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45 reviews for:
Indigenous Ingenuity: A Celebration of Traditional North American Knowledge
Edward Kay, Deidre Havrelock
4.19 AVERAGE
45 reviews for:
Indigenous Ingenuity: A Celebration of Traditional North American Knowledge
Edward Kay, Deidre Havrelock
4.19 AVERAGE
Oh, I got this book from my local public library, but this is going on my Amazon Wishlist aka my holiday gift (for me) guide.
The book adopts the point of view of Indigenous Peoples from North America (aka Turtle Island).
This demonstrates that various frameworks exist for understanding nature, science, medicine, art, history, politics, education, etc. It's good to embrace multiperspectivity, and Indigenous Peoples have a lot to contribute to contemporary issues.
I can see readers as young as 9 years old enjoying this book, but it has a lot to offer adults. It's probably designed for middle grade readers, but too many high schoolers, young adults and fully "grown up" readers do not know this information! The Europeans diminished the abilities of the native peoples as part of their means of conquering. We would all be enriched if we paid attention to the expertise of the First Nations--and not in a way that appropriates them into our framework. We need to change our framework through dialogue and collaborate projects based on mutual respect.
Most chapters have activities that implement the knowledge and techniques of indigenous peoples of North America.
There is some front matter (A Note from the Authors, Language Recognition) in addition to the Introduction to help orient the readers.
Introduction: The content is an overview of the book; however, the effect is to ease readers to see through a different set of eyes.
Ch. 1 Sustainable Land Management and Ecology includes examples of conservation for fishing, farming, forestry, etc. among Native People (an estimated 8 to 112 million people) prior to European contact. The end of the chapter explains the practice and wisdom of cultural burning of plants.
Ch. 2 Transportation describes an array of vehicles showing various building techniques and favorable features of each design. Principles of physics and engineering are at play in the workings of canoes, dogsleds, kayaks, umiaqs, travois, and bull boats.
Ch. 3 Communications Technology is exhibited in the patterns of wampum belts and strings, Plains Indian Sign Language, books made with bark (see Maya codices for early examples), petroglyphs, hiertoglyphs, pictograms, birchbark scrolls (the Winter Count of Long Dog, a Yanktonai Sioux), inuksuk (stone marker), and totem poles.
Ch. 4 Agriculture and Food Technology looks at truly native food (prior to European contact) and looks at the contributions of corn, popcorn, gum, raised beds (indigenous term chinampas), irrigation, milpa (which the three sisters method exhibits: beans, corn, squash), maple syrup, thermodynamics, the four medicines (sage, sweetgrass, red cedar, and tobacco), chocolate, and more.
I have had this too long, and the library wants it back! Get a copy today (through your PL or your local bookseller).
Ch. 5 Health Sciences
Ch. 6 Textile Technology
Ch. 7 Architecture and Civil Engineering
Ch. 8 Hunting and Combat Technology
Ch. 9 Mathematics
Ch. 10 Arts, Sports, and Recreation
Ch. 11 Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Our Sustainable Future
Back Matter: Epilogue, Acknowledgements, Map, Cultural Areas and Peoples Referenced, Glossary, Indigenous Science today: Contemporary Indigenous Science Organizations, Selected Bibliography, Source Notes, Index.
The book adopts the point of view of Indigenous Peoples from North America (aka Turtle Island).
This demonstrates that various frameworks exist for understanding nature, science, medicine, art, history, politics, education, etc. It's good to embrace multiperspectivity, and Indigenous Peoples have a lot to contribute to contemporary issues.
I can see readers as young as 9 years old enjoying this book, but it has a lot to offer adults. It's probably designed for middle grade readers, but too many high schoolers, young adults and fully "grown up" readers do not know this information! The Europeans diminished the abilities of the native peoples as part of their means of conquering. We would all be enriched if we paid attention to the expertise of the First Nations--and not in a way that appropriates them into our framework. We need to change our framework through dialogue and collaborate projects based on mutual respect.
Most chapters have activities that implement the knowledge and techniques of indigenous peoples of North America.
There is some front matter (A Note from the Authors, Language Recognition) in addition to the Introduction to help orient the readers.
Introduction: The content is an overview of the book; however, the effect is to ease readers to see through a different set of eyes.
Ch. 1 Sustainable Land Management and Ecology includes examples of conservation for fishing, farming, forestry, etc. among Native People (an estimated 8 to 112 million people) prior to European contact. The end of the chapter explains the practice and wisdom of cultural burning of plants.
Ch. 2 Transportation describes an array of vehicles showing various building techniques and favorable features of each design. Principles of physics and engineering are at play in the workings of canoes, dogsleds, kayaks, umiaqs, travois, and bull boats.
Ch. 3 Communications Technology is exhibited in the patterns of wampum belts and strings, Plains Indian Sign Language, books made with bark (see Maya codices for early examples), petroglyphs, hiertoglyphs, pictograms, birchbark scrolls (the Winter Count of Long Dog, a Yanktonai Sioux), inuksuk (stone marker), and totem poles.
Ch. 4 Agriculture and Food Technology looks at truly native food (prior to European contact) and looks at the contributions of corn, popcorn, gum, raised beds (indigenous term chinampas), irrigation, milpa (which the three sisters method exhibits: beans, corn, squash), maple syrup, thermodynamics, the four medicines (sage, sweetgrass, red cedar, and tobacco), chocolate, and more.
I have had this too long, and the library wants it back! Get a copy today (through your PL or your local bookseller).
Ch. 5 Health Sciences
Ch. 6 Textile Technology
Ch. 7 Architecture and Civil Engineering
Ch. 8 Hunting and Combat Technology
Ch. 9 Mathematics
Ch. 10 Arts, Sports, and Recreation
Ch. 11 Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Our Sustainable Future
Back Matter: Epilogue, Acknowledgements, Map, Cultural Areas and Peoples Referenced, Glossary, Indigenous Science today: Contemporary Indigenous Science Organizations, Selected Bibliography, Source Notes, Index.
informative
medium-paced
I’m so happy this book exists in the world! It is full of interesting information that highlights the contributions of indigenous peoples past and present. Indigenous history without perpetuating stereotypes.
informative
fast-paced
Reading for the second time for a project. Outstanding, credible resource.
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Read too much like a textbook talking down to the reader in places.
Awesome book really showcasing Indigenous ingenuity that was left out of the curriculum I had growing up in the US. It puts to bed a lot of the harmful misconceptions notions of Indigenous people and uplifts their countless contributions! I only took off a star because it can read like a textbook at times
informative
inspiring
medium-paced