The University of Maine is teaming up with the University of Massachusetts to create a new center to study the incorporation of indigenous knowledge into modern science, including climate change research.
The Center for Braiding Indigenous Knowledges and Science was recently awarded $30 million by the National Science Foundation.
Bonnie Newsom is one of the principal investigators and an associate professor of anthropology at UMaine.
"This is kind of bringing together our best knowledges in different circles for the benefit of all," Newsom said.
Newsom says researchers will work with native communities to identify areas of study relating to climate change, food systems and cultural preservation.
"So that's the ultimate goal, is to get to that point where indigenous knowledge is no longer marginalized," she said.
Using the term "braiding" for the center was intentional, Newsom says. The idea is to bring several strands of knowledge together in a way that strengthens the whole, without losing the integrity of the pieces.
