Science vs. Folk Wisdom: "Indigenous Knowledge" in Federal Governance

Manhattan Insights

The role of science, its applications, and ethical implications have been focal points of many public debates in recent years. From the challenges posed by COVID to the complexities of climate change, the question of what qualifies as evidence and the definition of science itself have become partisan issues.

In November 2022, our guest Joe Simonson reports, the Biden administration's Office of Science and Technology issued a rather unscientific memo to over two dozen federal agencies: directing them to apply "indigenous knowledge" to "research, policies, and decision making."

Joe Simonson is a senior investigative reporter for the Washington Free Beacon. He talks with host Charles Fain Lehman about "indigenous knowledge" and its serious (and dangerous) role in federal policymaking.

Related reading

https://freebeacon.com/biden-administration/this-is-extremely-dangerous-inside-the-biden-administrations-push-to-swap-science-for-indigenous-wisdom/

https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-native-americans-treaties-government-and-politics-1117a5c10f9cb7da1f03247bd7d1ed56

https://www.whitehouse.gov/ceq/news-updates/2022/12/01/white-house-releases-first-of-a-kind-indigenous-knowledge-guidance-for-federal-agencies/