Professor Jerry Coyne: Indigenous “ways of knowing” invade Canadian science classes

I’ve spent a lot of time pushed many electrons going after the fallacy in New Zealand that indigenous “ways of knowing”—in this case from the Māori—are just as valid as so-called “Western ways of knowing,” which is what Kiwi progressives call “science”. You can see my pieces here, but there are many.

This sacralization of the oppressed, whereby the beliefs of minorities are given extra credibility, has now spread to Canada, a pretty woke place. Lawrence Krauss, who now lives in British Columbia, was astonished and depressed to find indigenous (Native American) superstitions treated as science in the secondary-school curriculum.

From BreakingViews archives: Brian Gill - Who promotes science thinking when everyone defers to culture?

With New Zealand science agencies shy to push the general power and wonder of science, and instead applauding ethnic world views, the science view-point flounders.

The seven University of Auckland academics whose letter to the Listener in July 2021 provoked what a former newspaper editor called "the full, vindictive fury of the woke academic left", weren't just concerned that a government educational working group proposed making science and Maori knowledge of the natural world equivalent in the school science curriculum. They also worried generally about "disturbing misunderstandings of science emerging at all levels of education and in science funding".

Kevin: Another One Who Doesn’t Get Freedom of Speech

Anne Salmond.

Newsroom’s series of articles on the Free Speech Union has been illuminating.

Perhaps the most entertaining was David Williams’ account of their AGM in Christchurch, which featured the Wizard of Christchurch, Brian Tamaki and ‘prominent conspiracy influencer’ Chantelle Baker as well as Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers’ Union and Eric Crampton from the New Zealand Initiative.

Note the subtle put down of using the word entertaining.

David Farrar: Science is back

The 2025 Marsden Fund grants have been announced, and finally they are now overwhelmingly going on hard science, rather than politics. I’ve updated my comparison table below.

Robert Bartholomew: We Can't Value ‘Ancient Wisdom’ Over Scientific Fact

Over the past decade there has been an explosion of interest in indigenous knowledge. The United States, Canada, Australia, and South Africa have been at the forefront of the movement to integrate ‘ancient wisdom’ with modern science and decision-making by applying it to everything from public health to climate change. The appeal is both understandable and alluring. For millennia, indigenous cultures have accumulated a vast repository of information that has helped them to adapt and survive. Prior to European contact, the Quechua of the Andes used quinine from the bark of the cinchona tree to treat fevers. It later proved to be the first effective treatment for malaria. Salicin from the willow tree was used by tribes in the Americas to treat pain, fever, and inflammation and led to the development of aspirin. The active ingredient in snakeroot, reserpine, was used for centuries by native peoples in India to treat high blood pressure and was adopted by Western physicians as an early treatment for hypertension. From stellar navigation to sophisticated construction techniques, agricultural innovations, and hunting strategies, indigenous knowledge has made significant contributions to human progress.

David Lillis: Intertwining Knowledge Systems?

Traditional Beliefs in Science?

Dr. Holly Winton has published a thought-provoking piece in The Conversation of 16 July (Winton, 2025). Evidently, Dr. Winton wishes to see intertwining of traditional knowledge with modern global science. My reaction to her piece is that it discusses some appealing traditional ideas about nature, but over-promises on what traditional knowledge can deliver in the world of today. Here I quote from her article and give my reactions.

Chris Morrison: Sensational Findings Point to Hunga Tonga Eruption....

Sensational Findings Point to Hunga Tonga Eruption as Prime Suspect Behind Recent Temperature Spike

In January 2022, a massive underwater volcano called Hunga Tonga suddenly erupted and shot so much water into the upper atmosphere that levels in the stratosphere rose suddenly by at least 10%. It was a genuine one in 100, even 200 year event and was reasonably expected to produce temporary weather changes around the globe. Sure enough, subsequent temperatures showed a 0.3-0.4°C upward spike.

Bob Edlin: PM’s turbocharging plan...

Science sector is overhauled and overseas investment fostered as part of the PM’s turbocharging plan (but is hot air involved?)

Hot air – by the sounds of things – is, or will be, making a vital contribution to the country’s economic recovery.

The PoO team (we acknowledge) is not strong on the intricacies of turbocharging. But we determined to learn more after the PM proclaimed:

Joanna Nova: The U.K. gov wants to “de-westernize” science

Let’s not put race politics in our science lessons

Science has no race — it is true, or it isn’t. But once we start deleting one race or judging one scientific hero by the color of their skin, we can still make science lessons racist. It’s just another anti-white virtue-signalling thing. Instead of teaching children how the world works, someone thinks we should teach them topics that make the Minister sound good at UN cocktail parties.

David Lillis and John Raine: New Zealand Science in 2025 and Beyond

Science for Public Good and Economic Benefit

This article focuses on the critical issues that must be addressed in order for research and development (R&D) to deliver positively for New Zealand’s people, environment and economy. These issues include the total investment in R&D, levels of funding for basic, applied and other forms of research, the intrusion of ideology within research, and the diminution of excellence as a condition of funding. In addition, they include the re-design of New Zealand’s funding instruments and the need to ensure excellent quality in all research, particularly in research that may influence policy.

Professor Jerry Coyne: The ideologically captured scientists of New Zealand

The Conversation, which seems a reputable and often interesting site, now has some dire results of a survey of non-Māori New Zealand scientists. The new survey shows that many (but thank goodness not all) of these have been captured by the drive to sacralize the indigenous Māori “ways of knowing, or Mātauranga Māori (MM).

MM does contain some empirical knowledge, mostly of the practical sort like how to catch fish or when to harvest berries, but also includes religion, morality, the supernatural (the ubiquitous vitalism called mauri), guides to behavior, legends and word of mouth, and other non-scientific concepts that many see as “ways of knowing.”

David Lillis: Holding Our Journals to Account

Rejecting Articles for Publication

Recently, I have been informed that a number of articles written by scientists or other researchers have been rejected for publication by New Zealand journals.  

 

Every journal has the right to decline to publish and we must accept decisions made by reviewers and, presumably, by editorial teams. However, some of these articles were intended to correct errors of scientific fact in prior articles which had indeed been published.

David Farrar: Marsden Fund goes even more woke

In September I looked at the proportion of Marsden Fund grants that go towards actual science over time. The summary was:

David Lillis: Respectful Relations between Science and Traditional Knowledge

The following article was submitted to ACCESS: Contemporary Issues in Education (https://pesaagora.com/access-journal/) but was rejected. In declining to publish, the reviewers’ comments were very curious indeed! Readers of Breaking Views might be interested in reading it.  

Science and Traditional Knowledge 

A recent article makes a call for improved debate on science and Māori knowledge (Stewart et al., 2024). The authors suggest that respectful dialogue and greater understandings of the history and philosophy of both science and Māori education are necessary in order to prevent the invalid denigration of Māori knowledge. We agree with the stated need for respectful relations but, in addition, we believe that New Zealand needs a clear consensus on the relative positions of modern science and traditional knowledge within our wider innovation system. However, we will not reach such an agreement as long as traditional knowledge is being pushed politically within education and science.

Professor Jerry Coyne: Māori academics finally admit that their way of knowing is not science....

Māori academics finally admit that their way of knowing is not science, but asserts that it is better than science because the truth is “both factual and ethically value-laden”

The “Listener letter” appeared in 2021, signed by 7 professors at the University of Auckland (see it here) in New Zealand. It was a response to the drive (still going on) to teach indigenous “ways of knowing”, Mātauranga Māori (MM), as coequal with science in science classes. The letter argued that while MM was of great value in understanding local culture, its nature was fundamentally different from that of modern science, and therefore MM should not inhabit the science classroom. If it did, they argued, this would only confuse New Zealand students about the nature and practice of science. A quote from the letter:

David Lillis: Science and the New Zealand Media

Information or Misinformation?

Recently Professor Jerry Coyne wrote a piece on traditional approaches to treating dieback in Kauri trees (Coyne, 2024). Of course, the main problem here is that sometimes public money is spent on the pursuit of ideas that have little or no scientific basis, or at least have not been verified scientifically. Another issue is the possible misleading of the public at large on matters that have to do with science and education. 

Barry Soper: This week's announcement is a relief for the scientific community

Twenty years ago, the naysayers were telling us the world was about to mutate, we'd see all sorts of weird things appearing on our supermarket shelves and on our streets and in our streams, like two headed fish - at least it would have doubled the chance of catching one!

But while the rest of the world turned their back on this country, leaving it to wallow in its mantra of 100 percent New Zealand Pure, which the former Aussie Prime Minister Scott Morrison claims to have penned when he was working for image makers in Wellington, they got on with the science of genetics.

Professor Jerry Coyne: In Science, fifteen New Zealand researchers criticize the initiative to teach indigenous “ways of knowing” as science

Two letters have just been published in Science signed by a total of 15 scientists, all criticizing the first article below (published in Science last February), a piece arguing for teaching indigenous knowledge (including N.Z.’s version, Mātauranga Māori) alongside science in the science classroom. (Click to read.) Now the authors, after being criticized, denied that they really meant what they argued in this paper:

David Lillis and Peter Schwerdtfeger: Enhancing Science, Innovation and Technology in New Zealand

The Science System Advisory Group has been established by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment in order to provide advice to Government on science, innovation and technology. It will review challenges and aspirations of the sector and its structure, efficiency and effectiveness. A two-part report will be published; the first delivered end of June and the second in October. The first part will focus on principles for the sector and providing advice and recommendations. The second will provide final recommendations and advice on long-term changes in order to ensure the future success of science in New Zealand.

Lushington D. Brady: How the Climate Cult Have Wrecked Science

Anyone who prattles about a “climate emergency”, or that climate change is an existential threat to life on Earth, almost certainly hasn’t read the scientific literature. Instead, they’re relying solely on the mainstream media, who are parroting press releases, written by activists, for politicians.