-Indigenous settlers.
During one of the sessions, Dr. Chris Furgal guided the group through a discussion
on the importance of recognizing the validity and reliability of different knowledge
systems. Dr. Furgal stated that science is only one way of knowing, and that some
people may use other processes such as imagination, language, intuition, and
emotion to come to know what they feel they know. It is imperative to be aware
of our positionality, why we view the world in a certain way, and be open minded
to different perspectives. Moreover, Dr. Furgal spoke of the relationship each of us
has with the earth and the need to be more intentional in how we approach our
interactions with the natural environment.
Other members of the Indigenous community shared personal stories of family
lineage, the significance of Elders and women, and the loss of identity because of settler
policies and practices. Indigenous perspectives is also conveyed through experiential
learning. The group was taken on a medicine walk with Sateiokwen Bucktooth, who
spoke about different traditional herbal medicines that grow in the wild and where
to find them, and how to collect, prepare, and administer them.
Additionally, the workshop provided participants with an opportunity to engage

in various traditional practices including
making maple sugar, participating
in sharing circles, sharing meals and
participating in ceremonies, which are
sacred ways for elders to share spirituallyderived knowledge with others. In order
to honour the sacred nature of the
ceremonies, it is best to avoid writing
at length about them. However, it is
important to share that they conveyed
gratitude for the natural world and
demonstrated that relationships are at
the core of Indigenous worldviews.
IMPLICATIONS FOR ENGINEERING

In the December 2018 issue of The Voice,
the Engineering Change Lab discussed
the concept of technological stewardship
at length. This concept seeks to create
awareness and understanding of the
impact of technology and the role of the
engineering community in facilitating
this.
Indigenous perspectives are centered
around the importance of caring for
and sustaining the natural environment
which provides life, sustenance and
health. Many Indigenous cultures
promote human beings' responsibilities
as caretakers of the earth. We all have
a collective responsibility to ensure that
as the world's population continues to
grow and technology advances, society
as a whole thinks substantially about our
relationship to the natural environment.
Technology can contribute to greater
sustainability, however, at times it can
also cause significant destruction. For
Indigenous communities, engineering
Fall 2019

THE VOICE

OSPE - The Voice - Fall 2019

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