Consultant in science education Paper presented at the Fifth
UNESCO-ACEID International Conference "Reforming Learning,
Curriculum and Pedagogy: Innovative Visions for the New
Century", Bangkok, Thailand, 13-16 December 1999. Issues
surrounding the education of Indigenous peoples are examined in
terms of cultural diversity and equality, two themes in the Work
plan of APEID and other UNESCO documents. Indigenous peoples
have expressed concerns about the loss of identity and culture
in the modern world. Their traditional ecological knowledge is
being more highly valued by scientists and environmentalists,
yet it is being lost through loss of identity and the links with
the land. Indigenous ways of thinking are marginalised by the
Western knowledge system, ownership structures are being
devalued and some traditional ecological knowledge used by
outsiders for economic gain. Indigenous knowledge is holistic
rather than diverse and inclusive of all aspects of life, yet
many Indigenous peoples see the need for acces