Indigenizing Science and Reasserting Indigeneity in Research

Science, at its core, is knowledge systematically gained through repeated observations about the world around us. Indigenous people have always been scientists. As agronomists, Indigenous people of pre-Colombian Mexico domesticated maize over 9,000 years ago (Matsuoka et al. 2002). As astronomers, Polynesians studied constellations and movements of celestial bodies to become skilled sailors and navigators (Lewis 1972). In almost every scientific discipline throughout history, Indigenous people have contributed to our physical and biological understanding and have developed technologies that benefit all. Imagine, then, how science today could be advanced if we empowered Indigenous approaches to the level of Western science.

Indigenous people have multiple ways of knowing and varied traditional knowledge systems that are distinct from Western perspectives. These epistemologies are embedded in oral traditions, ceremonial practices, beliefs, and general knowledge from our ancestors. Thus, Indigenous science is the process by which Indigenous people construct and disseminate empirical knowledge of their environment. As approaches to gathering knowledge, Indigenous science may arise independently of Western science, but the two are not antithetical.

Yet Indigenous science is often overshadowed and minimized by Western science. The latter is often seen by the dominant society as being more "objective," whereas its counterpart might be viewed as anecdotal, imprecise, and valued only by its interoperability with Western perspectives. This veneration of Western science has the effect of undermining the embodied and relational ways of knowing developed over countless generations, passed down by elders to the next generation, and rooted in centuries of observational and experiential learning.

Indigenous science is grounded in traditional knowledge, but it is perhaps the word "traditional" that seems to cause consternation and derision among non-Indigenous academics. The word itself is often used antonymously with "modern" and therefore implies that such concepts are of the past and incompatible with the contemporary world (Pierotti 2012). Perhaps we should instead think of "traditional knowledge" as knowledge that endures, or has been repeatedly tested and remained substantiated, as data points representing countless trials over time. Maybe scientists should reevaluate their perceptions of the word "traditional" and instead acknowledge and listen to expertise in Indigenous science.

Hence, many biologists and conservationists are looking to traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), or Indigenous knowledge (IK) gained through interacting with the environment, to provide solutions to climate change, deforestation, species extinction, and ecosystem degradation—problems arguably implicated by an overreliance on Western science. For instance, researchers were able to improve their population estimates of bowhead whales in Arctic Alaska by incorporating Iñupiat knowledge of whale behavior (Albert 2001; Popp 2018). Furthermore, elders from the Heiltsuk First Nation in British Columbia long recognized differences between coastal and inland gray wolves in their territory, which informed later genetic investigations comparing the two species (Stronen et al. 2014). As stewards of lands that encompass 22% of Earth's surface, including much of its biodiversity (Sobrevila 2008), Indigenous people, and IK approaches, are perhaps now more important for the planet's sustainability and future.

Looking to Indigenous science to find solutions to systemic issues without concern for the health of Indigenous knowledge keepers, however, is extractive. Indigenous people in the United States suffer worse health outcomes and significant barriers to health compared to non-Hispanic whites (Jacobs-Wingo et al. 2016), and these health disparities may be further exacerbated as precision medicine moves forward (Martin et al. 2019) without proper attention to structural barriers to health that overburden these communities (Tsosie et al. 2019). Despite some attention over the years to explore themes of discrimination, racism, historical trauma, and cultural concerns interconnected with social determinants and health outcomes (Lafontaine 2018), specific interventional research in Indigenous health is still sorely needed.

It is perhaps time for the greater research community to recognize the voices and views of Indigenous people. Community-engaged approaches (e.g., community-based participatory research and tribally driven research) that improve cultural competency of non-Indigenous researchers and elevate Indigenous community members as equal...