How to honor indigenous knowledge
Three stories and a conversation starter for Thanksgiving
Next week, our friends in the U.S. are celebrating Thanksgiving. It’s a celebration of the blessings of the year, especially of the harvest — enjoyed by many with turkey, stuffing, and pie.
Thanksgiving is also a good opportunity to learn about indigenous communities. “There’s just no way to celebrate Thanksgiving without celebrating Native genocide,” says a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. When the pilgrims arrived, the Wampanoag tribe had already inhabited the area of Plymouth, or Patuxet, for an estimated 10,000 years. For indigenous communities, the first gathering of 1621 was followed by a tense relationship with the settlers, then brutality and enslavement.
Today, 6.6 million people, two percent of the American population, identify as Native American or Alaska Native. And while the narrative around them often focuses on the very real issues they face, it also frequently paints them as powerless victims. That robs them of vital aspects of their cultural heritage like strength, creativity, and connectedness. My colleague Katherine Noble-Goodman has created a collection of eight stories celebrating indigenous knowledge. Three of them I’d like to highlight here.
Qungasvik means “toolbox” in Yup’ik, the language of the biggest Alaskan Native group. It’s also the name of a community-driven program that focuses on the skills that have helped people to strive in that region for ages. The data shows success: The program helps young people feel more connected to their communities and that they have a meaningful life. Important factors that reduce suicide risks.
Tribal law is returning in Northern California — with a community-based approach to justice. The traditional Yurok values of personal responsibility and renewal have replaced an adversarial and punitive system. Supervision instead of incarceration. Mediation instead of court appointments. A path that is now followed by other tribes around the country.
Prices for groceries in Arctic communities are on average 140 percent higher than in the rest of Canada. For thousands of years, Inuits survived the harshest of environments by hunting animals that live in the Arctic. But a changing environment and the decline of active hunters sharing their knowledge make those hunting skills hard to come by. That’s why a community center is now running programs to introduce the local community to their ancestral knowledge.
For Thanksgiving, friends, and family gather to enjoy a meal together — with plenty of time for conversation. And while we might not always agree with those who sit with us at the dinner table, consider sharing what you’ve learned from these stories with the person next to you.
We even thought of a conversation starter.
Happy holidays!
Lisa Urlbauer
Curator of The Response
P.S. The Response will be back on December 5.
“Drawing on historical strength to prevent problems in the future”
Hooper Bay, Alaska, United States
Anne Hillman
Alaska Public Media
[5-minute podcast & 1,000 words]
In rural Alaska, sewing classes help reduce the risk of suicide.
“Native Justice: How tribal values shape judge Abby’s court”
Klamath, California, United States
Henry Gass
The Christian Science Monitor
[3,200 words w/ multimedia elements]
Rehabilitation, renewal, and restorative justice are key in the Yurok community.
“How Traditional Food Is Helping Communities in a Changing Arctic”
Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada
Sophie Yeo
Pacific Standard
[1,000 Words]
Where food programs save the culture and feed the people.
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