By Shakiyya Bland, Ed.D.

Who gets to decide what mathematics is and why it must be done in a particular way? 

That question has followed me since I was a student. I remember sitting in middle and high school math classes, flipping through the pages of my textbooks, pausing at the photos of the authors, and noticing that none of them looked like me. 

However, teachers like Mr. Stav and Mr. Waller encouraged my curiosity and created a sense of community that made me wonder how I could help shape the future of mathematics curriculum and make it more relatable for every learner. After all, solving algebraic puzzles brought me joy, and seeing the beauty of irrational square roots illustrated in the spiral of Theodorus inspired my passion to learn more about mathematics.

I realized this vision when I became a mentor to fellow middle and high school educators. While planning a unit on number systems, we looked through predesigned lessons. One teacher asked, “What if we encouraged the students to apply their understanding of number systems by creating their own?” We introduced students in prealgebra to various culture-based number systems, including those of the Mayans and the Egyptians. We invited students to create their own system, using mathematical reasoning to explain their designs. Watching the students design, I saw them more engaged in the process of creating word problems to present their number systems within context. Math discourse and creativity increased as students engaged in the learning of number systems compared with previous years. As teachers, we could better understand the depth of the students’ mathematical thinking.

Moments like these, whether from my days as a student or from collaborating as an educator, make me question the assumption that mathematics is simply a universal, entirely neutral language. 

If we truly want a more just and inclusive mathematics education, we need to appreciate mathematics for what it truly is: cultural wisdom rooted in the lived experiences of our students and their communities. As I work alongside colleagues from K–12 to university in designing math curricula that are culturally responsive and informed by social justice, I find myself returning to the pioneering vision of Ubiratan D’Ambrosio and the field of ethnomathematics. 

What is ethnomathematics?

Ethnomathematics is the study of mathematical ideas as they develop in specific cultural contexts. D’Ambrosio explained that it is about understanding that the mathematical knowledge we have is shaped by the needs, histories, and beliefs of different communities. As described in The Importance of Ethnomathematics Education, the “ethno” refers to the mosaic of cultural knowledge—language, values, beliefs, and everyday practices. “Mathema” points to the process of learning and understanding abstract patterns and principles, while “tics” highlights the practical methods and tools people invent to solve problems in ways that fit their circumstances. 

This approach invites us to see mathematics as a dynamic, human activity rather than a rigid set of abstract rules. Mathematics is not a universal, culture-free abstraction; instead, it continuously evolves through the needs, practices, and worldviews of different societies and practitioners.

Mathematics beyond the textbook

When I started adding principles of ethnomathematics to my teaching and curriculum writing, I began by asking questions: Where does math already exist in my students’ everyday lives? What mathematical insights do their families and communities carry?

Whether I was teaching on a naval base in Japan or in urban and suburban communities in Kansas, students discovered mathematics not just in their textbooks but in the world around them: They applied geometric concepts to origami design and tessellations in cultural fabrics. These are not “alternative” forms of math, they are systems that have grown over generations to meet real needs, beautifully tailored to their contexts. In our classrooms, we explored things like lunar agricultural calendars that tie planting to celestial cycles, weaving together astronomy, ecology, and number sense. We examined fractal art from West Africa, finding recursive mathematical patterns in fabric designs and community layouts. We also investigated how body-based measurements enabled architectural precision in societies outside the precolonial tradition. 

Each of these experiences opened our understanding beyond the artificial boundaries set by textbooks and standardized tests. They showed us that mathematics is a toolkit humans use to navigate life, whether we are distributing resources, anticipating weather, or building safer homes.

Culturally responsive mathematics: A social justice imperative

Why does this matter? For too long, mathematics education in the United States has excluded the knowledge and experiences of students from diverse backgrounds. When students do not see themselves in the stories we tell about math, they struggle to imagine themselves as mathematicians. 

Ethnomathematics offers a way forward. This approach invites students to connect math to their experiences and communities. By doing this, we nurture engagement, help build strong mathematical identities, and create classrooms in which every student feels a sense of belonging. 

This ongoing work is about recognizing the knowledge already present in every classroom. When a student asks, “Who decided that math had to be done this way?” I hope we answer, “Let’s find out together—and let us see what wisdom we can uncover from the world around us.” Only then do we acknowledge that mathematics is not just something handed down from above, but something we all have the power to shape, together.

Shakiyya Bland is the Director of Educational Partnerships at Just Equations. She is a longtime math educator and curriculum specialist with deep experience in culturally responsive education. Her research focuses on the histories of STEM using Africana, Indigenous, and other culturally responsive ways of contributing to and applying scientific and mathematical literacies. She holds a B.S. in Education, M.A. in Education–Curriculum Instruction and Mathematics, and an Ed.D. in Education Leadership.