The Medicine Wheel and Science

The Medicine Wheel and Science
Hon. Lillian Eva [Quan] Dyck, PhD, D Litt
Senator & Professor Emerita, UofS
www.sen.parl.gc.ca/ldyck/
AAAS
Feb 18, 2012
Outline
 The
Western or Traditional view of Science
 Feminist science
 Aboriginal
 The
science
Medicine Wheel
 Using
the Medicine Wheel to analyze science
and enhance creativity
 What does “thinking” mean?
The Sacred Dogma of Western
Science
1. The scientific method is infallible
and always leads us to the “Truth”.
2. The scientist is objective or neutral.
He (she) sees things without any bias.
1. Formulate a
hypothesis
6. Generalize to a
new conclusion
2. Design experiment
5. Judge the hypothesis
3. Perform experiments
4. Analyze data
Subjectivity is inherent in the Scientific
Method
 Formulation
of the Conclusion of the experiments
involves inductive reasoning.
 It involves interpretation of data as they apply to
the real world – i.e., it is a subjective process.
 This subjectively reasoned conclusion leads to a
new or modified hypothesis – i.e., the conclusion
feeds back into step 1 of the scientific method.
 The
Scientific method is an ideal model which we
scientists aspire to follow. We try to control all
variables in our experiments …..
 In
the laboratory, our real, working model is not
this ideal model.
The Working version of the Scientific Method
 Hypotheses
are generated not only by logical
questioning of what we observe, but also by
unscientific hunches, by ‘mistakes’, by serendipity.
But typically we don’t acknowledge the latter
three sources of info.
 The
sequence of experiments and the thinking
behind them are made to fit the accepted,
prescribed modes of oral and written presentation
to the scientific community. (logical, passive
voice)
 In
order to get published – to be believed:
 We
leave out any so-called illogical sources of
ideas or any illogical experiments
 And
we leave out ourselves by using the passive
voice.
Ironically, the outcome of this reworking of what
actually transpired in our research
is that we abstract/remove ourselves and our own
lived experience (our actual thinking processes,
interpretation of the data and its changes during the
course of the project).
So… this means we perpetuate the notion of purely
rational, unbiased science.
Western Science

Western Science is supposed to be all about COLD,
HARD Facts – the TRUTH.

But facts do not exist in a vacuum.

“Numbers don’t lie” – but we do interpret what they
mean.

Science is not infallible – our tools are not perfect.

Scientists are subject to cultural or other biases.
Facts can be interpreted differently and lead to
different conclusions
Eg. From Star Trek: Voyager –
Episode: the Saurans (dinosaur-like species)
 Fact: Humans and Saurans share many DNA
codes.
 Conclusions:
1. Confirms the hypothesis that the Saurans
originated on Earth.
2. it’s heresy to think that – the shared DNA is
simply ‘accidental’.

Real Examples of bias in scientific
thinking
 The
‘thrifty gene’ in First Nations and diabetes
 Vaccination
 Leakage
and autism
of CO2 from deep geological storage sites
“How the diabetes-linked ‘thrifty gene’
triumphed with prejudice over proof”
From the Globe & Mail, Feb 24,2011:
in 1962 , Dr. J. Neel, U Michigan, proposed that
the high rates of type 2 diabetes in Aboriginals was
due to a faulty genetic ability to store extra calories
in case of famine.
 This was widely accepted until recently.
 Lifestyle and environmental factors are now
thought to be more important than genes.

Why are we sometimes wrong?
 Bias
in our hypothesis (not asking the right Q’s?)
 Bias in our interpretation of results
 Imperfect measurements or tools
How can we correct the bias ‘error’?
 Knowing
that each of us has biases, wouldn’t it be
smarter to acknowledge this?
 And
even take advantage of this inherent human
bias?
 Feminist
science does this!
What is Feminist Science?
 Science
that doesn’t pretend to be unbiased.
 Science that exposed the male-bias in research.
 Science that exposed the patriarchal nature of
western science (‘male’ values of domination &
exploitation), (male expert = PI)
 Science that is non-hierarchical.
 Science by, with and for a community (women).
 Collaborative, community-based science.
A Canadian pioneer in Feminist science
Margaret Benston (1937-1991)
Chemist, SFU
Ruth Bleier, neuroanatomist: 1984
Gender does matter in science!
A welcome affirmation!
Ruth Bleier: 1988
Gender does matter in how we do science!
Sue Rosser: 1990
Gender and the teaching of science
Dr. Monique Frize
The 1st NSERC Chair in WISE

Internationally well known
advocate for Women in
Engineering
Key messages from Feminist scientists
 Women
‘subjects’ have been ‘discriminated’
against in scientific research (eg., heart disease)
 Women
have been discriminated against or
excluded from scientific careers or their work
ignored, because of societal (patriarchal) bias.
 Women
ask different research Q’s and thus expand
the research landscape!
Feminist science
the way we conduct research –
collaborative, team research is now the norm.
 Community-based research is now acceptable.
 Changed the way we teach science.
 Has been so successful in attracting women into
science that we are the majority in many
specialties. The concern now is on the absence of
men in universities and in some sciences (eg., Biol,
VetMed).
 Changed
But what about different ways of thinking in
different cultures?
 Knowing
that each of us also has cultural biases,
wouldn’t it also be smart to acknowledge this?
And even take advantage of this?
Aboriginal science does this!
What is Aboriginal Science?
 A1.
Traditional or Ancestral Knowledge of
astronomy, agriculture, medicine – past knowledge
 A2.
Traditional or Ancestral ways of Knowing
The process of gaining knowledge
 Observational skills (listening)
 Oral tradition
 Elders
 Holistic world view

Holistic world view
 Chief
Seattle, 1854:
“All things are connected. Whatever befalls the
earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not
weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it.
Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.”
A few examples of ‘Experts’ on Aboriginal Science
Knowledge –
Creation stories and mythology
and/or adapting science teaching

Greg Cajete

Cheryl Bartlett

Lorna Williams

David Suzuki

Pam Colorado

Herman Michell –Glen
Aikenhead

David Peat
2 examples of Aboriginal Science
books
Adapting science teaching to
include SW Native views
Worldwide Native Peoples
views on and with nature
Examples of Books on Aboriginal
thinking processes
A Book on Native American Spirituality
The Medicine Wheel
An ancient Plains Indian symbol used to
understand ideas, to show how all things are
connected.
The foundation of human development.
Describes the four aspects of all things.
Underlies the concept of Balance and
Interconnectedness. Spirituality.
Praying to the Four Directions
The Bighorn Medicine Wheel in Wyoming
From “The Sacred Earth, Courtney Milne
North
Tools
Thinking
West
East
Love, hate
No way!
adapted from:
Dyck LE , Native Studies Review 11: 89-102 (1996)
 OOPS!
I reversed the E and W doors of the
Medicine wheel!
 The
E door should be spiritual,
 and
the W door should be physical.
In Western science, we enter the MW
by the W door instead of the E door!
So … the way we begin to teach or learn
science is like a breech birth into science!
Moreover …
We do not even think there is an East
(spiritual) door in Western science!
East door - Spiritual
The Intuitive or Creative Aspect of Science
is not thought to be part of Western science
but is part of Feminist and Aboriginal science
Using “Inner” wisdom
Gut hunches, intuition
Night-time dreams
Spiritual insight
Consideration of ethical & moral issues
South Door - Emotional
 The
Emotionally “Appealing” aspect of Science
Living and loving science
Science as fun
Defending your findings
Becoming hooked on science
West Door – Physical Aspect
The Initial Training Phase of Science
Hands-on science, the Tools
Learning the language of science
the methods
Observation of external world
North door - Mental
The Wisdom Aspect of Science
Learning the current state of knowledge.
Developing wisdom via experience.
Until the 90’s, most funding for science was
for that done by independent PI’s.
Doing collaborative science (the norm for
Feminist, Aboriginal and other alternative
sciences).
models are fluid – some topics may not be
in the ‘right’ place in the MW for you.
 These
 The
Medicine Wheel analysis shows what is
missing in Western science.
The Eastern door, the spiritual aspect of
science is missing.
To address this oversight we can:
Build on those things that inspire our
target audience (students, etc).
Build on the inner spark, the inner drive
or motivation of our target group.
The Medicine Wheel can identify Obstacles in Science
N
Academically
challenging
W
Fears of
technology
or equipment
No sense of awe
Not spiritual
E
Isolation
Alienation
Too competitive
S
No room for intuition
or imagination
The Medicine Wheel & Finding Solutions to Obstacles
N
Provide tutors,
mentors
Keep the spirit alive
W
Show how
to use the
Tools of
the trade
E
Honor intuition
& imagination
Offer support
be friendly
Respect others
Encourage teamwork
S
Summary
The Medicine Wheel can be used as an analytical tool.
Doing so, shows that Western Science is unbalanced;
there is no Eastern door or Spiritual aspect in science.
Including the Spiritual aspect in the way we teach science
and in the way we recruit students may improve recruitment
of women and Aboriginals and may increase their retention.
 BUT
what if we include the spiritual ways of
knowing in the way we actually do science?
 Wouldn’t
that be more innovative – creative?
Creative Science: the ultimate goal
Perhaps to be creative, innovative scientists
We need to honor the unconventional the ideas or hunches - that are hard to explain logically and
could be called intuitive, spiritual knowledge.
Perhaps such an approach will help solve global,
environmental problems,
or the big problems in quantum physics!
How do we do this?
 By
expanding our ways of knowing and increasing
the diversity of our research teams
- Explicit inclusion of spiritually derived insights.
- Deliberate diversity to add different
preconceptions/biases/perspectives on a problem
and different approaches to solve a problem.
Real life examples

Kekule’s dream – the cyclical structure of benzene.

Hunches (not formally talked about or ‘written out’
during publication)

The insights of a Navajo medicine man and a sand
painting of a mouse helped solve the identity of the 1993
outbreak of severe influenza in New Mexico (Hantavirus).

Petroglyphs showing ‘whirlpools’ after a tsunami. (see:
Apela Colorado youtube video)
 The
Elders in northern Canada told skeptical
scientists that the ‘missing’ Woodland Caribou
were not all dead due to environmental changes,
but had simply migrated to a different location.
The Elders were right, and a new theory of
caribou migration was proposed.
Final thoughts
 MW
lessons:
1. the spiritual component is missing in science.
2. BUT how does one’s scientific mind co-exist
with spiritual insight?
What is ‘Spiritual’ Knowledge,
Insight?
Is it information from altered states of mind:
 From ingesting psychedelics: peyote, ayahuasca?
 From
ceremonies – vision quests, …?
Dreams – eg., Cree words, Brisbane,
Smithsonian Institute, …?
 From
The ‘experts’ in Aboriginal thinking
 Elders,
Medicine people, Shamans
The Conundrum
 How
can my analytical mind and a spiritual
experience work together harmoniously on a
science problem rather than be at odds with each
other?
An example of this conundrum
 The
green light in the rattle in the sweat lodge.
If I had been raised in a traditional Aboriginal way, if
I had received spiritual training, would the
conundrum be non-existent?
Would a scientist grounded in both mainstream and
Aboriginal knowledge and ways of knowing be
better able to solve the really big, complex
problems? Like environmental Q’s? And
theoretical physics?
What really interest me
 Is
not the body of knowledge that might be called
Aboriginal science – lots of books on that – lots of
abstraction of knowledge!
 BUT
 what
I want to know is what kind of thinking and
lived experience would go on in Aboriginal
science? The whole process.
What does “mind” mean?
 English
 Cree
 Chinese
Oxford English Dictionary
definition of mind
 Intellectual
 Seat
powers, opposite to will and emotions
of consciousness, thought, volition and
feeling
The Chinese meaning of ‘mind’
Xin
From Everyday Tao by Deng Ming-Dao:
 The
heart and mind are one, not separate.
 Logic
 The
and intuition are one.
heart is the center of the body from which
truth emanates.
The Cree meaning of ‘mind’
Mamitoneyicikan
 From
Aboriginal Pedagogy:
“the sacred place inside where we can dream,
imagine, create and talk to the grandmothers and
grandfathers “.
From a Cree dictionary: the mind, conscience
The way you think, imagine:
Mamitoneyihcikewin
Iteyihtamiwin
Science:
Iyinesowin ka kiskinohamakosihk
 Iyinesowin
 Ka
– wisdom, intelligence
kiskinohamakosihk – to learn
Scientist:
Ayinisewenow
A people’s language reveals how they
think.
 English
 Cree
– mind can include more than thinking
– thinking includes imagination
- science includes wisdom,
Q: does it include intuition?
The main difference
between Western and Aboriginal Science
 Western
Science:
the scientist is thought to be separate from the
object being studied.
 Aboriginal
Science:
the scientist is thought to be connected to the
object being studied.
Key Features of Aboriginal Science
We, everything, is related/connected:
Wahkohtowin
Showing Respect for all things:
Kihceyihtakosowin.
The big Q’s in science:
environmental and quantum physics
 may
require Aboriginal scientists to help solve
them, because of their different way of
understanding connectedness.
The Emerging Stars:
A New Generation of Creative, Aboriginal
scientists
Those who are providing us with a new way to do
science and advance our understanding of nature.
 Some
examples:
Naomi Carriere, UofS
Rudy Reimer, SFU
plus many more that I’ve not yet met nor found on the net
Cartwheel Galaxies :
Medicine Wheels in the Sky?
(image from National Geographic)