Looking back at the teaching and learning of mathematics during my time in school, I do believe that aspects were oppressive and/or discrimination. In the sense of the Inuit traditions, beliefs, values, and teachings of mathematics, I do feel as though the teaching of mathematics in our classrooms should be open to and willing to teach these views of mathematics. Especially with a population of Inuit students. I also think that some of the practices may be more easily understood by some students, especially those who struggle with math. The Inuit go beyond the use of just paper and pencil when solving math equations. They value the oral and hands on approach which I believe I could have benefited from greatly in my mathematics experiences. I am appreciative of my experience in Math 101 at the FNU because it was the first time in a math class where I felt as though the teacher wanted me to succeed to a higher caliber than I had set out for myself. I am not very good at math and have doubts in myself. Throughout my schooling, math was my most dreaded course and I feel as though I did not have enough support in making sure I succeed to my best potential. My university experience made me enjoy math, especially after receiving a grade in which surprised me and boosted my confidence. In saying this, I believe our math classes in schools today still discriminate against those who are not mathematically inclined. Teachers should offer different approaches to support struggling students.
After reading Poirier’s article, the three ways in which Inuit mathematics challenge Eurocentric ideas about the purposes of mathematics and the way we learn it that interest me the most are:
- The Inuit have developed a system for expressing numbers orally.
- They have a base-20 numeral system
- The first measuring tools were parts of the body (the finger, the foot, the palm, etc.) And how long one month is depends on how long it takes for a natural event to take place.
In having the Inuit using a system for expressing numbers orally, they increase the risk of having an impact on the students’ conception of certain numbers. When compared to the challenging the Eurocentric ideas about the purposes of math and the way we learn it, this system lends an appreciation for our numeric approach. I believe the oral representation of numbers would be very confusing, although wonderfully developmentally advanced for those Cree students who begin learning in this way from a young age. It does help however that the Inuit have borrowed the numeric values from our Western ways of knowing.
The base-20 numeral system is different from our ten base, but is interesting and important to learn. Having being taught math using our Western system, I was challenged in engaging with this new 20-base numeral system, but once taught and understood, I am grateful for the experience of learning it from the FNU. I think it is an interesting concept which should be introduced in our Western schools.
The use of body parts as units of measurement is intriguing to the idea that they genuinely use it as a legit form. We may approximate by the mention of the length of our foot, hand, or arm, but we still use a numeric device to get a legitimate measurement, such as a ruler or tape measure. This may challenge us to question our approximations in measurement or to value our direct approach to measuring.