Native Science

The most exciting moments I’ve ever had since the 25 or so years of producing the Moonspiral 4-year calendar came about 12 years ago. I placed the calendar into the hands of a Native Pueblo teen. Without any hinting, he started reading it and using it to predict lunar events.

After many years pondering this occurance, I’ve come to believe that intricate knowledge can lay hidden within cultures in a kind of dormant state. Some kind of catalyst can come along and things can pop back into the consious state.

Native Science is a term to describe intricate and advanced natural understandings of the world that would be classified as higher learning or college level physical science if we only gave these ideas proper audience within the dominant culture. If writing and mathematics were not available to these ancient native cultures, who are we to judge that oral traditions, diagrams, or other artistic patterns can’t be placeholders for this knowledge? And further, why can’t these understandings coming from a totally different cultural perspective actually hold kernals of new truths and new scientific understandings? And finally, if these perspectives, truths, and understandings could provide new insights into the complicated relationship between the human species and the Earth that nurtures and sustains are life; isn’t that worth valuing and learning? Just like advanced degrees in mondern academia?