21 Leroy Little Bear

Dr. Leroy Little Bear

Time period:

20th Centruy – Present

Subject:

Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Science (Metaphysics)

Biography:

Dr. Leroy Little Bear was born on the Blood Indian Reserve in Southern Alberta, a member of the Kainai First Nations, and the Blackfoot Confederacy. He grew up with six siblings and began his education at St. Mary’s Indian Residential School at 10. From a young age, Dr. Little Bear was aware of the colonial context of the school he was attending and how learning was presented from a colonial viewpoint. In the early 1970s, Leroy earned a bachelor’s degree, being one of the first Indigenous students to graduate from the University of Lethbridge. In 1975 he received a law degree from the University of Utah.

Throughout his career, Dr. Little Bear was a founding member of the Native American Studies Department at the University of Lethbridge and the founding director of the Native American Program at Harvard. On top of this he had an influential role in advising the National Indian Brotherhood, Canada’s constitutional changes, the British North American Act, and treaties 6,7, and 8. He has also worked with the United Nations, forming the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

In 1997 Dr. Little Bear retired from the University of Lethbridge, and in 2016 Leroy received an honorary Doctor of Arts and Science degree from the University of Lethbridge. He has also received the National Aboriginal Achievement Award for Education (2003) and has been inducted into the Alberta Order Excellence (2016) and the Order of Canada (2019).

Although Dr. Leroy Little Bear may not be considered a traditional “scientist” by Western standards, in my mind, he is a scientist. He helps explain why the world is the way it is and seeks to bring understanding and education to all. His contributions to the world in the intersection of Indigenous Knowledge systems and Western science earn him a place in this book.

Summary of their contributions:

Although Dr. Leroy Little Bear has not specialized in a specific traditional scientific discipline in the Western sense, he focused more on the intersection of Indigenous knowledge systems and Western science, seeking to bridge the gap between the two. Advocating for the intersection of Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Western science, Dr. Little Bear has pointed to Blackfoot science and their metaphysics of life to incorporate Indigenous science within the Western science classroom.

In one of his presentations, “Metaphysics: Intersecting Western and Native Ideas. Resilience from a Blackfoot Perspective.” Dr. Little Bear points out that Blackfoot perspectives can be applied to climate change, teaching us about reciprocity with the land we live on. His other contributions to science advocate for the recognition, validation, and integration of Indigenous knowledge systems within science as a whole. Touching on areas such as ecology, environmental science, education, philosophy, and cultural studies. Dr. Little Bear has been at the forefront of incorporating Indigenous ways of knowing into science classrooms.

Integration with the BC Secondary Science Curriculum:

Dr. Leroy Little Bear’s work naturally integrates with the BC secondary Science curriculum and is a great resource for any teacher who is serious about incorporating Indigenous ways of knowing into their classroom. There are First People’s ways of knowing in all the content areas of secondary science (Environmental Science, Biology, Earth Science, Physics, and Chemistry) and his work showcasing the Blackfoot perspectives and traditional ways of knowing/doing are great resources from an Indigenous individual.

Specifically, we can see Dr. Little Bear being integrated with the curricular competencies in the following ways:

“Apply First Peoples perspectives and knowledge, other ways of knowing, and local knowledge as sources of information.” –  Dr. Little Bear’s promotion of integrating Indigenous knowledge into science classrooms, exposes children to different ways of knowing and viewing the world. He encourages connections between these diverse knowledge systems to promote a better understanding of the world we live in

“Seek and analyze patterns, trends, and connections in data, including describing relationships between variables, performing calculations, and identifying inconsistencies.” – Dr. Little Bear’s emphasis on interconnectedness, and holistic views knowing science can be used to encourage students to approach data analysis and patterns with a broader mindset. Allowing students to use different perspectives to interpret data and trends and a holistic lens of understanding the relationships between variables.

“Demonstrate an awareness of assumptions, question information given, and identify bias in their own work and in primary and secondary sources.” – Dr. Little Bear recognized the colonial aspect of education as early as 10 when he started his education journey at a residential school. By looking at his lived experience teachers can use what he has reflected on to deconstruct the current education system and point out areas of colonialism that still penetrate how we teach our students today.

“Consider the changes in knowledge over time as tools and technologies have developed.” – Dr. Little Bear urges all to have a mindset of inclusion and respect for diverse knowledge systems that have also developed alongside the development of tools and technologies. He shares the understanding of flux from the Blackfoot perspective, pointing out that knowledge is not static, but is always changing and evolving within differing cultural contexts and through interactions with tools and technologies.

“Communicate scientific ideas and information, and perhaps a suggested course of action, for a specific purpose and audience, constructing evidence-based arguments and using appropriate scientific language, conventions, and representations.” – Being an educator, Dr. Little Bear made a career out of communicating ideas and information with others. Teachers can look at Dr. Little Bear’s communicative work (interviews, speeches, books, papers) to show their students how someone integrated Indigenous ways of knowing into the communication of science ideas (for example, his work with climate change).

“Express and reflect on a variety of experiences, perspectives, and worldviews through place.” – Dr. Little Bear highlights the interconnectedness between people, land, and knowledge. Sharing that there is meaning in understanding knowledge in the context of specific places. For example, Dr. Little Bear’s work with the restoration of the Buffalo population in Southern Alberta showcases the idea that the Buffalo is a keystone species within the ecosystem that is Southern Alberta.

References:

Building Student Success—B.C. Curriculum. (n.d.). Retrieved October 20, 2023, from https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/science/11/life-sciences

Leroy Little Bear. (n.d.). Retrieved December 8, 2023, from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/leroy-little-bear

Leroy Little Bear | Alberta.ca. (n.d.). Retrieved December 8, 2023, from https://www.alberta.ca/aoe-leroy-little-bear

Leroy Little Bear on Blackfoot metaphysics and climate change. (2022, April 30). The Sprawl. https://www.sprawlcalgary.com/leroy-little-bear-climate-change

Q&A: Little Bear offers a different view of science. (2011, March 21). ASU News. https://news.asu.edu/20230525-qa-little-bear-offers-different-view-science

Leroy Little Bear (BASc (BA) ’71, DASc ’03) | University of Lethbridge. (n.d.). Retrieved December 8, 2023, from https://www.ulethbridge.ca/alumni/awards/2003/leroy-little-bear

Dr. Leroy Little Bear | Decolonizing Water. (n.d.). Retrieved December 8, 2023, from https://decolonizingwater.ca/team/dr-leroy-little-bear/