Indigenous People’s Day

Tara C. Trapani

In honor of Indigenous People's Day next week, today we're highlighting some of the events happening around Indigenous traditions and ecology this month and sharing some other recent resources related to this intersection. You can find our full collection of Indigenous resources here. Materials related specifically to Indigenous Ecojustice can be found in our Ecojustice resource hub

Upcoming Events

October 9, 7:30-9pm EST
Listening Deeply: Indigenous Voices Panel
Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health 
Online event; $29

Join Northeast Native American community leaders Chief Jake Singer, Aaron Athey, Shawn Stevens, and others for this rare and precious dialogue opportunity to honor Indigenous culture. Facilitated by Lev Natan and hosted by Kripalu, this gathering of the Northeast Council on Indigenous Peoples' Day will discuss how to weave a tapestry of events to honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day in every town and city throughout the Northeast bioregion; Revitalize the ancient heritage of spirit, wisdom, and knowledge from the Original Peoples of this land; Build a viable future for our children and generations to come; Connect the dots between indigenous values and bioregional climate resilience. Together in solidarity, let's dream what is possible.
 

October 14-16
Coming Home: Indigenous Wisdom Tools for Restoring Self, Community, and the Earth
Omega Institute 
In person event; fee for conference and housing 

This weekend conference, sponsored by the Omega Center for Sustainable Living (OCSL), is an opportunity to enter into deep listening and community with Indigenous leaders and activists—who speak from rooted traditions and an authentic and inherent bond with the land—to gain insight into how we might approach necessary change. This gathering is open to anyone interested in investigating core principles for thriving on the Earth during this time of transition. Emerge with new skills and a roadmap for adaptation, resilience, and hope. With Sherri Mitchell, Rowen White, Xiye Bastida, Grandmother Flordemayo, Edgar Villanueva, Makaśa Looking Horse, Eriel Tchekwie Deranger, and Jeremy Dutcher.

 

Recent Publications 

Fresh Banana Leaves: Healing Indigenous Landscapes Through Indigenous Science
Jessica Hernandez
Penguin-Random House, 2022
An Indigenous environmental scientist breaks down why western conservationism isn’t working–and offers Indigenous models informed by case studies, personal stories, and family histories that center the voices of Latin American women and land protectors.

A Drum in One Hand, a Sockeye in the Other: Stories of Indigenous Food Sovereignty from the Northwest Coast
Charlotte Coté
University of Washington Press, 2022
In A Drum in One Hand, a Sockeye in the Other, Charlotte Coté shares contemporary Nuu-chah-nulth practices of traditional food revitalization in the context of broader efforts to re-Indigenize contemporary diets on the Northwest Coast. Coté offers evocative stories of her Tseshaht community's and her own work to revitalize relationships to haʔum (traditional food) as a way to nurture health and wellness. As Indigenous peoples continue to face food insecurity due to ongoing inequality, environmental degradation, and the Westernization of traditional diets, Coté foregrounds healing and cultural sustenance via everyday enactments of food sovereignty: berry picking, salmon fishing, and building a community garden on reclaimed residential school grounds. This book is for everyone concerned about the major role food plays in physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness.

 

Multimedia 

Why Indigenous Forest Guardianship is Crucial to Climate Action | Nonette Royo
TED Talks
May 4, 2022

The Use of Indigenous Traditional Knowledge in Climate Change Strategies
Wilson Center 
November 3, 2021

Indigenous knowledge meets science to take on climate change | Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim
TED Talks
April 24, 2020

 

See some of our earlier blog posts on Indigenous issues:

Indigenous Engaged Project Feature: the Wetʼsuwetʼen and the Coastal GasLink Pipeline
Indigenous Engaged Project Feature: Brazil’s Indigenous Fight for Land and Life

 

And these episodes of our video podcast series, FORE Spotlights:

1.15 Tyler Tully, University of Oxford
1.32 Sandy Bigtree (part 1), Indigenous Values Initiative
1.33 Sandy Bigtree (part 2), Indigenous Values Initiative