Original Instructions

by Nelson, Melissa K.

• ISBN13: 9781591430797
• ISBN10: 1591430798
• eBook ISBN(s): 9781591439318
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-01-16
• Publisher: Bear & Co
• More Book Details

Summary

Indigenous leaders and other visionaries suggest solutions to today’s global crisis

• Original Instructions are ancient ways of living from the heart of humanity within the heart of nature

• Explores the convergence of indigenous and contemporary science and the re-indigenization of the world’s peoples

• Includes authoritative indigenous voices, including John Mohawk and Winona LaDuke

For millennia the world’s indigenous peoples have acted as guardians of the web of life for the next seven generations. They’ve successfully managed complex reciprocal relationships between biological and cultural diversity. Awareness of indigenous knowledge is reemerging at the eleventh hour to help avert global ecological and social collapse. Indigenous cultural wisdom shows us how to live in peace--with the earth and one another.

Original Instructions evokes the rich indigenous storytelling tradition in this collection of presentations gathered from the annual Bioneers conference. It depicts how the world’s native leaders and scholars are safeguarding the original instructions, reminding us about gratitude, kinship, and a reverence for community and creation. Included are more than 20 contemporary indigenous leaders--such as Chief Oren Lyons, John Mohawk, Winona LaDuke, and John Trudell. These beautiful, wise voices remind us where hope lies.

Author Biography

Melissa K. Nelson, Ph.D., is an ecologist, writer, educator, and social activist whose work is dedicated to indigenous revitalization and cross-cultural reconciliation. She is a professor of American Indian studies at San Francisco State University and president of The Cultural Conservancy, a nonprofit indigenous rights organization. She also coproduced the award-winning documentary short film The Salt Song Trail: Bringing Creation Back Together. She is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. xv
About Bioneers	p. xvii
Bioneers and Editor's Statement on Indigenous Knowledge and Intellectual Property Rights	p. xix
Preface: Remembering the Original Instructions	p. xxi
Introduction: Lighting the Sun of Our Future-How These Teachings Can Provide Illumination	p. 1
Uncovering the Eco-Spiritual Values of the Original Instructions
Listening to Natural Law	p. 22
First Nations Survival and the Future of the Earth	p. 27
Acoma Coexistence and Continuance	p. 36
Ethics from the Land: Traditional Protocols and the Maintenance of Peace	p. 39
Indigenous Knowledge as the Basis for Our Future	p. 42
Clear Thinking: A Positive Solitary View of Nature	p. 48
Indigenous Democracies
The Iroquois Confederacy	p. 54
A Democracy Based on Peace	p. 59
An Okanagan Worldview of Society	p. 66
Peace Technologies from the San Bushmen of Africa	p. 75
The Art and Science of Kinship
Where Is the Holy Land?	p. 86
Restoring Indigenous History and Culture to Nature	p. 88
Protecting Water Quality and Religious Freedom at the Isleta Pueblo	p. 116
The Art of Thriving in Place	p. 126
Indigenous Feminine Power: in Honor of Sky Woman
She Is Us: Thought Woman and the Sustainability of Worship	p. 138
Ethiopian Women: From Passive Resources to Active Citizens	p. 145
Powerful Like a River: Reweaving the Web of Our Lives in Defense of Environmental and Reproductive Justice	p. 154
You Are Where You Eat: Native Foods and Traditional Agriculture
From the First to the Last Bite: Learning from the Food Knowledge of Our Ancestors	p. 170
Re-Indigenizing Our Bodies and Minds through Native Foods	p. 180
Dancing for the Apus: Andean Food and Farming	p. 196
On the Importance of Our Connection to Food	p. 201
Protecting the Culture and Genetics of Wild Rice	p. 206
Cultural Change, Climate Change, and the Future of Civilization	p. 215
Decolonization and Global Indigenous Struggles for Justice
Protecting the Web of Life: Indigenous Knowledge and Biojustice	p. 220
Return of the Ancient Council Ways: Indigenous Survival in Chiapas	p. 229
Front Line of Resistance: Indigenous Peoples and Energy Development	p. 239
Speaking for the Voiceless	p. 247
Re-Indigenization
Re-Indigenization Defined	p. 252
El Poder de la Palabra/The Power of the Word: Toward a Nahuatl/Mestizo Consciousness	p. 265
Mending the Split-Head Society with Trickster Consciousness	p. 288
Re-Nativization in North and South America	p. 298
Taro Roots Run Deep: Hawaiian Restoration of Sacred Foods and Communities	p. 304
The Power of Being a Human Being	p. 318
Indigenous Resources	p. 324
Notes	p. 338
Bibliography	p. 343
Contributors	p. 347
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