Indigenous People are increasingly holding leadership roles in negotiating and implementing key global conservation agreements–and the IEI has been part of the movement, with James on the organizing committee for the WILD12 World Wilderness Congress and Gwen as co-chair of an international Indigenous working group that developed a new resolution to set the global environmental agenda. Gwen also presented […]
Building global momentum Read More »
We are Indigenous. This transcends any primary allegiance to a political party. As the original stewards of the land, we will always be engaged in natural resource and conservation projects and decision-making, no matter who holds elected office. When we say “all my relations”, we mean everyone, regardless of political stripes. We all need clean
Political seasons change. Indigenous People aren’t going anywhere Read More »
At the Indigenous Engagement Institute, we are guided by Wolakota principles. Wolakota represents a central concept within Lakota culture, deeply rooted in the understanding of the interconnectedness of all life–as in, “all my relations”. IEI principles include: These timeless Indigenous values are directed from Creation. We will always live these values, no matter how political
James, IEI Co-Founder: Seeing people having fun and laughing, seeing people excited or moved to tears during the cultural events, was a key takeaway for me. This is what really inspires people to continue doing the work. Gwen, IEI Co-Founder: We did what we set out to do, which was to provide experiential learning. We breathed life
Returning from the IEI retreat in Hé Sapa: Reflections from our team Read More »
Gwen was at The Ecological Society of America’s (ESA) Annual Meeting in Long Beach, California in August, where she was pleased to notice a growing community of Indigenous scholars working together and feeling supported alongside non-Indigenous scientists interested to learn more about Indigenous science and Traditional Knowledge. After having served a two-year term as the Traditional Ecological
A growing community of practice for Indigenous scientists Read More »
In late August, we were at WILD12 in Hé Sapa. Many of the themes raised are those that we cover at the IEI retreat and workshops: Tribal engagement, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Ethical Space and the role of peace, which was a resonant theme shared by Lakota spiritual leader and 19th Generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf
WILD12: A demonstration of Ethical Space Read More »
What does it take to convene 15 people from around the world to develop a new conceptual framework, have it endorsed by a global conservation entity and then put the whole plan into action? That’s what we teach at the IEI! As practitioners ourselves, our work at the IEI is to translate our real-world experience
Both traditional Indigenous and Western sciences are needed to inform a more holistic philosophy and practice of wilderness conservation. At this critical time when Earth’s wild nature is fast disappearing, it’s vitally important that Indigenous People and other ‘non-western’ cultures can more effectively communicate with each other, and with non-Indigenous partners, to build collaborative management
Deepening our understanding of Indigenous and Western worldviews requires k̓əɬʕac̓xəntm. We look under the obvious, which sometimes takes us to the very beginning of time and the creation of the universe. The conflict between Indigenous and Western societies is rooted in divergent worldviews originating at creation times. The origins of authority and law emerge from
Understanding roots of conflict Read More »
TRAJECTORY OF AWESOMENESS™Establishing Ethical Space based relations Ethical Space is both a journey and a destination—and the Trajectory of Awesomeness is your guide. Created by Gwen, the Trajectory of Awesomeness is a set of preparatory steps for getting to the best possible Indigenous engagement by expanding your knowledge and skills for Ethical Space-based relations. The
The Trajectory of Awesomeness: Your preparation journey toward Ethical Space Read More »
