59
interwoven fabric of long-standing cultural patterns that connected the patterns of nature. The building of shelters and the establishment of temporary to semi- permanent settlements was part of everyday learning and a critically important aspect for survival (Van der Ryn, 2005, p. 137). In Aboriginal
culture this form-making was closely linked to the cycles of weather, climate and natural phenomena.
As Aboriginal Elder Aunty Veronica Brodie explains, life is part of one vast network of relationships,
which can be traced back to original Aboriginal wisdom (Brodie, 1994). Knowledge of the environment was very deep, and consciousness was formulated in the context of wholeness. Van der Ryn
refers to this stage of human development as ‘magical consciousness’ where oral language and the
graphic image and symbol were at the heart of awareness. It can be argued that the circle and spiral
were representative of natural phenomena and oneness with the larger whole, reflecting their state of
equilibrium with nature (Van der Ryn, 2005).
In Notes on the Synthesis of Form, Alexander (1964, p. 48) records that part of the bigger whole,
subsystems that operate independently to create form in oneness, is fundamental to the process of
‘unselfconscious cultures’
2
in building their structures and settlements. Patterns of tradition, myth and
the use of materials are constant and link to nature (environment) from where these materials are used.
Indigenous cultures will only introduce change to their form-producing systems if there are powerful
and obvious interventions to the existing stage of equilibrium, and these changes accommodate a
prolonged adaptive process. Ancient cultures and traditions, the ‘unselfconscious cultures’, were in
essence formulated on the basis of adaptation linked to a cyclical process.
The aim of this chapter is thus to explore the role and values that Australian Aboriginal knowledge
can bring to this narrative of the regenerative- adaptive pattern language, more specifically on a
deeper understanding of the interconnections of people and their natural environment. Further, this
will provide Aboriginal insights on historical adaption practices and the potential of including their
chronicles as input to a regenerative- adaptive pattern language, and possibly providing answers for
regeneration and adaptation strategies to assist sustainable development.
5.2 Indigenous Knowledge and Western Science
The understanding and potential application of Indigenous knowledge is different from the usual
Western science discourse. This is because Indigenous knowledge is holistic, connected in storytelling with many parts that makes up the whole. Indigenous knowledge, as a way of knowing, is similar
to western science in that it is based on an accumulation of observations. However, it is very different
from western science in many fundamental ways. These two ways of knowing are parallel methods of
acquiring knowledge about the earth and the universe, but distinct from each other. In both Western
Scientific and Australian Aboriginal knowledge (Indigenous knowledge), information is organized to
include experience as well as beliefs into ‘knowledge’. Smylie et al. (2003) summarise the two systems as follows:
In Western knowledge systems this process involves the organization of individual data into abstract theoretical
systems, composed of multiple components, each of which requires a ‘specialist’ to be fully understood. In
Indigenous knowledge systems, generation of knowledge starts with ‘stories’ as the base units of knowledge,
proceeds to ‘knowledge’, an integration of the values and processes described in the stories, and then accumulates into ‘wisdom’, an experiential distillation of knowledge. This process can be viewed as cyclical, as “wisdom” keepers in turn generate new ‘stories’ as a way of disseminating what they know (Smylie et al., 2003,
p. 141)
2 Christopher Alexander identifies the Traditional People (Indigenous people) as ‘unselfconscious cultures’, and the
modern-day western people as ‘self-conscious cultures’. The distinction is made in the context of architecture and the
built form, where the ‘unselfconscious cultures’ built form evolved due to functionality, use, and the direct connection
to the natural environment, and on the other hand ‘self-conscious cultures’ built form evolved due to art, architecture
and engineering, a trait that forces an egoistic view of the achievement of ‘self’ (Alexander, 1964).
5.2 Indigenous Knowledge and Western Science
interwoven fabric of long-standing cultural patterns that connected the patterns of nature. The building of shelters and the establishment of temporary to semi- permanent settlements was part of everyday learning and a critically important aspect for survival (Van der Ryn, 2005, p. 137). In Aboriginal
culture this form-making was closely linked to the cycles of weather, climate and natural phenomena.
As Aboriginal Elder Aunty Veronica Brodie explains, life is part of one vast network of relationships,
which can be traced back to original Aboriginal wisdom (Brodie, 1994). Knowledge of the environment was very deep, and consciousness was formulated in the context of wholeness. Van der Ryn
refers to this stage of human development as ‘magical consciousness’ where oral language and the
graphic image and symbol were at the heart of awareness. It can be argued that the circle and spiral
were representative of natural phenomena and oneness with the larger whole, reflecting their state of
equilibrium with nature (Van der Ryn, 2005).
In Notes on the Synthesis of Form, Alexander (1964, p. 48) records that part of the bigger whole,
subsystems that operate independently to create form in oneness, is fundamental to the process of
‘unselfconscious cultures’
2
in building their structures and settlements. Patterns of tradition, myth and
the use of materials are constant and link to nature (environment) from where these materials are used.
Indigenous cultures will only introduce change to their form-producing systems if there are powerful
and obvious interventions to the existing stage of equilibrium, and these changes accommodate a
prolonged adaptive process. Ancient cultures and traditions, the ‘unselfconscious cultures’, were in
essence formulated on the basis of adaptation linked to a cyclical process.
The aim of this chapter is thus to explore the role and values that Australian Aboriginal knowledge
can bring to this narrative of the regenerative- adaptive pattern language, more specifically on a
deeper understanding of the interconnections of people and their natural environment. Further, this
will provide Aboriginal insights on historical adaption practices and the potential of including their
chronicles as input to a regenerative- adaptive pattern language, and possibly providing answers for
regeneration and adaptation strategies to assist sustainable development.
5.2 Indigenous Knowledge and Western Science
The understanding and potential application of Indigenous knowledge is different from the usual
Western science discourse. This is because Indigenous knowledge is holistic, connected in storytelling with many parts that makes up the whole. Indigenous knowledge, as a way of knowing, is similar
to western science in that it is based on an accumulation of observations. However, it is very different
from western science in many fundamental ways. These two ways of knowing are parallel methods of
acquiring knowledge about the earth and the universe, but distinct from each other. In both Western
Scientific and Australian Aboriginal knowledge (Indigenous knowledge), information is organized to
include experience as well as beliefs into ‘knowledge’. Smylie et al. (2003) summarise the two systems as follows:
In Western knowledge systems this process involves the organization of individual data into abstract theoretical
systems, composed of multiple components, each of which requires a ‘specialist’ to be fully understood. In
Indigenous knowledge systems, generation of knowledge starts with ‘stories’ as the base units of knowledge,
proceeds to ‘knowledge’, an integration of the values and processes described in the stories, and then accumulates into ‘wisdom’, an experiential distillation of knowledge. This process can be viewed as cyclical, as “wisdom” keepers in turn generate new ‘stories’ as a way of disseminating what they know (Smylie et al., 2003,
p. 141)
2 Christopher Alexander identifies the Traditional People (Indigenous people) as ‘unselfconscious cultures’, and the
modern-day western people as ‘self-conscious cultures’. The distinction is made in the context of architecture and the
built form, where the ‘unselfconscious cultures’ built form evolved due to functionality, use, and the direct connection
to the natural environment, and on the other hand ‘self-conscious cultures’ built form evolved due to art, architecture
and engineering, a trait that forces an egoistic view of the achievement of ‘self’ (Alexander, 1964).
5.2 Indigenous Knowledge and Western Science