In my experience of mathematics in school I would say that it was definitely oppressive and discriminatory. Not only would they only teach one way of learning how to solve math equations, but I had teachers to go so far as tell us how we were to write our numbers. Math class was often embarrassing for me as I have dyslexia and I would read numbers wrong and I had to take my time, especially with mad minutes. I’m not sure why being fast at math was necessary. I met a teacher in the summer, and he told me that he hands out mad minute sheets, but its not about time. What he wants to see is comprehension and the students will repeat the sheets until completed with no errors and then move onto the next one (adding, then subtracting, then multiplication, division, and so on.) With this, he never shares with the other students where they are at, so they feel no embarrassment with where they are at. This is a practice I will take forward into my teaching.
Their counting system is completely different, for example 146 in their language translates to ((Twenty five (times) ((Twenty two (times)) and many threes). They have a strong multiplication factor in how they get their numbers, and its in base 20. Which is slightly complicated, I learned it in math 100 at FNU.
Using body parts for measuring out the perfect fitting parka or boots, instead of using a numerical system
Using naturally occurring yearly events as a calendar instead of the calculated lunar cycle of 28 days and 13 months or solar cycle which is our 30 some days and 12 months, the latter of which took years and years of math to figure out perfectly.
