Indigenous Knowledge

People gather knowledge for a wide range of purposes, including for survival, well-being, and cultural, economic, and technological developments. Indigenous knowledge—or traditional knowledge—refers to information, meanings, purposes, and values that Indigenous peoples have gathered, conceptualized, studied, and passed through generations for thousands of years. Indigenous knowledge offers solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues, from environmental crises and declining biodiversity, to equity, justice, and holistic health systems.


Despite the power of traditional knowledge, throughout history, it has been criticized, banned, erased through cultural assimilation, and purposely destroyed in favor of Western, Eurocentric views. Prior to colonization, Indigenous ways of knowing formed the basis of all aspects of Indigenous life, including language, culture, spirituality, architecture, agriculture, and technology. During colonization, the racist devaluing and destruction of Indigenous knowledge served as a key justification for Native American cultural assimilation and genocide. Over hundreds of years, these colonial practices have created unsustainable development patterns, which now harm all people, but continue to disproportionately harm Indigenous and marginalized peoples.


Through negotiations, battles over stolen lands, the Red Power Movement of the 1960’s, and hundreds of other public and private protests, Indigenous peoples have worked tirelessly to maintain Indigenous ways of knowing and being since the advent of colonization. Today, Native American communities and activists are leading a powerful renewal of Indigenous culture, knowledge, and identity. From language revitalization and the renewal of spiritual practices and ceremonies, to Indigenous leadership in environmental crises, the resurgence of Indigenous food sovereignty, and the reclaiming of Two-Spirit identities, Indigenous knowledge is slowly being recentered. Due to geographic location and lack of resources and funding, renewal efforts are not always accessible to all Indigenous peoples in the United States. Indigenous peoples who live in rural areas—most Native American reservations—often lack the infrastructure and resources for programs to preserve and cultivate Indigenous knowledge. Indigenous peoples living in urban areas often lack cultural centers and gathering spaces to share community, identity, and knowledge.


Centering Indigenous knowledge has the power to advance equity for Indigenous communities and society as a whole. Supporting this change at scale means a significant cultural shift to genuinely valuing traditional knowledge and lived experience as equal to—and sometimes even superior to—knowledge from professionally trained experts or modern scientific sources. This shift requires deeply uprooting racist, colonialist, and Eurocentric assumptions, biases, and values that perpetuate oppression and abuse. Communities and stewards can advance equity and well-being for Indigenous and other marginalized communities by uplifting Indigenous knowledge, centering Indigenous perspectives and people, and funding Indigenous communities and renewal programs.


Resources & Tools


In Solidarity with Maui: Taking Action for Wildfire Response, Recovery, and Prevention
Story - Original
Brought to you by Community Commons
Published on 08/24/2023
Bold letters
Maps and Data
Story - Original
Brought to you by Community Commons
PDF Cover: Protecting Indigenous Traditional Knowledge Through a Holistic Principle-Based Approach
Protecting Indigenous Traditional Knowledge Through a Holistic Principle-Based Approach
Resource - Journal Article
Brought to you by Taylor & Francis
Screen capture of website cover: Tribal Fish and Wildlife Management
Tribal Fish and Wildlife Management
Resource - Website/webpage
First page of 'Reclaiming ʻĀina Health in Waimānalo' journal article
Reclaiming ʻĀina Health in Waimānalo
Resource - Journal Article
Screen capture of cover photo: Native Language Immersion Initiative
Native Language Immersion Initiative
Resource - Website/webpage
Screen Capture of Decolonizing Evidence to Better Support Native Communities blog post
Decolonizing Evidence To Better Support Native Communities
Resource - Blog
Brought to you by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Screen capture of An Indigenous Systems Approach to the Climate Crisis article
An Indigenous Systems Approach to the Climate Crisis
Resource - Journal Article
Brought to you by SSIR
Screen capture of Decolonizing the Mind video
Decolonizing the Mind
Resource - Webinar
Screen capture of Building a Hopeful Future: The Restoration of Native American Life and Culture
Building a Hopeful Future: The Restoration of Native American Life and Culture
Resource - Website/webpage
Brought to you by Native Hope
Screen capture of The Indigenous Futures Storytelling Project
The Indigenous Futures Storytelling Project
Resource - Website/webpage
Screen capture of The Thirty Percent Project podcast
The Thirty Percent Project
Resource - Podcast
Brought to you by Apple
Screen capture of North Sound ACH Resource Library webpage
North Sound ACH Resource Library
Resource
Brought to you by Community Commons
Screen capture of Nation State of Hawai’i: Our History webpage
Nation State of Hawai’i: Our History
Resource - Website/webpage
Screen capture of Indigenous Disaster Response webpage
Indigenous Disaster Response
Resource - Website/webpage
PDF Cover Page: Native Land Digital 2019 Teacher’s Guide
Native Land Digital 2019 Teacher’s Guide
Resource - Guide/handbook
Brought to you by Native Land Digital
Screen shot of website description video: Alaska Native Knowledge Network
Alaska Native Knowledge Network
Resource - Website/webpage
Screen capture of Video Series: Ancient Moku and Ahupua‘a
Video Series: Ancient Moku and Ahupua‘a
Resource - Website/webpage
PDF Cover: The Indian Health Service and Traditional Indian Medicine
The Indian Health Service and Traditional Indian Medicine
Resource - Journal Article
Brought to you by AMA
Screen capture of article photo: Indigenous Stories and Sky Science
Indigenous Stories and Sky Science
Resource - Blog
Brought to you by Arizona State University
PDF Cover: The Medicine Wheel Revisited: Reflections on Indigenization in Counseling and Education
The Medicine Wheel Revisited: Reflections on Indigenization in Counseling and Education
Resource - Journal Article
Brought to you by SAGE Publications
First page of Indigenous Data Governance: Strategies from United States Native Nations article
Indigenous Data Governance: Strategies from United States Native Nations
Resource - Journal Article
Brought to you by Ubiquity Press Limited
Screen capture of Native Data Sovereignty Can Address Data Gaps and Improve Equity blog post
Native Data Sovereignty Can Address Data Gaps and Improve Equity
Resource - Blog
Brought to you by Urban Institute
Published on 06/13/2022
Screen capture of website logo: Indigenous Environmental Network
Indigenous Environmental Network
Resource - Website/webpage
PDF Cover: Holding Space For All of Us
Holding Space for All of Us
Resource - Journal Article
Brought to you by AMA
Screen shot of article photo: Indigenous Evaluation
Indigenous Evaluation
Resource - Website/webpage
Tribal Health Webinar,
Trauma Informed Care through an Indigenous Lens: Tribal Learning Series
Resource - Webinar
Brought to you by North Sound ACH
Screen capture of Reclaiming Native Truth webpage
Reclaiming Native Truth
Resource - Website/webpage
Brought to you by Reclaiming Native Truth
Collage of circular photos of public health and culture mixed together. The public health images are in gray tones, while the culture images are in color.
Centering and Celebrating Culture in Public Health
Story - Original
Brought to you by Community Commons
Screen capture of Swinomish Tribe Builds U.S.’s First Modern ‘Clam Garden,’ Reviving Ancient Practice article
Swinomish Tribe Builds U.S.’s First Modern ‘Clam Garden,’ Reviving Ancient Practice
Story - Written
Brought to you by NPR
Published on 09/01/2022

Data & Metrics


Collage of images of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color with teal, olive green, golden yellow, and burnt orange transparent overlays. Bold white text on charcoal background at the top reads
BIPOC Health Equity Library
Library
Published on 09/27/2022
Banner graphic reads
Accessibility and Disability Equity Library
Library
Published on 09/01/2022
Photo of an Indigenous person holding a drum. Behind them is a scene of a lake and forested mountains.
Indigenous Knowledge Library
Library
Published on 08/04/2022

 Related Topics


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Native Americans and First Nations