Blackfoot Physics And European Minds By Francis David Peat

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Summary and Three Key Messages In Blackfoot Physics And European Minds, Francis David Peat (1997) examines the establishment of the “European consciousness” and compares this perspective with that of Indigenous science, calling specific attention to the animate world of the Blackfoot. Peat highlights the benefits of weaving these perspectives and expands on the idea of a marriage between the impersonal subjectivity of Indigenous science and Western sciences’ objectivity. In his work, Peat focuses on Blackfoot physics, examining its principles and application. Analyzing a language reveals how different groups view science. For example, in the Blackfoot language, verbs are of focus, emphasizing transformation and movement. This reflects their view of science as a “world of flux,” without defined categories and where there is an ongoing relationship between the observer and the observed (Peat, …show more content…

For example, the birchbark canoe of the Algonkin is an early adaptive technology that arose through their knowledge of their territory (Peat, 1997). Advancing Our Knowledge Building off Peat’s notion of the marriage of Indigenous and Western science, Sylliboy et al. explores how this concept known as Two-Eyed Seeing (TES) can be properly applied when conducting research in Indigenous communities. Sylliboy et al. highlights relationship building as a key step in research utilizing TES, stating that “strong relationships must exist before any research can take place” (2021, p. 4). Establishing a relationship with Elders, community leaders and members allows Western researchers to “learn about the particular people they are partnering with, their knowledge and values,” as well as to communicate their intentions as researchers, acknowledging the historical mistreatment of Indigenous communities by Western researchers (Sylliboy et al., 2021, p.