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A juxtaposition of worldviews : how emerging regenerative frameworks can be enriched by Plains Cree ways of knowing

University of British Columbia

Proponents of regenerative design and development have attempted to adopt Indigenous philosophies and sacred teachings into their research and publications. Though well intentioned, merely using quotations from Indigenous people does not constitute a culturally sensitive approach to learning from Indigenous ways of knowing. Even though some founding theories draw on Indigenous ways of knowing, existing regenerative frameworks do not explicitly take a holistic approach to exploring the worldviews, values, processes and practices, which are the basis of Indigenous teachings. Without acknowledging how Indigenous knowledges were formed and how subsequent processes and practices have been shaped, regenerative researchers leave themselves in a position to be criticized for oversimplifying, tokenizing or romanticizing aspects of Indigenous ways of knowing by a-contextually attempting to adopt Indigenous teaching into their methodologies. A thorough and careful exploration of the intersecting worldviews, values, processes and practices between Indigenous ways of knowing and regenerative methodologies has not previously been undertaken. In this thesis I endeavour to answer the following questions. First, what commonalities or nuanced differences exist between the worldviews, values, processes and practices of Plains Cree and regenerative practitioners? Second, to what extent can emerging regenerative frameworks, be enriched by Plains Cree ways of knowing? In response to the research questions six recommendations were established which address the following topics: 1. Articulating the community’s worldview; 2. Planning for changing contexts; 3. Using human experiences to validate scientific data; 4. Maintaining balance through reciprocity; 5. Transforming interconnections into synergies; and 6. Looking beyond scientific and “professional” roles. The lessons learned from this research will have the potential to reshape how practitioners and other community participants use regenerative tools and shift who participates in the regenerative process.

Text

2016-01-07

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 Canada

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/56250

Architecture

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ca/