This is a very important topic not just for Earthcachers but for all teachers of Earth Science. I encounter these issues often in my own teaching, especially when working with future teachers. These folks are often terrified about how they will handle the politics and pressures of the classroom when controversial topics such as the geologic time scale, fossil record, deep time etc. come up. A teacher is obliged to teach the established curriculum but also to be sensitive to the needs and expectations of the community (usually the parents). How do you resolve these conflicts in the case of a Young Earth Creationist? Is your answer different when it's a Native American offering the "non-scientific" perspective that is a cornerstone of their culture?
My response is similar to what has been suggested here...but a bit more specific. It is important to remember that science is not a finished body of work. New discoveries alter our knowledge every day. Some fraction of the material that we teach in our science classes will be found by future generations to be wrong. That is humbling realization that we should not be hesitant to share. If you doubt this, consider that prior to the arrival of the New Horizons spacecraft at Pluto that world was believed to be a geologically dead frozen ice ball with a tenuous atmosphere like that of a comet. The first picture of the surface of Pluto showing mountains and plains destroyed that scientific consensus faster than you can say "doh!". That was only 2 years ago! I suggest that a true scientist must remain humble and open to new data and explanations, even if they seem fantastic or impossible. That said, not all explanations and hypotheses are equal based on the data we have and there is nothing wrong with acknowledging that. So...how do I approach these issues? Carefully!
I don't ask the question, "How old are the Appalachian Mountains?" I ask, "Based on current scientific theory, how old are the Appalachian Mountains and why do scientists believe this?" This gives the "student" the ability to answer the question and explain why they believe what they believe while also demonstrating that they know what the scientifically accepted answer is and why. A young Earth creationist could answer that, while the Bible says the Earth's surface and hence the Appalachians are ~6000 years old...scientists have determined an age of ~200 million years based on radiometric dating and stratigraphic relationships exposed at......"
Some scientists are uncomfortable with this approach because they say it allows individuals to continue to cling to false beliefs. I find this strict approach to be self defeating. The person answering your question will ultimately decide what they choose to believe based on who they find credible. A person strongly motivated by religious and cultural beliefs is NOT going to find a strident scientist to be particularly convincing relative to their pastor or elders who have more credibility with them than the scientist ever will. Indeed, scientists are finding that many "stories" told in the context of various religious beliefs were often inspired by geologic events that people attempted to explain with their understanding of the world at the time. Geologists have discovered evidence of previously unrecognized geologic events based on these stories..helping to not only advance science but also maintain respect for the full human experience of Earth. Hope this helps!
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