2. The relationship between stories and theory was discussed at multiple points in Brayboy's article. Can any story be a theory, and, in contrast, can any theory be dismissed as a story? In what ways are stories better at articulating realities than theories? Take for example our reading of "The Country of the Blind" by HG Wells; through a parallel, unreal world, Wells brings forth the interplay of many theories within one story. Does the interpretable nature of a story threaten those who want a clear-cut theory? Can something easily dismissed be threatening?
3. Brayboy defines power as "the ability to survive rooted in
the capacity to adapt and adjust to changing landscapes, times, ideas,
circumstances, and situations" (11). How does this definition challenge, agree with, and/or extend our class's understanding of power? Do you find this definition to be adequate?
Group 1 Questions:
ReplyDelete1) The second tenet of TribalCrit is that colonization is endemic in society. Brayboy writes, "White supremacy has a long history and is still pervasive in the U.S. For example, the modern-day canon that revolves around an established set of readings or ‘‘classics’’ (Shakespeare and Dickinson are classics, but Louis Owens and Zitkala-Sa are not) is one way White supremacy gets played out in colleges and universities." I was particularly struck by this example because it is entirely true in my experience. In college, I NEVER read any material by an Indian author. Even my history classes (which were part of the required core curriculum) were extremely euro-centric and made little mention of Indians even during the topic of colonization. It's quite disturbing to admit that my first encounter with an Indian author was this past Fall in my teaching reading class when we were discussing "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie.
This leads me to ask: In your k-12 education, did you read any works by Indian authors? Did you read any works in college? How will you counteract the colonization engrained in education?
2) Once again, we as teachers must reflect on what type of knowledge we consider as legitimate in the classroom. Brayboy writes, "Knowledge is defined by TribalCrit as the ability to recognize change, adapt, and move forward with the change." As Brayboy notes, many of us view Indigenous knowledge and academic knowledge as conflicting, when in fact the two can inform one another.
My question is: In an educational system with standardized tests and highly regimented schedules, how can we ensure that we fail to recognize other types of knowledge aside from academic knowledge (like cultural knowledge, for instance)?