Tools for Discovery
The following tools can help us understand geography, geometry, and astronomy. Keep in mind that the people who created these international cultural heritage sites didn’t have computers. They only had their eyes to see and the tools they could make from the land where they lived.
They used:
- rope
- sticks
- wood
- rocks
- earth
- other materials in the natural environment
We can use those same things. We might also have:
- paper and pens or pencils
- rulers
- magnetic compasses
- drawing compasses
- protractors
- graph paper
- Stellarium
- AR Sandbox: an augmented reality sandbox to study topography (part of geography)
- videos
- planispheres
A planisphere is a map of the stars based on the location of the observer. It indicates which stars will be visible at a particular time and their location in respect to the horizon. You can download a planisphere for your location here.
Another tool we will use is a log for observation. A good observation log will include: what is being observed, where the observation is taking place, what the goal of the activity is, who is observing or participating, and who is recording, When the activity is finished, notes are recorded about what happened, what was learned, and what other information or observations might be needed.
Observation Log
| Date: ____________________________________________
Today’s Objective: _______________________________ ______________________________________________ Location:_______________________________________ Group Participants: ______________________________ ______________________________________________ Activity: _______________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ Conclusions and questions: ________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ |
‘Two-Eyed Seeing’
For the First Nations in Canada, the concept of seeing with two eyes is the combined wisdom of Aboriginal (native culture) and non-Aboriginal cultures (predominant culture)
“In the Mi’kmaq language, Toqwa’tu’kl Kjijitaqnn (Integrative Science) means bringing together Indigenous and Western knowledge using the guiding principles of ‘Two-Eyed Seeing,’ that is, to see from one eye with the strengths of Indigenous ways of knowing, and from the other eye with the strengths of Western ways of knowing, and to use both of these eyes together.” https://greenteacher.com/two-eyed-seeing-a-cross-cultural-science-journey/
A predominant culture has its own way of viewing the world. However, there are many alternative ways of viewing the world. The predominant culture may seem closer to the way you see things, or it may seem far from the way you see things.
A Word of Caution
It’s tempting to use rocks as markers for the rope activities. However, there are problems with using stones. First, unless you know how to identify a petroform, you could be using stones that are part of an existing petroform. Second, repeating patterns in stone could make it difficult for others to determine if something has historic value or if it is a recent arrangement without a sacred intent.
The phenomenon of stacking stones is a perfect example of modern stone arrangements. Park rangers have noticed a dramatic increase in people stacking stones. In some places, park rangers have begun taking them down because they are seen as an intrusion on other park visitors’ experience with nature.
Questions:
- Are stacked stones an artistic expression worthy of protection, or do they represent a sense of personal entitlement to alter the environment and affect the natural beauty of a place for others?
- If a person wants to create a stack of stones as a personal meditation, should they take the stacked stones down when they finish?
- How is a creation made in personal meditation or prayer different from the creation of a medicine wheel by indigenous people in a ceremony in modern times?
Destroyed Petroforms
In the late 1600’s, Jesuit priests began traveling in North America during the Fur Trade Era. These priests described the native people they traveled with as worshiping stones. It was not uncommon for the priests to topple stones or build churches on top of sites the indigenous people considered sacred.
The problem was those stones were not idols. Often, the stones served as local landmarks that could aid travelers. If something important could be found by decoding the information in a petroform, how grateful would someone be to the person or people who put those stones in place?
Please remember petroforms are still very vulnerable. Bannock Point is one example of the negative consequences that can happen when people visit petroform sites. Just because you want to see petroforms doesn’t mean you should. Protecting the remaining petroform and mound sites is important. One way we can do that is by staying away.
Activity: Read “Ancient petroform in Manitoba’s Whiteshell park destroyed”