INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVES
for a Sustainable Environment
RESOURCE PAGE
Indigenous people have a unique view of the environment we all share. Diversify your science skillset during November - National Native American Heritage Month. We will explore the strengths and limitations of using Western Science and how Indigenous Science can help to manage our resources for a sustainable future. Through five sessions, we will compare Indigenous and Western Science, examine language and cultural bias, and discuss food systems, land management techniques, gardening, and more!
Would you like to connect with other class participants? Share your name and email through this form, then we will share a list at the end of the series.
Monday, November 2: The Basics of Indigenous and Western Science
Compare Indigenous and Western Science with Kaya DeerInWater of the Citizen Band of Potawatomi. His practical experience working for the Potawatomi nation along with his ongoing research give him a unique perspective to share how traditional knowledge contributes to resilience in a changing world.
Recommended Reading:
Sacred Ecology: Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Resource Management - By Fikret Berkes
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants - By Robin Wall Kimmerer
Knowing Home: Braiding Indigenous Science with Western Science - Edited by Gloria Snively and Wanosts'a7 Lorna Williams
Traditional Ecological Knowledge: Learning from Indigenous Practices for Environmental Sustainability Edited - By Melissa K. Nelson
Native Science: Natural Laws of Interdependence - By Gregory Cajete
www.nps.gov/subjects/tek/tek-vs-western-science.htm
About the Presenter: Kaya DeerInWater is from the Citizen Band of Potawatomi and lives in Shawnee, Oklahoma with his wife and three children. He is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in Biocultural Restoration at SUNY-ESF in Syracuse, New York. He received his undergraduate degree from University of California Davis in Ecological Restoration and Management. He also works as the Community Garden Manager for his nation where he focuses on growing both traditional and not traditional crops and leads workshops around building relationships with plants and the land through indigenous foods, crafts and medicines. His research interests center around how traditional knowledge contributes to resilience in a changing world and hopes it can inform adaptive revitalization efforts to heal people and their connection to the land simultaneously.
Monday, November 9: The Language of Science
Explore nuances of language and culture that can create bias when examining empirical evidence. Latin names are the “universal” terms, while English uses nouns and Indigenous Languages use descriptive words. Join Franklin Barker, from the Gun Lake Band of Potawatomi, for this thought-provoking discussion.
Recommended Reading:
The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language - by Steven Pinker
Note, we missed the beginning of the recording, but Billie will re-do her section and we will add it ASAP.
Franklin Barker, BA Western Michigan University, MA Michigan State University, is currently Language Coordinator for the Gun Lake Tribe, a retired public school teacher and amateur linguist. Frank has been a life-long student of how a culture's language reflects its values, beliefs, and psychology.
Monday, November 16: Rethinking Our Relationship with Land Management
Consider successes and failures of land management through an indigenous perspective. Why do we call a plant a “weed?” This session will build on the previous sessions and set up the final two parts of the series.
Bradford Kasberg joined Audubon Great Lakes in June 2018. A citizen of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and an alum of the Masters of Landscape Architecture program at the University of Michigan, he brings a design-focused, intercultural approach to restoration science at the landscape level. Prior to his role at Audubon, Bradford was an Invasive Plant Management Crew Leader with the Cleveland Metroparks and a consultant in geospatial research and ecological design. He is committed to revitalizing the practice of traditional ecological knowledge and its role in ecological restoration for his community and other indigenous communities in the Midwest.
November 23: Food Sustainability and Sovereignty
Discover the scientific food systems of traditional “wild” food, and how these sustainable indigenous food systems can benefit the environment. Elena Terry is Executive Chef/Founder of Wild Bearies, a non-profit catering organization, and coordinates the Culinary Program for the Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance.
Resources Mentioned
SEED: The Untold Story (available on Amazon Prime Video and Gaia)
Forbes: How To Bring More Native American Ingredients To Your Thanksgiving Menu
Smithsonian Magazine: Seven Native American Chefs Share Thanksgiving Recipes
New York Times: Sean Sherman’s 10 Essential Native American Recipes
Slow Food USA: Recipes from Turtle Island
Potawatomi Nation Fall Harvesting Guide
Wild Bearies Website | Wild Bearies Instagram
Cookbook: Tawaw Progressive Indigenous Cuisine
Cookbook: Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen
Elena Terry is the Executive Chef/Founder of Wild Bearies, a non-profit community outreach catering organization. She is also the Food and Culinary Program Coordinator for the Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance. One of her passions has been developing mentorship programs that help build stronger communities within the Indigenous Food Sovereignty movement, while empowering participants and establishing healthy relationships. As a seed to table chef, Elena advocates highly for indigenous and organic growers and producers. She utilizes her partnerships with the Intertribal Agriculture Council, University of Wisconsin, several tribal farms and her own farm to provide and preserve ancestral ingredients in her community. In promoting the use of traditional ingredients and methods of cooking, she also partners with ethnobotanists to provide education about wild food and foraging in the communities she works with. Elena started as a traditional and ceremonial cook, is a wild game specialist and prefers open-fire, outdoor cooking; however she is also a trained chef and loves to challenge herself in executing multi-course, plated meals.
November 30: The Art of Indigenous Gardening
Learn the history of sustainable Indigenous Gardening, including planting, harvesting, and seed saving. Lots of hands-on ideas for teachers, land managers, and gardeners of all types! Gina Roxas is the Medicinal Gardener Project Manager for the Prairie Band of Potawatomi.
Gina Roxas is the Medicinal Garden Project Manager for Trickster Cultural Center where she facilitates programming to support the authentic first voice of Native Americans through cultural arts and traditional healing. Gina is a citizen of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. She has studied the environment through a multifaceted lens of traditional teachings from her Grandmother and family Elders as well as the humanities and science. Her interests are ethnobotany, urban agriculture, and gardening.
About the facilitator: Billie Warren is a citizen of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi and is Bear Clan. Billie has been an educator, environmentalist, humanitarian, and beadwork artist for more than twenty years. Recognizing the climate change urgency, she is the founder of the nonprofit organization Jibek Mbwakawen Inc., which aims to improve the environment by connecting people to the land from an indigenous perspective. She holds a BA degree from Indiana University Northwest and is currently pursuing a graduate degree.
Supported by: Indiana Dunes National Park and ISWOOP
Dunes Learning Center events are supported by our 2020 Corporate Event Sponsors, including ArcelorMittal, Enbridge, Franklin Pest Solutions, Friends of Indiana Dunes, Grow With Trees Company, Keramida Inc., Lakeshore Public Media, Mark J. Mihalo Family Dentistry, J.F. Pelkey - Attorney at Law, Pratt Industries, and Wickcraft Boardwalks.
