NDN Science Show

Ethnobotany can be looked at in different ways. On one hand, it describes the people-plant relationships that Indigenous cultures have always relied on. And on the other, it can be seen as the discipline within science that studies these relationships, plant biology, and their stories. In this episode, we dive into definitions, and some history, and we even talk about aliens a little bit. We also go over why we think this is an important topic and how we view plant relationships.

Here are some of the main ideas we talk about:

Definitions of botany and ethnobotany

Differences between botany and ethnobotany

The history of ethnobotany

Our perspectives on plant relations

Seasonality and Gratitude

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Links & Resources:

Cryptozoology

Merriam-Webster Definitions of Botany and Ethnobotany

Ethnobotany History

Egyptian Ethnobotany Pregnancy Tests

Lavender and Xenoestrogens

Hippocrates, Aldo Leopold, & Native Pragmatism

Camas and Bitterroot

Witness to Injustice Blanket Exercise

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We're back! With another edition of Being Indigenous in the Modern World... This is a huge topic that spans many different fields of study and all sorts of scientific disciplines, so we decided that this should be an ongoing conversation. On today's show, we jump around a bit but eventually focus our conversation around graduate school, our research projects, and the lessons we've learned from going through the process of doing research with an Indigenous community. Particularly our home community on the Flathead Reservation. Although broad, this topic is pretty obvious to a lot of people. Being Indigenous in the modern world is something we're all facing on a day-to-day basis, but it's also something none of us is prepared for when we're children. We approach this topic in a light-hearted way and had a lot of fun putting this one together.

Here are some of the main ideas we talk about:

The importance of historical context

An update on the challenges of graduate school

The potential benefits of entering a Ph.D. study

The value of understanding your limitations

Unique challenges Indigenous students face

What are your responsibilities?

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Links & Resources:

11 Lies About Indigenous Science

National Institute of Health Article on Syphilis

Mental Health Resources for Grad Students: One & Two

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On today’s show, we explore the word ‘science’... what does the word science mean? Is there one kind of science? Where did it come from? These are just a few of the questions we touch on and we can get pretty deep at times, but this is a fun episode where we share our thoughts about science, its meaning, and how it’s affected Indigenous communities in the past, present, and future. In an age troubled by things like fake news, climate change denial, and a general mistrust of science and government, people are more skeptical of scientists than ever. And this is totally understandable, most scientists aren’t trained to communicate with people outside of an academic setting. We are also classically introverted and often get into this line of work because we like to be in nature or in the lab working with everything but other people. This isn’t how it used to be though, and it can’t stay this way. We need to come together as a community. We need to respect each other for our differences as well as our similarities. We need a scientific revolution that honors multiple ways of knowing, the sovereignty of Indigenous peoples, and the inherent rights of Mother Earth.

Some of the main ideas we talk about are:

Western Science Definitions

Indigenous Science Definitions

A Brief Introduction to the History of Science

Science and Religion

Science and Research in Indigenous Communities

Paradigm Shifts and Scientific Revolutions

Links and Resources:

NDNs on the Airwaves

Native Science: Natural Laws of Interdependence

Evolution, Creationism, and Other Modern Myths

Society of Catholic Scientists

Lamarckianism vs Darwinism

The Structure of Scientific Revolutions

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This event was so epic! It's almost impossible for us to truly wrap our minds around but we do our best on today's episode. Although there have been other events of comparable size, this was potentially the largest flood event in Earth's history. The only other event that's potentially larger happened in Siberia. This "lake" carved a path through the Rocky Mountains that still frames the landscape around places like Missoula and Camas Prairie, MT. Enjoy!

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Links & Resources:

Red Earth, White Lies by Vine Deloria Jr

Ice Age Flood Institute

Floodscapes Map

Explore Ice-Age Floods and Glacial Features - An Interactive Map

Montana Natural History Center

Mystery of the Megaflood on Nova

Post-Glacial Radiocarbon Ages for the Southern Cordilleran Ice Sheet

Glacial Lake Missoula Documentary 1

Glacial Lake Missoula Documentary 2

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He's a fellow GIS nerd, future chief of his people, and currently working on studying coastal land loss to help those that are most at risk of the dangers of sea-level rise. Today we welcomed Devon Parfait onto the show and although Annie wasn't able to be there, we're glad to highlight his story.

Here are some of the main ideas we talked about:

Devon's research on coastal land loss and its impacts in Louisiana

How he got into GIS and his love of science

His childhood experience with finding out he would be chief one day

The Nature/Nurture dichotomy and balance in the modern world

The ups and downs of modern technology and social media

Police brutality and the complex conversations we need to have about it

Louisiana tribes and the challenges of restoring coastlines

His love of people and psychology, and his passion for film and acting

The value of seeing different perspectives and hard conversations

His 3 Tips for Being Indigenous in the Modern World

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Links and Resources:

Supersymmetry

News Feed Eradicator (Chrome Extension)

Accelerated Learning Techniques Workbook

Accelerated Learning Techniques Index

Katharine Hayhoe

The Coddling of the American Mind

12 Rules for Life

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You can also Support the Show on PayPal.