Respecting Aboriginal Knowing in the Academy

Over the last decade, I have articulated what I have termed “A Conceptual Framework of Aboriginal Knowing.” The understanding that I bring to this originates out of my lived experience with traditional knowledge holders, and an examination of the literature pertaining to the ontology and epistemology of Aboriginal knowing, Aboriginal ethics or guiding principles, and the characteristics of Aboriginal knowledge transmission. This descriptive analysis gathers together a range of conceptualizations to build a comprehensive graphic for understanding how the literature describes Aboriginal knowledge. I believe this conceptual framework can be utilized to broaden our understanding of how we can develop and maintain respectful relationships and processes as we incorporate Aboriginal knowledge within our work in the academy.