Indigenous science is a distinct, time-tested, and methodological knowledge system that can enhance and complement Western science. According to the Indigenous Science Network, “like Western science, Indigenous science relies upon direct observation for forecasting and generating predictions; its power lies in its ability to make connections and perceive patterns across vast cycles of space and time. Indigenous scientists are trained in various specializations such as herbalism, weather observations, mental health, and timekeeping.”
If you are interested in learning more about Indigenous science and related issues, we have put together a reading list of books that may help. This is not meant to be a comprehensive list, so apologies if any well-known works have been omitted.
Tending the Wild: Native American Knowledge and the Management of California’s Natural Resources by M. Kat Anderson (2013)
Native Science: Natural Laws of Interdependence by Gregory Cajete (1999)
Wild foresting: practicing nature’s wisdom by Alan R. Drengson and Duncan M. Taylor (2009)
Indigenous Knowledge and Education in Africa by Chika Ezeanya-Esiobu (2020)
As Long as Grass Grows: The Indigenous Fight for Environmental Justice, from Colonization to Standing Rockby Dana Gilio-Whitaker (2020)
Red Medicine: Traditional Indigenous Rites of Birthing and Healing (First Peoples: New Directions in Indigenous Studies) by Patrisia Gonzales (2012)
Global Indigenous Health: Reconciling the Past, Engaging the Present, Animating the Future by Robert Henry, et al., Eds. (2019)
Fresh Banana Leaves: Healing Indigenous Landscapes through Indigenous Science by Jessica Hernandez (2022)
Science and Native American Communities by Keith James, Ed. (2001)
Indigenous Pacific Islander Eco-Literatures by Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner, et al., Eds. (2022)
Working Together: Engaging Wisdom for Indigenous Well-Being (Patterns of Northern Traditional Healing Series) by Leslie Main Johnson and Janelle Marie Baker, Eds. (2023)
Held by the Land: A Guide to Indigenous Plants for Wellness by Leigh Joseph (2023)
Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge for the Modern Era: A Natural and Applied Science Perspective by David R. Katerere, et al., Eds. (2019)
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer (2020)
Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plantsby Robin Wall Kimmerer (2022)
Indigenous Methodologies: Characteristics, Conversations, and Contexts by Margaret Kovach (2021)
Becoming Kin: An Indigenous Call to Unforgetting the Past and Reimagining Our Future by Patty Krawec (2022)
Who’s asking?: Native science, Western science, and science education by Douglas L. Medin (2014)
Sweetgrass (Indigenous Knowledge Series) by Theresa Meuse (2022)
Indigenous Food Sovereignty in the United States: Restoring Cultural Knowledge, Protecting Environments, and Regaining Health (Volume 18) (New Directions in Native American Studies Series) by Devon Mihesuah (2019)
Re-Indigenizing Ecological Consciousness and the Interconnectedness to Indigenous Identities by Michelle Montgomery et al., Eds. (2022)
Indigenous Knowledge for Climate Change Assessment and Adaptation by Douglas Nakashima et al., Eds. (2018)
Original Instructions: Indigenous Teachings for a Sustainable Future by Melissa K. Nelson (2008)
Traditional Ecological Knowledge New Directions in Sustainability and Society by Melissa K. Nelson, Ed. (2021)
Fishing Places, Fishing People: Traditions and Issues in Canadian Small-Scale Fisheries by Rosemary E. Ommer and Dianne Newell Eds. (1999)
In the Beginning Was the Spirit: Science, Religion and Indigenous Spirituality by Diarmuid O’Murchu (2012)
Indigenous Knowledge, Ecology, and Evolutionary Biology by Raymond Pierotti (2010)
The Science of the Sacred: Bridging Global Indigenous Medicine Systems and Modern Scientific Principles by Nicole Redvers (2019)
Resilience through Knowledge Co-Production: Indigenous Knowledge, Science, and Global Environmental Change by Marie Roué et al., Eds. (2022)
Indigenous Reconciliation and Environmental Resilience by Wesley Shannon, (2022)
Restoring the Kinship Worldview: Indigenous Voices Introduce 28 Precepts for Rebalancing Life on Planet Earth by Wahinkpe Topa and Darcia Narvae (2022)
Red Alert!: Saving the Planet with Indigenous Knowledge by Daniel Wildcat (2009)
Indigenous Knowledge Production (Routledge Advances in Sociology) by Marcus Woolombi Waters (2020)
Sky Wolf’s Call: The Gift of Indigenous Knowledge by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowing (2022)
Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World by Tyson Yunkaporta (2021)