FIELD ETHNOGEOLOGY IN THE CARIBBEAN: RESEARCH TO INFORM PLACE-BASED GEOSCIENCE EDUCATION AIMED AT ENHANCING EQUITY AND DIVERSITY FOR INDIGENOUS STUDENTS

Ethnogeology is the scientific study of human relationships with the Earth system, typically conducted within the context of a specific culture. Many traditional indigenous and local systems of environmental knowledge include empirical descriptions and interpretations of geological features and phenomena, embedded in folklore, stories, arts, and traditions. These may differ from purely mainstream or “Western” geoscientific explanations but are validated by their relevance to long-term cultural resilience and sustainability, often in challenging environments. Ethnogeologic findings can enrich the entire geoscientific knowledge base; and can specifically inform place-based, culturally informed geoscience education that has been shown to engage and enrich students from diverse underrepresented minority backgrounds through integration of their common cultural knowledge of geological phenomena with mainstream geoscientific ideas. Our ongoing ethnogeological research in Puerto Rico and eastern Hispaniola (Dominican Republic) integrates methods from ethnography, linguistics, and geography with field geology. Both Caribbean islands share a physiography of mountains, coastal plains, and karst, as well as close cultural continuity. Preliminary results reveal a culturally situated characterization of rock units based on regionally variable terms of color and texture, extended knowledge of the hydrological system that includes surface and underground water, and a rich spatial understanding of karst topography and processes.