Conference to celebrate Aboriginal science success

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Aboriginal people from across the country involved in science and technology will get a chance to gather in Saskatoon next month to celebrate their successes, share their experiences, and discuss ways to mesh science and technology with traditional knowledge.

Celebrating Aboriginal Scientific Successes: Integration of Science, Technology and Traditional Knowledge in Today's Environment is the theme of the conference, the sixth national gathering to be coordinated by the Canadian Aboriginal Science and Technology Society (CASTS). The society, formed in 1992, works to increase the number of Aboriginal people involved in science and technology-related careers. The conference will be held Sept. 18 to 20 at the Saskatoon Inn.

Among the presenters scheduled to take part in the conference are astronaut Dr. Roberta Bondar, the first Canadian woman in space; Dr. Angayuqaq Oscar Kawagley, an associate professor of education at the University of Alaska, and co-director of the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative, which works to integrate Indigenous and western knowledge through a renewed education system; and Dr. Leroy Little Bear, one of the founders of the Native American studies department at the University of Lethbridge and founding director of the Harvard University Native American program, whose fields of research have included comparisons of Indigenous and Western sciences.

Six forums are planned as part of the conference. During the science and technology forum, participants will get a chance to discuss the research they are involved in, while the traditional knowledge forum will examine ways traditional knowledge has been incorporated into modern practices.

The health forum will give participants an opportunity to discuss health research and sciences, as well as health issues affecting the Aboriginal community, while the environment forum will allow for discussion of environmental science issues of interest to Aboriginal people.

The final two forums look to the future, with an education forum focusing on ways educators can reach out to Aboriginal youth to encourage them to enter science and technology areas of study, and a careers forum allowing potential employers and education institutes to promote opportunities that exist for Aboriginal people interested in science or technology professions.

For more information contact conference co-ordinator Philip McCloskey at 306-5533, or by e-mail at conference.coordinator@usask.ca, or visit the conference Web site at www. usask.ca/casts2003/.