Indigenous Wisdom

November is Native American Heritage Month and in exploring our American story in the Pacific Northwest I asked myself what relationship I’ve had with Indigenous peoples in my own region.

At a young age I knew of the Duwamish tribe because of my grandmother’s relationship with Cecile Hansen. “For over 30 years, Cecile Hansen has been the elected chair of the Duwamish Tribe. Cecile Hansen is the great great grandniece of Chief Si’ahl’.” Some days I would find them chatting in my grandmother’s dining room after school and as I got older I asked Cecile if she would be a guest speaker at my high school shortly after they got recognition under the Clinton administration and then had that recognition revoked under the Bush administration. She showed us her tribe’s frustration, their strength, and their history in this region – not of the city that was built, but of a time before. Their land, their wisdom, and their relentless spirit that continues to say we’re still here.

Here are a few books in our collection by Indigenous authors that highlights their wisdom, their spirit, and their deep connections to the land.

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

With deep compassion and graceful prose, botanist and professor of plant ecology Kimmerer encourages readers to consider the ways that our lives and language weave through the natural world. A mesmerizing storyteller, she shares legends from her Potawatomi ancestors to illustrate the culture of gratitude in which we all should live. In such a culture, “Everyone knows that gifts will follow the circle of reciprocity and flow back to you again… The grass in the ring is trodden down in a path from gratitude to reciprocity. We dance in a circle, not in a line.” (Publisher’s Weekly)

Sacred Instructions: Indigenous Wisdom for Living Spirit-Based Change
by Sherri Mitchell

Lawyer and activist Mitchell, a member of the Penawahpskek (Penobscot) Nation, offers an all-embracing message of human connectedness that will resonate widely. Drawing on her own spiritual experiences, Mitchell argues that all human beings are inextricably connected to one another and to the natural world, and that the history of the United States is one of conquest and genocide driven by Christian religious extremism. New stories of wholeness and interconnection are urgently needed, she says, to turn society from its currently destructive path. (Publisher’s Weekly)

The Four Sacred Gifts: Indigenous Wisdom for Modern Times
by Anita L. Sanchez

Sanchez, who is of Mexican and Aztec heritage and leads spirit journeys into the Amazon rainforest with the Pachamama Alliance, shares Aztec and other Indigenous wisdom for modern living. Sanchez defines the four sacred gifts of the title as forgiving the unforgivable, unity, healing, and hope, explaining that they work together to emphasize the power of oneness. In her exploration of these gifts, Sanchez guides readers toward healing and transformation so that they may overcome adversities and personal traumas, and contribute to a more deeply connected global community. (Publisher’s Weekly)

~posted by Kara P.