Including Indigenous Knowledge in Higher Education

Upon reading the article More Than Personal Communication: Templates For Citing Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers by Lorisia MacLeod, my feelings for citing Indigenous knowledge remain unchanged. I am grateful for the time and effort that Lorisia has taken to have Indigenous knowledge recognized by higher education. The task brought to light several challenges when western and Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing intersect.

The challenge begins with how higher education requires citation of Indigenous knowledge. The expectation is to follow standard conventions, APA or MLA. Thankfully Lorisia has gifted writers with templates to follow. I appreciate her words about including the nationhood of the speaker to prevent a pan-Indigenous approach to knowledge. The diversity of nations on Turtle Island requires writers to inform readers of who the knowledge belongs to. Celebrating this diversity will also reduce the number of referenced ‘First Nation teachings.’ Métis ways of knowing are often under the ‘First Nation’ umbrella, and with proper sourcing, we will realize our unique knowledge and teachings.

Maintaining and growing relationships with elders and knowledge keepers will be essential as we advocate for Indigenous knowledge citations. Some may have difficulty understanding the need for citing oral teachings as it contradicts practice. Traditionally knowledge is shared with the community from generation to generation. People are chosen based on standing in the community and a desire to become knowledge holders. Knowledge holding is the model for open education and has existed since time immemorial on this land.

Open education pedagogy and citing Indigenous elders and knowledge keepers speak to the idea of trust. An inherent trust in the person or source is crucial to successful knowledge transfer. I once encountered an educator who asked after a presentation, “How do you know what you were taught is what actually happened?” I understood what they were asking. They were questioning the validity of the teachings gifted to me. My answer was quick, “I trust that what they have shared with me is the truth.” I then explained the relationship I had with the elders and the time taken to foster the trust. I hope they can see a path to building trusting relationships and benefit from elder knowledge.