Kansas author says Indigenous voices are needed to address climate change

By Steve Kraske,

Published December 20, 2023 at 4:36 PM CST

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A portrait of a man outdoors wearing a hat, bandana and blue shirt. — In his new book “On Indigenuity: Learning the Lessons of Mother Earth,” Daniel Wildcat combines history, personal experience and research to explore climate change solutions.

In his new book “On Indigenuity: Learning the Lessons of Mother Earth,” Native activist Daniel Wildcat explores how ancient Indigenous knowledge can be used to solve many of today’s most urgent issues, including climate change.

Daniel Wildcat, a professor at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, has studied how ancient Indigenous knowledge can be used to answer modern problems for over a decade.

In his new book “On Indigenuity: Learning the Lessons of Mother Earth,” the author and activist combines history, personal experience and research to explore the concept of “Indigenuity,” which he describes as Native peoples’ “deep empirical knowledge” of the land.

Wildcat believes this wisdom can help undo climate change.

“We need to understand, you know, it's not all about us, but it's really about the ecosystems, the environments we live in. And I think that is a good place to begin,” Wildcat told KCUR’s Up To Date.

Daniel Wildcat, Yuchi member of the Muscogee Nation of Oklahoma, professor at Haskell Indian Nations University