From healing to astronomy to our connection to
the natural world, the lessons from Indigenous knowledge inform our
learning and practices today.
How do knowledge systems
get passed down over generations? Through the knowledge inherited from
their Elders and ancestors, Indigenous Peoples throughout North America
have observed, practiced, experimented, and interacted with plants,
animals, the sky, and the waters over millennia. Knowledge keepers have
shared their wisdom with younger people through oral history, stories,
ceremonies, and records that took many forms.
In Sky Wolf’s Call,
award-winning author team of Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger reveal
how Indigenous knowledge comes from centuries of practices,
experiences, and ideas gathered by people who have a long history with
the natural world. Indigenous knowledge is explored through the use of
fire and water, the acquisition of food, the study of astronomy, and
healing practices.
- TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE: Many schools are now
teaching Indigenous Knowledge and have developed curricula about
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK). This is one of the first books
to cover TEK for young readers. Interest is high for adult books on the
subject, such as Robin Wall Klimmerer's Braiding Sweetgrass:Indigenous
Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants.
- STEM AND CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:
The body of Indigenous Knowledge covers aspects of life from medicine,
architecture, astronomy, to ecology and the climate. For a long time,
this knowledge was dismissed by Western scientists as “primitive”
because it was inseparable from stories and ceremonies. However, people
everywhere are beginning to learn that the lessons of Indigenous
Knowledge are vital for a sustainable, healthy, and harmonious planet.
