JASON COHEN
CONTRIBUTOR
President Joe Biden’s administration hosted “Indigenous Knowledge” seminars, including one where a speaker admonished scientist attendees about “disrespecting” knowledge provided by “spirits,” according to a video uncovered by the Washington Free Beacon.
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) told dozens of federal agencies to adopt “Indigenous Knowledge” for “research, policies, and decision making,” in a November 2022 memo. In April, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) hosted a webinar titled “Incorporating Indigenous Knowledges into Federal Research and Management,” in which a speaker warned scientists about “disrespecting” indigenous knowledge, including “spirits.”
“When you ask for knowledge and you take it and use it in a way that you didn’t intend or you misuse it, you’re not only disrespecting that individual that you sought that knowledge from,” Traditional Ecological Knowledge Outreach Specialist Melonee Montano said in the April webinar attended by scientists. “You’re disrespecting the teachers that they obtained the knowledge from. You’re disrespecting those spirits that may have brought that knowledge to them through a dream.” (RELATED: First Nations Critics Say White Professor Shouldn’t Teach Native History)
“The damages may be unseen at times,” Montano added. “However, the damages can be huge and have a major ripple effect throughout time if you don’t make sure you’re protecting that information that you’ve obtained, if you don’t make sure that you’re taking care of those people that have helped to provide those things to you, too.”
The Biden administration promoted the OSTP to a cabinet-level agency in 2021. Moreover, the November OSTP memo also suggests collaborating with “spiritual leaders.” The White House has published over three dozen documents that positively reference “Indigenous Knowledge,” according to the Free Beacon’s investigation. A December memo states the Biden administration acknowledges that “Indigenous Knowledge … contributes to the scientific, technical, social, and economic advancements of the United States.”
On the state level, Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Deputy Director M. Kaleo Manuel advocated for “indigenous knowledge” and delayed a request for water diversion to fight the Maui wildfires due to possible impacts on a local farmer, according to a letter sent by a Hawaiian water management campaign.
Manuel prioritized incorporating “indigenous knowledge to the fields of water advocacy and management in Hawaii,” which allegedly could have contributed to the worsening of the Hawaii wildfires.
The White House, OSTP and USGS did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
Montano is currently on a leave of absence, according to an automatic email response.
What would be precious would having the Biden administration, and Deb Haaland, the Secretary of the Interior, explaining just how that “spirits” do not involve an establishment of religion.
Interior has blocked developments in areas that are “sacred” according to various and sundry Native groups. Just which religions do the US government pay particular attention to?
What I find suspicious is that Native American factions (by no means a whole, or the majority of a recognized tribe) declare sacred the same sort of places ordinary secular Anglo Birkenstock-wearing, tofu eating greens do.
At least one person in the Biden Whitehouse, possibly including Janet Yellen, wish to freely use indigenous medicines like coca, peyote, certain mushrooms, etc.
Wasn’t Yellen the one that gobbled up the psychedelic mushroom dish on a recent China visit?
Finally I understand – the EPA is guided by spiritism.
“However, the damages can be huge and have a major ripple effect throughout time if you don’t make sure you’re protecting that information that you’ve obtained, if you don’t make sure that you’re taking care of those people that have helped to provide those things to you, too.”
When the information that you’ve obtained is that large quantities of water now puts out fires and saves hundreds of lives, you’re NOT taking care of those people burning up on account of a politician’s refusal to cross cultural boundaries and open the valves.
“ You’re disrespecting those spirits that may have brought that knowledge to them through a dream.””
Most of those “dreams” were assisted by hallucinogenics of one sort or another.
Everybody has dreams… why are “indigenous” dreams any more important or relevant..?
…. doesn’t mean we should take note of them or base policy on them.
That is, quite frankly .. ridiculous. !.
Maybe we should ask a bunch of drug addicts what knowledge they obtain during their dreams !
We have, and they’ve kindly written it down for us. Billions around the world refer to it as ‘holy scripture’.
So, you are saying all religion is based on dreams ?
I had some incredibly powerful medication some years ago that gave me strong, vivid ‘waking dreams’. I do remember that in one I had found a cheap, plentiful energy source, solved world hunger and poverty, then ended conflict. Of course, on coming out I found I couldn’t remember a damn thing about it beyond the very vaguest notions but ain’t that always the way – I could have been a teacher of Indiginous Knowledges!
This is what comes of romanticising the previous lives of indigenous peoples. The trope of the noble, happy ‘savage’ is entirely false and capable of creating disasters.
They are now vastly better off in every way than they were before the arrival of colonists but they are so resentful that they will never accept it.
I exclude the vast majority from this comment since it is only a few politically motivated activists who are promoting all the nonsense. Most indigenous peoples are now well integrated and pursuing lives as fulfilling as those of the descendants of the colonists.
I agree with most of what you say except for integration aspects. In the U.S., there are over a hundred recognized tribes and reservations that in many ways imprison their people. Materially they are better off but they are also harmed by the government taking care of them.
Imprisoned? No, they have the choice of leaving.
If you want to speak in these terms, anyone in the US on any from of “welfare” is equally imprisoned by the government by having any form of “natural selection” removed from their future personal enrichment.
After Katrina I saw, and can no longer find, a video of a woman, in front of a large TV with a cable box complaining of the government not providing sufficient “whatever” and continuing with “my whole family has lived here, my grandmother, my mother and my kids” IIRC. A prison created by their total lack of WORK ETHIC.
Funny sign I viewed of the wall of a business, as best as I can recall:
In the old days the men hunted and fished and played at war.
The women grew crops, raised children, tanned the hides, cooked the food and maintained the teepee.
Then the white man came and made everything better.
Sign obiously written by someone who has never spent the night in a teepee.
reply obiously written by someone skilled at typos.
Lets be real.
As with the present “constitutional monarchies” that have, as their Monarchs, the descendants of the last successful murderers, ALL countries, areas, etc. are controlled by the last successful incursion of new people.
The funny thing is that the supposed “waves” of humans that crossed the “land bridge” from Asia to the Americas just created a succession of new peoples either conquering or failing to conquer the the previous “wave”, or driving the previous waves farther south.
The problem for the “first peoples” trope is that they were not the “first peoples”. They were only the last peoples “in charge” when the next wave, in this case mostly Europeans from a more technologically advanced “culture”, arrived.
Melonee? No wonder the Biden administration is going tits up…….
I’ve seen people here justifying burning fossil fuels because the lord gave them to us. Seems some people here want to use “their” spirits when is suits them.
Your lack of comprehension is laughable.
Back to your hallucinogens, little one. Indulge in your “spirits”.
If you don’t “believe” we should be allowed to use them…
… why are you still totally reliant on fossil fuels for your everyday existence?
Can you give us one rational, science-based reason we should not use the fossil fuels that are available for us to use?
No matter who put them there. 😉
Yes, that’s something we see very often: such people blaming our current civilization for ruining their so-called perfect past world in unison with nature, and then driving away in a huge smoking Dodge pickup. The level of hypocrisy there is sometimes really unbelievable.
Hate those dodge pickups….
Yes, certain spirits seem to be favored around here. In my view, all such figments of our imaginations are equally (un)reliable in imparting truths to us.
I prefer a nice robust red wine with a nice steak… or a dry rose with a chicken dish.
Not sure they are counted as “spirits”…. depends on definition, I guess. 😉
Personally when I begin a vision quest, I invoke the spirits of Jura, Talisker and Laphraoig, but only one at a time.
Exactly….
Yes.. the whole AGW is imaginary, based on religious-type constructs.
It is not backed by rational proven science.
AGW is a “belief” system.
Glad you finally realise that.
I had the occasion to experience Gaia worship at the University of Exeter. Literal tree hugger scientists engaged in the equivalent of prayer, becoming so emotional that they actually cried. Definitely there is a religious aspect to their environmentalism.
Exeter University has one of the most rabid Climate Change Departments in the UK.
I’ve always been amazed by the ability of atheists to convince themselves that their religion is the only true one.
“I’ve always been amazed by the ability of atheists to convince themselves that their religion is the only true one.”
Oh dear, mirror time again for the resident hypocrite.
You are the one constantly using fossil fuels when your religion prohibits them.
I’ve always been amazed by the ability of low quality morons such as Simon to see things that were never there.
Oh my, I just realized that Simon has admitted that atheism is just another religion.
So are you defending Biden’s admin encouraging departments to rely on/consider some of the locals’ “spirit dreams” or opposing the policy?
(Or are you just attempting to derail the post as you’ve done before?)
So you don’t believe in a Creator? I guess that means you don’t believe our fundamental rights come from our Creator either. It’s no wonder so many Marxists like you don’t believe in fundamental rights, only the Law of the Jungle.
I don’t believe in fairies or made up creators. I believe in what I see, hear and smell i.e what I can make sense of. Religion causes more trouble than it solves…. in my opinion.
But you do believe in unicorn farts.
Yes, your AGW religion is certainly cause a lot of trouble, especially it solves a problem that doesn’t exist.
Another anti-science atheists who declares that anything that hasn’t been proven, does not exist.
On one hand, we have a handful of individuals stating their personal opinion.
On the other hand we have official government policy.
If you can’t see the difference between the two, then no wonder you buy into the AGW myth.
Well said MarkW
Simon, who believes devotedly in something which demonstrably does not exist (the CAGW Delusion) is completely devoid of any self-knowledge or sense of irony.
I will continue to disrespect every spirit/god/demon/ghost/leprechaun/fairy/unicorn/bigfoot [etc etc] until someone can prove to me that any of those actually exist.
I assume you disrespect the idea of those things. If you just disrespect them, then there is a part of you that accepts their existence.
I disrespect the morons that believe any of that crap.
“I assume you disrespect the idea of those things. If you just disrespect them, then there is a part of you that accepts their existence.”
Huh? So because he disrespects the idea that they exist, that means he really must think they do?
Poor simon.. why is it that you “believe” in crap.??
I may be wrong but my initial reaction of Alexy’s post was that they subscribe to the notion that “love” and “hate” are two sides of the same coin.
With that philosophical outlook the opposite of (emotional) “love” isn’t (emotional) “hate” (/ “disrespect”).
The opposite of both “love” and “hate”, especially regarding other peoples “beliefs”, is (emotionless) “indifference”.
By “morons” you include Newton, Priestly, Einstein etc in your disrespect?
And me of course even though you know very little about me.
Yep….
Pity you don’t take the same attitude to AGW… and warming by human released atmospheric CO2.
CO2 is an evil spirit apparently.
And you can’t see spirits, unless you are Gretta.
What happened to the notion of live and let live.
What is it with atheists and their eagerness to insult anyone who doesn’t worship as they do?
What is it with (some) atheists
Please don’t group us all together. Most I know agree with “live and let live”.
You take the position that anything that hasn’t been proven to exist, doesn’t exist.
How amazingly unscientific of you.
Before the microscope was widely available, many people didn’t believe in germs because they couldn’t see them.
The germs still existed. I’ve never seen an atom. I still believe in them.
I’ve never seen/felt/tasted/smelled/heard a quark. Nor a DNA strand. Nor a gene. I still believe in them.
One thing I believe in that many scientists do not believe exist: ball lightning! Seen it multiple times at my uncle’s old farmhouse in rural Iowa before he had it torn down. Roughly 4 – 5 cm diameter. Truly amazing to one with a physics degree – and still inexplicable to me and my professors. I have no pictures. I couldn’t predict when they would appear (except occasionally during an electrical storm), and they lasted only seconds, skittering around the wood floor until they got close to a grounded object.
Where do the astrologers fit in to this panoply of superstition and ignorance? We are governed by lunatics.
You mean like Reagan and Joan Quigley?
Um, you do know that Ronald Reagan is no longer living?
In our hearts.
You are referencing Nancy Reagan, and her reported insistence on using astrology to set the timing of press conferences?
If so, it doesn’t take much to get you worked up.
But notice the use of only Reagan, without the Nancy, in an attempted smear of Ronald.
Typical liberal, always smear whenever possible, and of course with a red herring.
Making money. The numbers of colleges offering degrees in ‘cultural astronomy’ (astrology) or equivalents is staggering. All you have to do is dress up astrology with a bit of math and some pseudoscience, change the name a bit, and the punters love it, make a mint.
I would say that the moneylenders took over the temple (knowledge, religious and governmental) a while ago and are now completely out of control – pursuit of wealth has become the only driving force these days.
Pseudoscience? Say it isn’t so! We built the SETI system at considerable cost based on predictions of the Drake Equation which precisely determines the number of civilizations we could communicate with in our galaxy!
Well, maybe not precisely, as a quick calculation will result in an answer of zero to billions. Hmm. Actually, that’s not as good as astrology, which can often be yes/no, or true/false, or some other binary result.
Maybe I should have studied astrology. I’m not sure I want to be associated with “scientists” who think the Drake Equation actually says anything.
There is a whole field of Leprechaun knowledge that we should also follow when it suits Irishmen….
The Sidhe, not Leprechauns. All Leprechauns know how to do is make shoes.
And of course every good little scientist will go along with the nonsense for fear that their funding might be affected. Science has lost its value to society because the vast majority of scientists do not have the courage of their convictions. People are now scientists only in the sense that it is a designation on their pay scale.
I joined the staff of an environmental scientific institute a few years ago. Definitely grants/funding is a major driver of the institute’s operations and survival, but there is also a religious-like belief that motivates faculty and students to believe that they are doing something worthwhile.
Many or most of the leadership have been essentially brainwashed to believe CAGW.
It just gets crazier and crazier, ‘dream time’ eh. What comes next ‘deep dream time’ or maybe daily visits to the local volcano to make a sacrifice.
Maybe it is time to make a big pyramid out in the desert so creatures from dream time not yet dreamt can wonder at them and ask why were they built? They will ask the obvious questions, like Why did they not simply dream these crazy big things just at all other reality is but a crystalized dream.
I guess it does explain AOC and Kamala but Joe remains an enigma. More dream time needed, Joe is working hard on that.
Right so this burning man thing again – big thing, out in the desert, people wondering at it, wondering why it was built, right?
Australia has a large, present problem with indigenous knowledge, with plans to alter the Constitution by ba referendum for purposes that are deliberately being kept vague. Referenda are rare and erious stuff.
There is an excellent series af articles in the conservative journal Quadrant (see Quadrant online).
One point is that “indigenous kmowledge” here is nowhere defined or listed or described in any publication available to nthe voting public.
In my personal vi=ew, having spent decades as a miner dealing with access to land and aboriginal impediments, there is a great deal of potential harm from a Yes vote to change the Constitution..A NO vote would not affect indigenous people materially, because nothing much more can or should be done to assist the indigenes as a group. Besides, separate laws for different skin colors, as a YES vote seeks, is plain racism in action.
I’m completely in line with Mr. Biden, that his future health care be based on witch doctors and voodoo care givers. The main message of all this: with religion, one can easily (re)interpret things as whatever the political narrative wants them to be. With science, this is much more difficult since one has either to disregard or manipulate experimental data. It’s clear, why government prefers the former.
Yesterday when he got off the plane for the G conference Creepy Joe spent a minute groping a little girl, then later delivered a “speech” that ended with him standing up front not knowing what planet he was walking on.
I see your proud boy mates got a good few years in prison last week. Great job… traitors.
As every good socialist knows, opposing government is traitorous.
No MarkW…. opposing government by trying to subvert the democratic process (and breaking the law) is traitorous. Those guys deserve all they got.
POLITICAL prisoners.
They were actually trying to make sure the democratic process was observed, rather than circumvented by the Demorats.
“POLITICAL prisoners.”
Yep they are prisoners (just not political ones) in prison who tried to steal the election from the American people. Let them rot there.
Biden et al did the stealing…. everyone knows that.
And yes, the USA is rotting under the Biden Democrats.
One more to get there. Not long now….
My mother always said, “Never end a sentence a preposition with.”
Congratulations, the new low in AGW fear has just been announced.
Yes, Biden doesn’t want the pagan (demonic) gods him and his ilk worship, insulted or rebuked.
In this house we believe in science, superstition, Gaia, sprites and paganism, equally.
Occasionally we say that the “lunatics have taken over the asylum.”
Seldom are we proved to be so completely and utterly correct.
All the climate models have proven wrong.
Why not switch to “spirit dreams”?
In Australia similar embrace of myth and superstition. Australian governments have banned public access to Ayers Rock and Mt Warning summits to appease the spirits. Our CSIRO holds smoking ceremonies to cleanse new offices of evil spirits. The new dark age not far away.
So-called “indigenous knowledge” is what exactly? Who defines that for tribes with only oral but not written histories? How small or large must a tribe be for their “knowledge” to count? What would disqualify their “knowledge” such as conquering or enslaving other tribes or hunting macro-fauna species to extinction?
From what I have read, most tribes in the Americas practiced slavery and participated in over-hunting.
Is there a well-documented, coherent reference book or encyclopedia of worthwhile “indigenous knowledge,” or do these “experts” just pull it out of their nether-regions?
How many generations in a certain place does it take to be considered a native people? I consider myself to be a native Texan after 5 generations here.
Might the underlying inference in the term “indigenous knowledge” really be primitive living (hunter-gatherer) with the intention that we all return to that lifestyle?
If I were present in one of these sessions, I would likely be ushered out and excluded from future meetings.