Assistant Professor, Vincent Ziffle, from the Department of Indigenous Science, the Environment, and Economic Development (DISEED) at First Nations University of Canada, discusses the intersections of Chemistry and Indigenous education. Ziffle explains how organic, introductory, and general chemistries can be explored experientially in classrooms, on the land, or in the kitchen. The chemistry of medicinal plants or the chemistry of food and cooking offers a high degree of traditional knowledge integration into the course. For Ziffle, Indigenous education incorporates traditional ways of knowing, traditional ecological knowledge, and involves working with and learning from Elders. Ziffle hopes to provide all students opportunities to understand chemistry, at least the basics, where principles are learned experientially enriching our lives to better understand our world.

Follow the link to find more information about the First Nation’s University, Indigenous Environmental Science program http://fnuniv.ca/a-programs.

The First Nations University of Canada, the University of Regina, and the University of Saskatchewan partner with Let’s Talk Science, a national non-profit organization whose volunteers work with classrooms or community groups to connect them to science, technology, engineering, and mathematic learning experiences. Follow the link to learn more about their programs https://letstalkscience.ca.