External resources

Livre

Look to the Mountain: An Ecology of Indigenous Education.

This book explores the nature of indigenous education, outlining key elements of American Indian perspectives on learning and teaching. It advocates developing a contemporary, culturally based, educational process founded upon traditional tribal values, orientations, and principles, while simultaneously using the most appropriate concepts, technologies, and content of modern education. Environmental relationship, myth, visionary traditions, traditional arts, tribal community, and nature-centered spirituality have traditionally formed the foundations of American Indian life for discovering one’s true face (character, potential, identity), one’s heart (soul, creative self, true passion), and one’s foundation (true work, vocation), all of which lead to the expression of a complete life. Indigenous education is a process of education grounded in the basics of human nature. It can provide new ways of educating for ecological thinking and environmental sustainability, and has the potential, not only for the transformation of what is misnamed “Indian education,” but also for profound applications toward transforming modern American education. Chapters explore the spiritual, environmental, mythic, visionary, artistic, affective, and communal foundations of indigenous education. A final chapter discusses ethnoscience, and relates seven core courses for an indigenous science curriculum to the seven cardinal directions honored by all indigenous peoples. An appendix lists 24 principles applicable to the holistic presentation of any content to any age level. Contains 119 references. (SV).