Scott Pratt

1. What is the relevance of the Tualatin people's creation stories? What becomes of the people, in each successive wave of creation?

2. What does American Indian theologian George Tinker think indigenous creation stories can do for humanity? What behavior of indigenous peoples causes Luther Standing Bear to agree? What is Tinker's definition of "liberation"?

3. What is Pratt's thesis regarding pluralism, epistemology, and the relation between European and native American traditions? For what kind of compatibility, & from whose perspective, does he argue?

4. Who is the leading American Indian philosopher of the last fifty years? Does he wish to make common cause with all oppressed minorities?

5. What is most importantly implied by indigenous claims that the earth and its people are a "creation"? How does this differ from the Christian perspective? What is the latter missing, from an indigenous perspective?

6. What is Tinker's proposed "practical response" to environmental crises?

7. What does the Lakota phrase mitakuye oyasin mean?

8. What does Daniel Wildcat propose as the proper outcome of a shared vision between indigenous and non-native peoples? What kind of epistemology will it require?

9. How might we reconcile the two different accounts of river flow (the Skyhomish and the "school" version)? How would you? Or would you?

10. Can origin stories be accurately understood in a pragmatic way that does not contradict scientifically established facts?

There's lots more to talk about, but maybe ten quiz questions is nearly enough. Just one more?

11. Wildcat quotes Bill McKibben: "the most fundamental chemistry lesson for the 21st century is that burning one gallon of gasoline in your car inevitably results in the placement of 5.5 pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere." This lesson comes from western science. Is indigenous knowledge irrelevant, in this case?

Just for fun... but does Ed have a point?