Planting the Good Seeds of Understanding Indigenous Science
Why Manoomin Learning?
Just as there is a rice native to Southeast Asia, there was, and still is, a rice native to the Northeastern Woodlands. This rice is known as Manoomin in Anishinaabemowin, the language of the Anishinaabe Peoples. When translated into English, this means “wild rice.” However, this translation only tells part of the story. A deeper understanding of the word Manoomin reveals its true meaning: the good seed.
Manoomin Learning is guided by the spirit of the good seed and is dedicated to planting these seeds of education and understanding related to Indigenous Peoples, science (STEM), ways of knowing, and perspectives.
We are committed to continually nurturing these seeds by fostering an educational environment that honours heritage, supports growth, and nourishes the minds of those we serve.
Servicing Southern Ontario in person, and worldwide online!
About Nimkii Brad Howie
MES, BSc
Proud Member of Nipissing First Nation
Lead Educator and Owner of Manoomin Learning
My name is Nimkii Brad Howie, and I am many things: a scientist, educator, curriculum writer, and business owner. I am also a proud Anishinaabe and a member of Nipissing First Nation.
My work today is rooted in my story and lived experience. My mother is a survivor of the Sixties Scoop. As a result of this government policy, which forcibly removed Indigenous children from their families and placed them into Euro-Canadian households, my mother lost access to her culture, language, and heritage. That loss unfortunately did not end with her, being passed on to the next generation.
Growing up, I didn’t strongly identify with any culture. Instead, I eventually grew into identifying as a scientist. To follow that passion, I went to university to study biochemistry and environmental science. When I graduated, I felt that I was a well-rounded scientist. What I later came to understand, however, was that I was a well-rounded Western scientist.
As I reached adulthood, I also reached the realization that I wanted, and needed, to learn more about my Anishinaabe heritage, particularly Anishinaabe science. I learned almost immediately that if you want to understand Indigenous science, you must first understand the culture, the perspectives, the worldview, and the glue that holds it all together: the language.
As I continued learning about both Western science and Indigenous (Anishinaabe) science, I began to feel as though these paths were diverging. Over time, and with much reflection and guidance from many teachers, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, I came to understand something different. Western and Indigenous sciences are not combative, they are complementary.
Science is an incredibly complex discipline, yet it can be understood by focusing on its most foundational elements. At its core, science is about asking and answering questions about natural phenomena, whether chemical, biological, or physical, and generating reproducible results over generations.
What we typically learn and engage with in our educational system is Western science, a system deeply shaped by European perspectives and worldviews. Yet every culture on Earth has developed its own scientific knowledge, its own ways of asking questions and understanding the natural world. Western science is powerful and can tell us a great deal about the universe and everything within it. But it also has gaps. Through my learning, I have come to understand that many of these gaps can be addressed through Indigenous science.
While science remains one of my greatest interests, my true gifts and passions lie in education. Through my experiences and through the work I do with Manoomin Learning, my teaching practice has expanded beyond science alone. My work now centres on supporting deeper understanding of Indigenous Peoples, perspectives, pedagogies, and ways of knowing, and helping others see how Indigenous science and Western science can exist together, in relationship.
Manoomin Learning: Working in Relationship
Below is a short list of the organizations I have had the opportunity to work with. Over time, this work has grown to include more than 50 organizations, spanning elementary, secondary, and post-secondary education, as well as environmental and Indigenous organizations.
Teaching Philosophies
As a devoted educator, I draw inspiration from and adhere to my core teaching philosophies. While many pedagogies inform my teaching practice, the following are among the most important.
Inquiry-Based Learning
My teaching practice is grounded in Indigenous (Anishinaabe) pedagogies and epistemological approaches. One of the Indigenous pedagogical methods that most strongly shapes my work is inquiry-based learning, an approach that can be used by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous educators.
Through this approach, I foster a reciprocal and circular learning environment by posing thoughtful, open-ended questions and inviting reflection. Within this approach, both the teacher and the student are essential to the on their own knowledge, lived experience, and ways of understanding the world.
Accessibility for All Peoples
If we understand the meaning of akinoomagewin, we learn that one does not need to be a scientist to understand the natural world, and all the beings within. All we have to be is human, as it is our role and responsibility to learn about all our relations, and how to live with them in ways grounded in respect and reciprocity. I carry this equality and accessibile approach to learning science throughout all of my teaching practice. I strive to design learning experiences, programs, and curriculum that are accessible to the audiences I am working with. I firmly believe that difficulty in learning is rarely about how complex the content is, but rather about how that content is taught and made meaningful.
The land as the Teacher
In Anishinaabemowin, the word often translated as “education” is akinoomagewin. While this English translation is accurate on the surface, it does not capture the full meaning of the word. The true translation of akinoomagewin is “teachings from the Earth, conducted on the Earth.” Put simply, Anishinaabe education comes from learning about the land herself, and the beings who live upon her. These relationships inform, shape, and influence all aspects of Indigenous cultures. Guided by this understanding, I hold the belief that the land, and the beings of the land, are our greatest teachers and source of wisdom.