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Good KQs ask how we know about the world (second-order knowledge), rather than what we know about the world (first-order knowledge). Being able to tell the difference between first and second-order knowledge can be difficult, but it is the most important attribute of successful TOK thinking - and will form the basis of your essay and exhibition.

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Who owns knowledge?

How have government education policies affected the integrity of indigenous knowledge?

Can a non-indigenous person be considered an ‘expert’ on indigenous societies?

How open-minded do we need to be to truly understand indigenous knowledge?

Can we adopt a neutral position when making judgments about conflicting knowledge claims from groups with different cultural traditions?

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What role does memory play in the production and curation of indigenous knowledge?

In what ways can traditional knowledge “connect cultures”?

Has technology helped or hindered the production of new indigenous knowledge?

Is Western science playing catch-up with indigenous knowledge?

What role do empirical methods play in the creation of new knowledge within indigenous societies?

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What constitutes an ‘indigenous’ perspective to knowing about the world?

How do power relations, subjugation, and colonialism affect our understanding of other themes and areas of knowledge?

Can knowledge be ‘owned’ by a specific group of people?

Can we only ‘properly’ know the culture in which we grew up?

To what extent does our culture determine our knowledge?

Overall, how pervasive is the colonial legacy in shaping our worldviews?

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How should we define cultural appropriation?

What role do artefacts play in the production and communication of indigenous knowledge?

What can we learn about indigenous societies from non-indigenous literature?

What are the implications of communicating knowledge via oral rather than written sources?

What role does dance, song, and ritual play in the acquisition and sharing of indigenous knowledge?

What knowledge is lost when an indigenous language dies?

How are indigenous societies threatened by disinformation spread by agencies such as corporations and governments?

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Do values play a more fundamental role in indigenous societies, compared to large-scale, industrialized societies?

Does the fact that indigenous societies often have very different approaches to morality support the case for moral relativism?

How can we distinguish between being inspired by cultural heritage, and appropriating them?

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Should we try to define, or identify indigenous societies?

What assumptions are wrapped up within the term ‘indigenous’?

To what extent does an understanding of our traditions help us to understand ourselves?

What can large-scale, industrialized societies learn from indigenous societies?

What are the advantages of a holistic approach to knowledge, as found in many indigenous societies, compared to a compartmentalized approach?

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Use our other free padlets on this area of knowledge - the quotes, real-world issues, and key thinkers - to explore and answer these KQs, trying to identify and challenge your assumptions as you do so.

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Although the KQs you see here relate primarily to indigenous societies, many of them link to other AOKs and themes, so bear this in mind as you consider them.

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Knowledge questions (KQs) form the heart of TOK, providing us with the opportunity to discuss, explore, and sometimes argue about the way we acquire and use our knowledge about the world.