Original Instructions

Book excerpt: Indigenous leaders and other visionaries suggest solutions to today’s global crisis • Original Instructions are ancient ways of living from the heart of humanity within the heart of nature • Explores the convergence of indigenous and contemporary science and the re-indigenization of the world’s peoples • Includes authoritative indigenous voices, including John Mohawk and Winona LaDuke For millennia the world’s indigenous peoples have acted as guardians of the web of life for the next seven generations. They’ve successfully managed complex reciprocal relationships between biological and cultural diversity. Awareness of indigenous knowledge is reemerging at the eleventh hour to help avert global ecological and social collapse. Indigenous cultural wisdom shows us how to live in peace--with the earth and one another. Original Instructions evokes the rich indigenous storytelling tradition in this collection of presentations gathered from the annual Bioneers conference. It depicts how the world’s native leaders and scholars are safeguarding the original instructions, reminding us about gratitude, kinship, and a reverence for community and creation. Included are more than 20 contemporary indigenous leaders--such as Chief Oren Lyons, John Mohawk, Winona LaDuke, and John Trudell. These beautiful, wise voices remind us where hope lies.