On today's show, we interview Dr. Robin Kimmerer. She's our major professor in the Sowing Synergy Program, she's an amazing botanist, author of Braiding Sweetgrass, and she's also written numerous articles about traditional ecological knowledge. Robin shares all sorts of interesting stories with us. She talks about her childhood, important mentors and her journey as an Indigenous scientist. Enjoy! In this episode, Dr. Kimmerer shares things like: - One of her favorite memories and her connection to plants - The role of culture and education in her life - Shifts in her thinking and reaching out to mentors - Restoration ecology and learning from plants - Ecological, Biocultural, and Reciprocal Restoration - Science paradigms and value systems - Robin's tips for being Indigenous in the modern world ~ Links and Resources: [Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants](https://milkweed.org/book/braiding-sweetgrass) [Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses](https://www.amazon.com/Gathering-Moss-Natural-Cultural-History/dp/0870714996) ~ [Like this show? Leave us a review here](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ndn-science-show/id1377936061?mt=2)... even one sentence helps! And if you leave your Twitter handle we'll be sure to thank you personally! [NDN Science Show Wordpress Page](http://ndnscienceshow.wordpress.com) ~ ...
On today’s show, we took a bit of a different approach to our conversation. Both of us chose a topic within this overarching idea of Indigenous Environmental Issues. This is an important area to explore because our connection to the natural world is inseparable. Unlike the broad topic of being Indigenous in the modern world, this episode is more specific. We discuss oil transportation along the BNSF Railroad and the implications that spills have on the people, landscape, and watershed in western Montana. We also relate the reasons for why this is so significant to Indigenous communities by looking at two documents as examples of ways current approaches are highly colonized, but also for ways we can move forward with environmental issues in general. Some of the main ideas we talk about are: - The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway: How much oil is transported, Implications for the watershed, How this can affect all people - The Rights of Mother Earth: The Universal Declaration on the Rights of Mother Earth, The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People - Government Documents at Different Levels - Grassroots Change through Personal Change - The Power of Your Vote ~ Links and Resources: [Oil and Water Don't Mix YouTube Video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4tSdxZplCo&t=156s) [Understanding Oil Spills In Freshwater Environments](http://https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-01/documents/ospguide99.pdf) [Middle Fork Flathead River: Treat: Oil Transport by Rail](http://https://www.americanrivers.org/endangered-rivers/middle-fork-flathead-river-mt/) [United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People](http://http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/DRIPS_en.pdf) [The Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth](http://https://pwccc.wordpress.com/programa/) [The Law of Mother Earth: Behind Bolivia's Historic Bill](http://therightsofnature.org/bolivia-law-of-mother-earth/) ~ [Like this show? Leave us a review here](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ndn-science-show/id1377936061?mt=2)... even one sentence helps! And if you leave your Twitter handle we'll be sure to thank you personally! You can also [Support the Show on PayPal](https://www.paypal.me/ndnscienceshow) [NDN Science Show Wordpress Page](http://www.ndnscienceshow.wordpress.com) ~ ...
Kaya DeerInWater is a close friend of ours and we’re excited to finally have him on the show. He’s the other member of our graduate cohort and we’ve wanted to have him on the show for over a year now. Kaya’s a dedicated and loving family man, he’s a brilliant botanist in the making, and he has a lot of knowledge about ecological restoration. Some of the main things we talk about today are: - Kaya’s childhood, his connection to culture, and academic background - How he got from California to graduate school in New York - Some of the challenges he faced doing his research - Where his love for plants started and made its way into his work - The usefulness of his research for other Indigenous communities - His children and the legacy he wants to leave them - Kaya’s 3 tips for being Indigenous in the modern world ~ Links & Resources: Bob Marshall Info: [Source 1](http://www.umt.edu/this-is-montana/columns/stories/bob-marshall-wilderness.php), [Source 2](https://www.bmwf.org/), [Source 3](https://www.wilderness.net/nwps/Marshall) ~ [Like this show? Leave us a review here](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ndn-science-show/id1377936061?mt=2)... even one word or one sentence helps! And if you leave your Twitter handle we'll be sure to thank you personally! ~ [Like this show? Leave us a review here](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ndn-science-show/id1377936061?mt=2)... even one word or one sentence helps! And if you leave your Twitter handle we'll be sure to thank you personally! [NDN Science Show WordPress Page](http://ndnscienceshow.wordpress.com) ~ ...