Stick Figures and Other Ridiculous Tales from Academia

For those of us who have been criticizing the catastrophic real-world effects of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives and woke education policies, it might seem tempting to celebrate alongside the Trump phenomenon as it revels in Executive Orders that end DEI in government and attempts to dismantle the Department of Education.

However, the truth is that the so-called “woke mind virus" feels like it has gradually infiltrated every aspect of our lives. Addressing this issue will require more than just a few bold strokes of an executive pen.

Let's examine one of the most recent catchphrases of the woke movement: “Indigenous Knowledge."

To be clear, Indigenous Knowledge is a genuine concept; it encompasses the stories and traditions passed down through generations in native languages. For example, my 8-year-old recently learned about the history of Ancient Mali, renowned for its storytellers who conveyed history through imaginative and descriptive storytelling.

The troubling aspect arises from the way Indigenous Knowledge is being transformed into a scientific principle. This shift is primarily due to the Biden administration's executive order (likely since rescinded) that instructs federal agencies to incorporate this knowledge and belief systems into their decision-making processes.

Which Indigenous Knowledge should be utilized? There are over 500 Indigenous cultures in the United States alone; which one serves as the authoritative source on climate science, pharmaceutical practices, and virology? The irony is profound: the same political party advocating for the inclusion of Indigenous Knowledge in scientific discourse is also strongly opposed to the confirmation of RFK Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services.

This leads me to my next point: academia has consistently bowed to the woke mind virus. Professor Elizabeth Weiss, an Anthropology professor at San Jose State University, recently delivered a lecture and authored an insightful piece discussing how capitulating to woke ideologies has harmed her field both now and in the future.

She highlights how academia and professional organizations related to scientific fields of study such as anthropology and archaeology claim that viewing images of remains and artifacts associated with past funeral practices could offend the descendants of these cultures. This censorship within the scientific community is a betrayal of its fundamental values: discovery, knowledge, and the pursuit of truth.

At what point do we dilute these principles because they might offend certain cultural sensibilities? How is this any different from silencing Copernicus or Galileo for their groundbreaking discoveries that challenged the prevailing worldview? Moreover, the same individuals who might label me as crass or culturally insensitive would likely resist the notion of including the Bible as an academic text across all disciplines. The hypocrisy within the woke movement is palpable.

While culture is undoubtedly important—including its belief systems and superstitions—science should not be dictated by such frameworks. How can we trust science when it is constrained by religion and superstition?

Perhaps even more absurd is the argument that “line drawings" could serve as acceptable substitutes for photographs and images of human remains. As if a crude stick drawing of an ancestral figure is more culturally sensitive than a real photograph. Would King Tut prefer to be represented in stick figure form? Perhaps we could add a hangman game to the curriculum for aspiring anthropologists and archaeologists, giving students an “A" if they can guess the letters needed to spell "Hominin" before the professor finishes the drawing.

There is a time and place to celebrate cultures and their traditions, and there is indeed space for it in science and history. To truly understand how people lived and thrived in the past, one must appreciate the beliefs that shaped their lives. However, injecting an “Indigenous Way of Knowing" into policymaking and scientific inquiry under the guise of honoring Indigenous peoples and acknowledging their historical oppression is not appropriate, nor does it genuinely pay homage. All it does is undermine the scientific community, academia, and policy while pretending to care for historically marginalized cultures.

These actions by the extreme left are largely performative, aimed at elevating their own sense of moral superiority while feigning generosity toward those less fortunate. In short, it is disingenuous. To combat this type of foolishness, we must speak out against it, uplift voices like Elizabeth’s, demand honest scientific inquiry, and engage with the core principles of discovery and understanding.

I believe in God, and we go to church. Our children have Bible studies included in their daily schooling. But we don't teach that the Earth is flat, that it was made in literally six days, or that women were built from a rib taken by a man.

It's okay to continue the rich tradition of storytelling and celebrate the ancient wisdom of ancestors. But a camera isn't going to steal your soul, the Northern Lights aren't a phenomenon created by spirits of the dead, and diseases aren't caused by curses.

It’s no wonder so many Americans don’t “Trust the Science”.

Please take some time to watch Elizabeth’s lecture here.

You can also find her piece here.