Blog Post 9: Colonialism and the Teaching of Mathematics

There are many different ways of interpreting the world, meaning forms of oppression and discrimination can be generated when these worldviews clash. Within the reading “Jagged Worldviews Colliding” by Little Bear, he discusses the difference between Aboriginal values and Eurocentric values, along with effects that colonialism has had on our worldviews. It is stated that colonialism is overall “suppressing the diversity of human worldviews” (Little Bear, 2000, p. 77). We see that there are many differences between the philosophy, values, and customs of Aboriginal cultures and Eurocentric cultures. When we come to understand this, we see how these worldviews clash and how the effects are present in education.

When it comes to my experiences of the teaching and learning of mathematics in terms of oppression and discrimation, as a white settler, I do not recall encountering any aspects that were oppressive or discriminatory towards me personally. My math classes definitely followed a more Eurocentric worldview. It followed a very linear system that is expected of traditional mathematics. There was always talk during math lessons about how math is satisfying because it typically has only one right answer. We had the traditional lesson where we would write notes, do an assignment, and then write a test. This method did not include much engagement or collaboration. With all of this being said about my previous math education experiences, it is possible that other students from diverse backgrounds who may require different learning approaches could have felt oppressed or discriminated against. When it comes to colonization, it attempted to destroy the Aboriginal worldviews, but instead it “left a heritage of jagged worldviews among Indigenous peoples” (Little Bear, 2000, p. 84). There are many different views that continue to try and take control. This is something that could potentially be seen in a math classroom. The Indigenous students potentially felt as if the ways we were learning and teaching math did not pertain to their values. My math classes never included any forms of actual experiences or storytelling and so it was often only the teacher who was responsible for our learning. By ignoring these aspects, this was a type of oppression and discrimination, being that Indigenous people believe that “education is a collective responsibility” (Little Bear, 2000, p. 81). There was the odd word problem that may have included aspects of the Indigenous culture, but this was just extra information stuck in the problem that was deemed unnecessary to solve the actual problem since all we cared about were the numbers. There were really no discussions or considerations in my math classes about how Indigenous people view math differently, or any culture for that matter.

It is very important to consider that mathematics looks different within other cultures. In the reading “Teaching mathematics and the Inuit community” by Poirier, there is a focus on Inuit mathematics and its many aspects. It is described that “mathematics is a cultural product that takes many different forms” (Poirier, 2007, p. 56). This is not something that we hear very often. The fact that I had very little to no previous knowledge about the different approaches to math says a lot in itself when it comes to this knowledge.

There are many different ways in which Inuit mathematics challenges Eurocentric ideas about the purposes of mathematics and the way we learn it. It is interesting that generally, we are often told that mathematics is a universal language, but now we see that this is being challenged, specifically we see this through understanding Inuit mathematics. Poirier states that “different cultures have developed different mathematical tools according to their needs and their environment” (Poirier, 2007, p. 54). Even though mathematics in all cultures might share similar general domains, each culture has its own way of approaching them. With this being said, after understanding a lot of detail about Inuit mathematics, we can see how it differs from Eurocentric ideas. One specific way that Inuit mathematics challenges these traditional ideas is seen within the purpose of math, being that their daily lives are completely separate from the math that they do in school. It is stated that “they do not perceive mathematics as something that can help them solve everyday problems” (Poirier, 2007, p. 55). In contrast, the Eurocentric ideas propose that math is directly related to our daily lives and we are taught that math will be used in our daily lives in the future. Another way that Inuit mathematics challenges the Eurocentric system is through their specific understandings of math, including things such as counting, localization, and measuring. They express numbers orally, they focus on developing a good sense of space, and their measurements are often done using body parts along with their calendar being based on natural events. These are all different from the Eurocentric ideas which are more linear and structured. Finally, another way that Inuit mathematics challenges Eurocentric ideas is through the teaching methods. It is said that “traditional Inuit teaching is based on observing an elder or listening to enigmas” (Poirier, 2007, p. 55). The traditional Eurocentric education system has a focus on note taking and practice done on paper rather than the ‘natural’ way Inuit children learn. After seeing all of these differences and how math can vary between cultures, we can see why it is important to stop viewing math as being a universal topic that is the same everywhere. We must find ways to demonstrate this to students.

References:

Little Bear, L. (2000). Jagged Worldviews Colliding. In M. Batiste (Ed.), Reclaiming Indigenous voice and vision (pp. 77-85). UBC Press.

Poirier, L. (2007). Teaching mathematics and the Inuit community. Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, 7(1), p. 53-67.