The White House ordered the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a federal regulatory agency, to expand its use of "indigenous knowledge" on Monday, as part of a last-minute push in the federal government to embrace what scientists call pseudoscience.
The agency, according to a press release, signed a formal memorandum of understanding with the American Indian Higher Education Consortium to "advance Indigenous Knowledge" and "achieve strong climate resilience for our tribal nations." The agreement will impact at least 35 accredited universities and "empower our tribal colleges and universities to be leaders in the ongoing response to climate change."
"Indigenous Knowledge" is a discredited belief system posting that native-born peoples possess an innate understanding of how the universe works. While scientists have referred to its ideas as "dangerous" and a rejection of the scientific method, those criticisms have not stopped the Biden administration from ordering the federal government to consider "indigenous knowledge" when implementing rules and regulations.
President Joe Biden issued a memo in November 2022 that directed more than two dozen federal agencies to apply "Indigenous Knowledge" to "decision making, research, and policies." The memo called on agencies to speak with "spiritual leaders" and reject "methodological dogma."
NOAA's language in its announcement echoes Biden's guidance. The agency contrasts "indigenous knowledge" with "western science," although it declined to define either term.
"Indigenous Knowledge has made it possible for Indigenous Nations to persist and thrive for millennia," NOAA administrator Rick Spinrad said in a statement. "These knowledge systems are needed more than ever to inform NOAA and our nation's approach to environmental stewardship."
NOAA describes itself as "an agency that enriches life through science."
NOAA, which did not respond to a request for comment, is hardly the first agency to embrace "indigenous knowledge." The FDA and CDC in February finalized revisions to their scientific integrity guidelines to include "indigenous knowledge."
Those new guidelines, which impact how those agencies propose new regulations, call for the incorporation of "non-traditional modes of science" as part of their "support" for "equity, justice, and trust." The guidelines go on to say that "issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility are an integral component of the entire scientific process."
Other agencies, such as the Department of the Interior, have cited "indigenous knowledge" in their rule-making as well. When the Biden administration blocked new oil and gas leases in September 2023, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland cited "indigenous knowledge of the original stewards of this area."
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