Indigenous Peoples and Technoscience Series

This microcredential series introduces students to the intricate connections between science and technology fields, broader dynamics of colonialism, and increasing demands for Indigenous governance of science and technology. Designed for professionals who work in science and ethics-related fields, these courses provide tangible examples of how non-Indigenous based science has had real-world consequences for Indigenous communities. By highlighting Indigenous accomplishments in the field, these courses outline how to lessen structural barriers for Indigenous science to flourish and how a relational framework is a decolonial way to partner well with Indigenous peoples.

Students who successfully complete this series will be able to:

• Explain the historical and contemporary connections between science and technology and the dynamics of colonialism.
• Deconstruct commonly held conceptions of what science is (e.g. always neutral, apolitical, and “for the good of all”) and how it came to be understood in colonial societies.
• Describe the roles science plays and the responsibilities it has to societies and environments, particularly those relating to Indigenous peoples
• Analyze historical and contemporary relationships between Indigenous people and science and technology.
• Forecast how Indigenous-driven approaches to science and technology projects can strengthen and extend Indigenous governance and self-determination.