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In the Western World, traditional African math techniques are virtually unknown and they definitely are not taught on a regular basis. Instead, the math that is most prevalent in the West has it's origins in linear thinking and is void of a holistic perspective. Not only that, the darker-skinned people of the world (beside the Arabic world) have not had proper representation of themselves in mathematics due to the connection of math to Greece (with the use of Greek letters and references to Greek philosophers in Western math).
In response, Motherland Math was created to show the brilliance of traditional African math and the relevance it can have in our world. From my perspective, which is limited, one of the most important aspects of traditional African math is the connection it bridges from the spiritual to the material. For example, the Dogon uses baskets with a square at the base and a circle on the top to symbolize the spiritual (the endless and infinite circle) coming before the physical, material world (the limited and finite square). This is just one example of many holistic uses of math in traditional African cultures. Examples like this are explained and shared in Motherland Math.
As you and/or your child/student goes through the course, there may be several new concepts that you may need to unpack and review in order to receive the full benefit of taking Motherland Math. To do this unpacking it is important to not only thoroughly review the course, but do your own research to gain a deeper understanding of the topic you're exploring. Therefore, I have listed resources that you can use to dive deeper into traditional African math techniques, below.
Feel free to share this resource with your child/students and let these resources help you with self study in addition to Motherland Math:
Supreme Mathematics - African Ma'at Magic - This book discusses a breakdown of Mathematics and how the different branches of Math we use (Statistics, Arithmetic, Calculus, etc.) were also used and recognized in traditional African communities.
Ron Eglash - He talks about how traditional African communities used fractals to intentionally build their communities with with the spiritual implications of their physical manifestations in mind. He also talks about the Ifa spiritual system and how it correlates with the Binary Number system used by computers. Ron Eglash is Causcasian, so he speaks from an outsider's perspective. However, he is sharing great information and gives credence to the cultures he was invited to study.:
A History of Dogon and Their Ancient Science:
Matthew Ronay: The Science of the Dogon (don't necessarily like how he is talking about the Dogon as weird, etc., but he's giving good information about the genius of the culture)
This is an EXCELLENT resource with a ton of Ancient African Math information:
If you have anymore questions or comments feel free to contact us at motherlandmath@gmail.com. Take Care.
- Baba Be
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