Marshall Islanders constructed what the author refers to as meddo, rebbelith, and mattang out of palm ribs and coconut fibres for use as training devices for navigators of the area. With over 1,000 islands and inlets in the Marshall Island system, the interactions of land, sea, and air were of vital importance to the navigators. Just as Western Navigators used compasses, maps, and charts for navigation, the people of the Marshall islands utilized the meddo, rebbelith, and mattang for navigation. Of particular interest to the author was the mattang, a device used in the training of navigators (a duty passed on from generation to generation) to describe the "complicated and distinctive interaction of modified swells that are the landmarks which the Marshallese navigators learn to read and interpret". The curves on the mattang pictured below (with a little description) represent swells approaching land masses. Straight pieces of palm rib represent the direction of the prevailing wind, an important factor to consider during navigation. It is an intricate device which the author spends 10 pages describing, so for a better description, take a look at the article. It should be noted however, that these devices were not carried with the navigators on their voyages! All of the information and cues from the mattang were taken to memory!
The ways in which the Marshallese conducted their navigation compared to Western traditions is an interesting comparison. While there are agreements on how to sail in regards to wind directions, the Marshallese generalize the system with respect to earth, air, and atmosphere, which all interact into one system. The Marshallese were also very adamant that the mattang were relevant to oceans and land masses anywhere and everywhere. It is interesting to compare this to our idea of "science" where we consider the theories to be applicable anywhere and everywhere. What was particularly striking to me was that the Marshallese described oceanographic phenomena without an explicit mention of mathematics. It is indeed difficult, having grown up in western culture, to imagine physical phenomena without the use of our mathematics. Of course, the question of why mathematics be necessary in the descriptions of physical phenomena has been of great philosophical debate throughout the years, and the author notes this as well.
Having never been exposed to articles on ethnomathematics, I have to say that I'm even more intrigued than I was before. I've always thought that the idea of the field could bring a really beautiful, human aspect to mathematics, that is often lost in modern culture. After reading this article, and the quite intricate mathematical analysis (using "our" math), I am quite eager to learn more!
It's remarkable that these navigational maps have been committed to memory. I have been doing some research for a Stanley Park tour, and it is my understanding that the Tsleil-Waututh have a knowledge of the currents underneath the Lions Gate Bridge (First Narrows); these are, apparently, very strong currents which were navigated by First Nations peoples for hundreds of years, including recently the late Pauline Johnson. I wonder what mathematical properties lie embedded within the navigational system; certainly, there is a great deal of vector calculus and knowledge of the directions of work and countering forces which would be involved in navigating a watercraft across the inlet.
ReplyDeleteWhat is implicitly implied in these articles is the importance of keeping these cultural knowledges distinct from each other, and not lumping them as "ours" and "theirs", as I think that it contradicts the work that these articles have done to dichotomize mathematical knowledge; indeed, the term "ethnomathematics", even, risks this generalization.
Sounds like a very interesting article! I grew up sailing with my family every summer. We traveled extensively throughout the Gulf Islands for a few weeks at a time. The use of navigational equipment is imperative for any culture to survive. The Mattang reminds me of using triangulation to figure out where you are on a topographical map. What's especially neat about the Mattang, is it's ability to be used by any culture as it does not appear to rely on any numbers or letters which may be unique to a particular civilization.
ReplyDeleteI could definitely see how discussing this object, or any navigational device for that matter, could make learning mathematics more engaging. The Mattang could be incorporated into a geometry unit. Every child could stand somewhere on the school grounds and draw their own "Mattang" illustrating physical structures and even prevailing wind patterns. Their Mattangs could be exchanged with other students in the class and then you would have to go back outside another day and try to find the exact spot that the Mattang was drawn from.
There are numerous cross-curricular opportunities within the field of ethnomathematics (Social Studies, Art, Geography, History, etc). I believe that the more we use examples such as this one, the more "buy-ins" we'll get from students. By being exposed to the stories behind the mathematics, I believe that we learn on a deeper level.
(Cool idea for a school activity, David)
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