Meet the Gabbra People of East Africa Pt 1: How Traditional Knowledge Saw The Gabbra People Through Colonization and Climate Crisis

One hundred years ago, Gabbra elders in the dry lands of eastern Africa told their nomadic people that a big change was coming. To get through it, they would need to hold their traditions close. In this episode of Seedcast - the first of two parts – hear from a Gabbra senior elder as he shares a story with a member of his community. He speaks about how Gabbra traditional knowledge has allowed their ecosystem to support human, animal, and plant life through generations, while also helping them navigate colonization and climate crisis.

For this special Seedcast collaboration, the Gabbra community, a member of the Wayfinders Circle, shared recordings of their songs and celebrations along with the lands and animals they shepherd. We also thank Ali Mero and Gabbra elder Molu Kulu Galgalo, who were our collaborators for this series.

We thank the Wayfinders Circle for their support on these episodes. The Wayfinders Circle was launched as a network dedicated to unleashing the transformative potential of Indigenous lifeways, inspiring all people to reimagine development, conservation, and the way they relate to each other and to Mother Earth. The conveners of the Wayfinders Circle are the Pawanka Fund, the World Union of Indigenous Spiritual Practitioners, and Nia Tero.
Host: Jessica Ramirez. Producer: Jenny Asarnow. Story Consultant: Kamna Shastri.
This episode is part of a two-part series. Listen to Episode 2 here.
More Wayfinders Circle Collaborations:

• The Boat of Dreams: How the Achuar Embraced Solar Power
• Seedcast en Español: El Barco de Sueños - Cómo los Achuar Adoptaron la Energía Solar
• The Omen Bird Still Sings in Sungai Utik
• Tuhaymani'chi Pal Waniqa (The Water Flows Always) in the Mojave Desert
• The Sacred Essence of Blackfoot Culture

Seedcast is a production of Nia Tero, a global nonprofit which supports Indigenous land guardianship around the world through policy, partnership, and storytelling initiatives.
Enjoy the Seedcast podcast on the Nia Tero website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and your other favorite podcast platforms.
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