Open Collections

Medina, Myron A.

University of British Columbia

This dissertation argues that an exploration of Indigenous mathematics, ways of sensing, being, and doing through culture-based practices of Maya Elders can engender greater awareness of meaningful mathematical heritages. I utilize the term weaving as a metaphor to reimagine mathematics as a colorful fabric of interlaced concepts. I use it as a means to explore specific mathematical knowing in and through certain strands of historical and cultural fibers. This thesis argues that mathematics far from being immaterial and disembodied – absolute, abstract, and eternal – is deeply material, human, and cultural. Using sensory ethnography (Pink, 2009), this research explores and analyzes Maya practices by paying close attention to sensory experiences, ways of experiencing, and ways of knowing and being. This sensory ethnographic study focuses on learning through the embodied, enacted ecological knowledge of the Maya that has been cultivated through generations in close contact with nature. This study uses contemporary practices to contextualize and explore Indigenous Maya mathematics. I document and interpret participants’ ways of knowing, reasoning, and sensory experiences through participant observations, un-coerced conversations, photography, participants’ collaborative work, and field notes. This research is about those experiences in relationship with six knowledgeable Elders who generously shared their knowledge with me, and of the land itself. At its heart, this dissertation explores mathematics as a creative, cultural, and human form of expression – a journey of discovery, and a spiritual world. It is about recognizing and valuing Indigenous knowledge in and through the act of doing as a means to challenge our sense of what we mean by mathematics. This study contributes to the field of math education and ethnomathematics, ways in which Indigenous sensing, being, and doing can enact an empowering and critical mathematics discourse. Implications and limitations of the study are also discussed, along with suggestions for future research and direction.

Text

2022-10-13

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/82858

Curriculum Studies

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/