▁huge ▁part ▁of ▁their ▁identity . ▁It ▁is ▁vital ▁to ▁understand ▁how ▁to ▁gather ▁medicine , ▁predict ▁weather ▁conditions ▁so ▁as ▁to ▁effectively ▁produce ▁food , ▁and ▁how ▁to ▁navigate ▁through ▁the ▁land ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁grow ▁and ▁th rive ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁an ▁e colog ical ▁dependent ▁community . ▁Native ▁American ▁knowledge ▁is ▁continu ously ▁adapt ing ▁to ▁the ▁changing ▁environment ▁as ▁the ▁e cos ystem ▁evol ves ▁and ▁this ▁is ▁how ▁ep ist em ology ▁is ▁understood ▁to ▁have ▁such ▁a ▁strong ▁root ▁to ▁nature . ▁ ▁Ph en omen ology ▁ ▁Native ▁American ▁science ▁and ▁understanding ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁basis ▁in ▁per cept ual ▁phenomen ology , ▁meaning ▁the ▁philosoph ical ▁study ▁of ▁phen omena . ▁In ▁this ▁context , ▁phenomen ology ▁refers ▁to ▁the ▁exam ination ▁of ▁ones ▁experiences ▁to ▁come ▁to ▁a ▁personal ▁world ▁view . ▁Something ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁true ▁when ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁verified ▁by ▁experiences ▁and ▁provides ▁explan ations ▁which ▁assist ▁in ▁comple ting ▁tasks . This ▁world view ▁is ▁dynamic ▁as ▁new ▁experiences ▁alter ▁this ▁world view ▁and ▁add ▁to ▁it . ▁There ▁is ▁no ▁belief ▁in ▁a ▁universal ▁world view ▁which ▁could ▁explain ▁all ▁aspects ▁of ▁reality ▁for ▁a ▁permanent ▁set ▁of ▁time . ▁ ▁The ▁world ▁is ▁viewed ▁as ▁infinitely ▁complex ▁and ▁so ▁it ▁is ▁impossible ▁to ▁come ▁to ▁a ▁universal ▁understanding ▁of ▁it . ▁Therefore , ▁Native ▁Americans ▁believe ▁that ▁useful ▁knowledge ▁can ▁only ▁be ▁acquired ▁through ▁individual ▁experience ▁which , ▁whilst ▁subject ive , ▁is ▁valid ▁to