As Western scientists grow more attuned to interrelationships through the study of fractal geometry, chaos and complexity, Kawagley points out, they come closer to the Native thought-world that rests on pattern and form in space and place. This may help in teaching Native students, he says, who often have difficulty visualizing abstract mathematical concepts and their application to real life. It underscores the interrelated nature of the disciplines, by bringing together the social, historical, economic, political, scientific, and other aspects of any place in a complex mosaic of understanding. It helps people learn to live well where they are, solving local problems and increasing stability. It promotes maturity and wisdom.
People learn who they are by studying where they are and where they come from.
It goes hand in hand with a vital civic life, in which school and community exist to serve each other. And though children are to be nurtured, they are also regarded as citizens with a place and function in their community. School should not follow the social service model of treatment and rehabilitation of problems, Garden Acosta argues. It should center instead on community development, which depends on trust and respect for humans' ability to live on common ground. In Chicago, the exterior walls of James Johnson Elementary School are scrubbed clean of graffiti and the neighboring park is safe and clean, thanks to years of elbow grease, phone calls and dogged legwork by principal Mattie Tyson and her team of teachers and community supporters.