Wisdom Keepers: Stories from Mother Earth

For generations, people have looked to the Sun, Moon, and stars to understand the rhythms of life. In this episode of Wisdom Keepers, cultural astronomer and ecologist Geraldine Patrick Encina explores ancestral systems of timekeeping and their connection to the natural world. Drawing from Indigenous knowledge across Mesoamerica, she shares how cyclical understandings of time guided planting, ceremonies, and everyday life—and how Maya, Otomi, and Mexica calendars are being recovered and reintroduced in local schools. In this episode, you’ll hear about: -How ancestral communities observed the Sun, Moon, and stars -The relationship between astronomy, agriculture, ceremony, and daily life -Cyclical understandings of time -Maya, Otomi, and Mexica calendars -The importance of preserving and revitalizing ancestral knowledge About the Wisdom Keeper Geraldine Patrick Encina is a cultural astronomer and ecologist whose work explores Indigenous knowledge, ancestral timekeeping, and relationships between people, place, and the cosmos. ---About the Music   Stories can be shared in all kinds of ways, including through song. In theWisdom Keepers series, you’ll notice the enchanting vocal and flute melodies from ⁠⁠Bear Fox⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Mignon Geli⁠⁠, inspired by the language, traditions, and stories of the Mohawk Nation. These songs reflect the messages, spirit and wisdom passed down from their ancestors and through today’s generations.   Acknowledgement: Wisdom Keepers highlights the essential role of Indigenous and community leadership in conservation. The series was co-produced by Annabelle Le Jeune and ⁠Raine Media,⁠ with additional production support provided by Eric Noyes and Ximena Marquez Abbona. We extend our gratitude to the Elders and their support networks for their thoughtful review and contributions throughout the production process.  Photo credit: ©Geraldine Patrick Encina

How do the choices we make today shape the world future generations will inherit? In this episode of Wisdom Keepers, Faithkeeper Oren Lyons and scholar Dan Longboat reflect on Haudenosaunee teachings of peace, shared responsibility, and care for generations yet to come. They explore ancestral agreements, ecological stewardship, and the responsibilities people have to one another and to the living world. In this episode, you’ll hear about: -Haudenosaunee teachings of peace and shared responsibility-Ancestral agreements and their meaning today -The relationship between stewardship and responsibility -Caring for future generations -Choices we can make to sustain life and the natural world About the Wisdom Keepers Oren Lyons is a Haudenosaunee Faithkeeper, educator, and advocate whose work has focused on Indigenous rights, environmental stewardship, and responsibilities to future generations. Dan Longboat is a Haudenosaunee scholar whose work explores Indigenous knowledge, education, culture, and relationships with the natural world. ---About the Music   Stories can be shared in all kinds of ways, including through song. In theWisdom Keepers series, you’ll notice the enchanting vocal and flute melodies from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bear Fox⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mignon Geli⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, inspired by the language, traditions, and stories of the Mohawk Nation. These songs reflect the messages, spirit and wisdom passed down from their ancestors and through today’s generations.   Acknowledgement: Wisdom Keepers highlights the essential role of Indigenous and community leadership in conservation. The series was co-produced by Annabelle Le Jeune and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Raine Media,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with additional production support provided by Eric Noyes and Ximena Marquez Abbona. We extend our gratitude to the Elders and their support networks for their thoughtful review and contributions throughout the production process.  Photo credit: ©Oren Lyons ©Dan Longboat

How do we carry culture forward? Sometimes, it begins with knowing where—and who—we come from. In this episode of Wisdom Keepers, Carrie Rose shares stories from her childhood on California’s Tule River Reservation, where she learned to hunt, gather, weave, and speak her people’s language. Through stories of survival, connection to homeland, and community, she reflects on the importance of knowing your people and carrying culture and tradition forward. In this episode, you’ll hear about: -Growing up on the Tule River Reservation -Traditional skills including hunting, gathering, weaving, and language-The connection between people, culture, and homeland -Stories of survival and community -The importance of carrying cultural knowledge across generations About the Wisdom Keeper Carrie Rose is a member of the Tule River community who shares teachings and stories rooted in cultural traditions, connection to homeland, language, and community. ---About the Music   Stories can be shared in all kinds of ways, including through song. In theWisdom Keepers series, you’ll notice the enchanting vocal and flute melodies from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bear Fox⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mignon Geli⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, inspired by the language, traditions, and stories of the Mohawk Nation. These songs reflect the messages, spirit and wisdom passed down from their ancestors and through today’s generations.   Acknowledgement: Wisdom Keepers highlights the essential role of Indigenous and community leadership in conservation. The series was co-produced by Annabelle Le Jeune and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Raine Media,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with additional production support provided by Eric Noyes and Ximena Marquez Abbona. We extend our gratitude to the Elders and their support networks for their thoughtful review and contributions throughout the production process.  Photo credit: ©Carrie Rose

What might we learn if we slowed down and truly listened to the world around us? In this episode of Wisdom Keepers, Unangan Elder Ilarion “Kuuyux” Merculieff reflects on the teachings he received from his Elders and the lessons he learned through fishing, hunting, and observing the natural world. From imagining what it would be like to be a seabird to learning to listen with his whole body, Kuuyux invites us to consider what it means to be fully present with Mother Earth. In this episode, you’ll hear about: -Unangan ways of knowing and connecting with the natural world-Learning through fishing, hunting, observation, and experience -What it means to listen with the mind and the heart -The importance of presence and awareness -Lessons we can learn from animals and the places around us About the Wisdom Keeper Ilarion “Kuuyux” Merculieff is an Unangan Elder and advocate for Indigenous knowledge, traditional ways of knowing, and deeper relationships between people and the natural world. ---About Wisdom Keepers  Wisdom Keepers is an audio series from The Nature Conservancy sharing stories and teachings from Indigenous Elders around the world about living in balance with Mother Earth.  About the Music   Stories can be shared in all kinds of ways, including through song. In theWisdom Keepers series, you’ll notice the enchanting vocal and flute melodies from ⁠Bear Fox⁠ and ⁠Mignon Geli⁠, inspired by the language, traditions, and stories of the Mohawk Nation. These songs reflect the messages, spirit and wisdom passed down from their ancestors and through today’s generations.   Acknowledgement: Wisdom Keepers highlights the essential role of Indigenous and community leadership in conservation. The series was co-produced by Annabelle Le Jeune and Raine Media, with additional production support provided by Eric Noyes and Ximena Marquez Abbona. We extend our gratitude to the Elders and their support networks for their thoughtful review and contributions throughout the production process.  Photo credit: ©Global Center for Indigenous Leadership & Lifeways + Wisdom Weavers of the World

What does it mean to live in a relationship of reciprocity with the Earth? In this episode of Wisdom Keepers, scholar and Elder Dr. Henrietta Mann shares a Cheyenne creation story in which a small waterbird and an ancient turtle help bring the Earth into being. Through this story, she explores teachings of reciprocity, compassion, responsibility, and the enduring relationship between people and Grandmother Earth. In this episode, you’ll hear about: -A Cheyenne creation story about the origins of Earth -The roles of water, animals, and other living beings -Reciprocity as a relationship between people and the natural world-Compassion and responsibility -The instruction to love and care for Grandmother Earth About the Wisdom Keeper Dr. Henrietta Mann is a Cheyenne scholar and Elder whose work centers Indigenous knowledge, education, culture, and the relationships between people and the natural world. ---About the Music   Stories can be shared in all kinds of ways, including through song. In theWisdom Keepers series, you’ll notice the enchanting vocal and flute melodies from ⁠⁠⁠Bear Fox⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Mignon Geli⁠⁠⁠, inspired by the language, traditions, and stories of the Mohawk Nation. These songs reflect the messages, spirit and wisdom passed down from their ancestors and through today’s generations.   Acknowledgement: Wisdom Keepers highlights the essential role of Indigenous and community leadership in conservation. The series was co-produced by Annabelle Le Jeune and ⁠⁠Raine Media,⁠⁠ with additional production support provided by Eric Noyes and Ximena Marquez Abbona. We extend our gratitude to the Elders and their support networks for their thoughtful review and contributions throughout the production process.  Photo credit: ©Dr. Henrietta Mann

What changes when we see the world not as a collection of resources, but as a community of relatives? In this episode of Wisdom Keepers, Native scholar and educator Dr. Dan Wildcat reflects on the meaning of Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ—“all my relations.” Drawing on Indigenous teachings, he explores what it means to understand humans as part of a larger living world and considers how these relationships can shape the way we care for the Earth and plan for generations to come. In this episode, you’ll hear about: -The meaning of “all my relations” -Seeing plants, animals, water, and land as relatives rather than resources -Indigenous perspectives on interconnectedness -Relationships between people and the more-than-human world -How these teachings can inform our future About the Wisdom Keeper Dr. Dan Wildcat is a Muscogee scholar, educator, and author whose work focuses on Indigenous knowledge, environmental justice, climate change, and relationships between people and the natural world. ---About the Music   Stories can be shared in all kinds of ways, including through song. In theWisdom Keepers series, you’ll notice the enchanting vocal and flute melodies from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bear Fox⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mignon Geli⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, inspired by the language, traditions, and stories of the Mohawk Nation. These songs reflect the messages, spirit and wisdom passed down from their ancestors and through today’s generations.   Acknowledgement: Wisdom Keepers highlights the essential role of Indigenous and community leadership in conservation. The series was co-produced by Annabelle Le Jeune and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Raine Media,⁠⁠⁠⁠ with additional production support provided by Eric Noyes and Ximena Marquez Abbona. We extend our gratitude to the Elders and their support networks for their thoughtful review and contributions throughout the production process.  Photo credit: ©Dr. Dan Wildcat

What can ancestral teachings teach us about leadership, identity, and our responsibilities to one another? In this episode of Wisdom Keepers, Mohawk Clan Mother Louise “Mama Bear” Herne shares teachings rooted in the story of Sky Woman and the beginnings of the Haudenosaunee world. She explores Mother Law, women’s leadership, and the responsibilities carried across generations to restore identity, culture, and connection. In this episode, you’ll hear about: -The story of Sky Woman and the beginnings of the Haudenosaunee world -Mother Law and its connection to the land -Women’s leadership and the role of Clan Mothers -Cultural identity and the importance of ancestral teachings-Responsibilities carried from one generation to the next About the Wisdom Keeper Louise “Mama Bear” Herne is a Mohawk Clan Mother who shares teachings about culture, identity, leadership, community, and the responsibilities we have to future generations. ---About the Music   Stories can be shared in all kinds of ways, including through song. In theWisdom Keepers series, you’ll notice the enchanting vocal and flute melodies from ⁠⁠⁠⁠Bear Fox⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Mignon Geli⁠⁠⁠⁠, inspired by the language, traditions, and stories of the Mohawk Nation. These songs reflect the messages, spirit and wisdom passed down from their ancestors and through today’s generations.   Acknowledgement: Wisdom Keepers highlights the essential role of Indigenous and community leadership in conservation. The series was co-produced by Annabelle Le Jeune and ⁠⁠⁠Raine Media,⁠⁠⁠ with additional production support provided by Eric Noyes and Ximena Marquez Abbona. We extend our gratitude to the Elders and their support networks for their thoughtful review and contributions throughout the production process.  Photo credit: ©Mother Louise “Mama Bear” Herne

From the depths of stars, Sky Woman fell and breathed life into the world we know today. In this episode of Wisdom Keepers, Elder Sakokwenionkwas shares the story of his peoples’ beginnings and the ancestral teachings known as the Original Instructions. Through this story, we are invited to consider our relationship with Mother Earth and the responsibility humans have to give thanks and care for all living beings. In this episode, you’ll hear about: -The story of Sky Woman and the beginnings of the world -The Original Instructions and what they teach us about living in balance-Giving thanks to the living world-The relationships between people, plants, animals, water, and land -The responsibilities we carry to future generations About the Wisdom Keeper Tom “Sakokwenionkwas” Porter is a Mohawk Elder and storyteller whose teachings share ancestral knowledge and perspectives on living in relationship with Mother Earth. ---About Wisdom Keepers  Wisdom Keepers is an audio series from The Nature Conservancy sharing stories and teachings from Indigenous Elders around the world about living in balance with Mother Earth.  Content note: These stories may contain discussion of the history and ongoing impacts of colonization, including periods when communities experienced significant loss, displacement, and other serious hardships. Please take care while listening.  About the Music   Stories can be shared in all kinds of ways, including through song. In theWisdom Keepers series, you’ll notice the enchanting vocal and flute melodies from ⁠Bear Fox⁠ and ⁠Mignon Geli⁠, inspired by the language, traditions, and stories of the Mohawk Nation. These songs reflect the messages, spirit and wisdom passed down from their ancestors and through today’s generations.   Acknowledgment: Wisdom Keepers highlights the essential role of Indigenous and community leadership in conservation. The series was co-produced by Annabelle Le Jeune and ⁠Raine Media,⁠ with additional production support provided by Eric Noyes and Ximena Marquez Abbona. We extend our gratitude to the Elders and their support networks for their thoughtful review and contributions throughout the production process.  Photo credit: ©Shana Siegel