The first course in the center, “Indigenous Issues and the Environment,” is a cross-cultural look at global climate change, biotechnology, treaty rights and forestry. The students will learn about the indigenous and mainstream perspectives to these issues through use of case histories, says Kimmerer.
The center includes an advisory board of environmental leaders from the Haudenosaunee communities and indigenous educators from around the country. In addition to contributing ideas for curriculum, the board will help establish priorities for the center, such as fund raising and community outreach efforts. The center is also developing partnerships with K-12 institutions and American Indian environmental organizations, and offers scholarships to Haudenosaunee students through the Haudenosaunee Scholar Award program.
“We have the proximity to the Haudenosaunee and the interest of the community and the university,” Kimmerer says.
“It seemed like the right time to bring these two ways of knowing together.”
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