Funds of Knowledge

“The culture of the student can only enter the classroom once it has entered the mind of the teacher.”

I have been continually amazed at the depth and range of funds of knowledge that children here in Vanuatu are absorbing from birth.

The term 'funds of knowledge' refers to "historically accumulated and culturally developed bodies of knowledge and skills essential for household or individual functioning and well-being" (Greenberg, 1989; Tapia, 1991; Velez-lbfaez, 1988). 

Here's just a few examples of the rich funds of knowledge children here are absorbing in every day life.  

Food resources - where to find it, which ones are good, and which ones are 'taboo'. Also, seasonal understanding, planting methods, soil enrichment methods and most recently the impacts of climate change.

Self sufficiency, resourcefulness, the symbolic uses of food in customs and ceremonies, and the fundamental value that food brings people together. Food is to be shared.

Food is community.

Children learn to use knives as tools as soon as they can hold one in their hands.

Using a knife is essential knowledge here for collecting food and other resources from the land. These responsibilities are given to the children as they get older.  

Weaving mats, baskets, fashioning tools out of wood are all funds of knowledge that children develop in the early years. Adults hold a positive view of children as competent and confident and are given important family responsibilities from a very young age.

The naturally raw and challenging landscapes here along with rich local food sources support children's physicality. Sport is played with a unique style and flair. It is important that we see this natural sporting ability as just one of many funds of knowledge pacific peoples possess. 

 

Something that is very strong here is the ability to problem solve with the sparse resources that can be available - particularly in rural areas. This is a very rich knowledge fund that Ni-Vanuatu tap into that inspires the development of creativity and innovation. Here below are photos of a hydraulic robot that you can use to pick up the cup and move it around. It is made mainly out of cardboard, with plastic piping and syringes as the controls.

Our Pacific peoples are not just sportspeople, or entertainers, we are scientists, we are engineers, we are innovators.

Cultural pride and identity. There are many customs and celebrations that take place here where children learn the songs, dance and inherent cultural beliefs. There is much  pride and joy associated with these events. These customs are not simply entertainment but they are every day reality here. They serve as powerful vehicles for social connection and the passing down of cultural wisdom.

 Story telling here is another important strand of culture woven into every day life here.Some of the most enjoyable experiences I have had during my travels have been when the sun goes down, with no mobile coverage or televisions we would sit in circles and share stories. Children's recall knowledge and use of expression is just exquisite.

Language diversity is something I have touched on already. Children here will speak as many as four to six languages by the time they are six years old. How do we as early childhood practitioners embrace these funds of knowledges in a way that truely honours the child?

Faith and spirituality here are the fabric of Ni-Vanuatu society. This aspect deserves an entire post on it's own. 

Everyday before they leave for school my three nieces will hold hands and pray for a good day.

A children's fellowship I attended in Santo was busy collecting donations for the evacuees from the island of Ambae as a result of volcanic activity.

In the same way we honour Māori spirituality and beliefs, in order to truely honour Pacific peoples it is essential to find ways to incorporate faith and spirituality into our planning, assessment and evaluation systems.

 There are other funds of knowledge that are passed on here, not in a physical way, but in a more intangible way. People here talk about ways of being, knowing and doing residing 'in our blood'. 

Traditional sailing and navigation is experiencing a revival amongst Pacific youth because of what it stirs in the blood - a deep connection to our ancestors, and a sense of pride and confidence that drives the emergence of new forms of Pacific leadership.   

Pacific peoples take their ancestors with them wherever they go. In my family, the words of my great grandfather, his prayers, his aspirations for his family are still held close, and we are encouraged to walk in his footprints. This encourages me to 'story' with our own Pacific families, and learn more about who in their cultural lineage - past and present - provided leadership models for their families and how we can weave these values into children's educational experiences.

If we are truely listening to children, their whānau, their ways of being, doing and knowing, then we will find rich opportunities for utilising these funds of knowledge that Pacific children bring with them into the learning environment as vehicles for educational success. 

Rather than moulding children from Pacific/Indigenous heritages to fit into a system usually underpinned by a mainstream world view, as in the metaphor of a 'whatu pokeko' the learning must be determined by the shape of the child. We need to take time to build authentic connections, to stop being busy, and listen with all our senses for the moments when children eventually share these funds of knowledge, their unique taonga with us.

 These funds of knowledge won't always immediately fit, they may seem at odds with what we know or what we value. Therefore consistent critical reflection on our practice, and in collaboration with Pacific communities is required to enable us to look deeper. Only then can we begin to transform how we go about deciding which ways of being, doing and knowing are valued, and how we assess it, in order to ensure Pasifika success.

This isn't optional. We understand this. We speak to this. We then need to act upon it.