I take a wolf cull conducted in Wisconsin, USA, as a case of mathematics mediating the relationship between humans and other species. I examine some of the mathematics behind the headlines to illustrate how mathematics can be part of an overarching narrative of human domination and control of other species and of the ecosystem in general. This narrative is deeply embedded in the discourses of late-modern capitalism. Prompted by critical mathematics education, I then turn to the question of how this mediating relationship can be uncovered, questioned and reworked in the context of mathematics education, whether in school, teacher education or research. My tentative response involves setting mathematics in relation to ways of knowing less often considered in mathematics classrooms. I exemplify these ideas with reflections on poems and stories about wolves as a counterpoint to mathematical narratives.

Bio

Dr. Richard Barwell is a professor of mathematics education and Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa. His research draws on critical and dialogic perspectives to examine language and discourses in mathematics education in relation to social and environmental justice. His most recent book, edited with Annica Andersson, is Applying Critical Mathematics Education (Sense).