The Mitchell Center hosts a lecture on Braiding Indigenous Knowledge and Science

The Senator George G. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions at the University of Maine will host a lecture titled “Woven Wisdom: The New Center for Braiding Indigenous Knowledge and Science Monday, March 25 at 3 pm

Indigenous knowledge offers valuable insights into climate change because it includes a multi-generational understanding of local ecosystems and human engagement with changing environments, according to a UMaine press release.

This knowledge can reveal patterns of environmental change and new ways of living and coping with a changing planet. By bringing indigenous knowledge and Western science together to address contemporary climate change issues, people can foster new strategies to develop effective and comprehensive responses to the climate crisis. This presentation presents the new Center for the Renewal of Indigenous Knowledge and Science, a National Science Foundation-funded center that aims to create ethical pathways to bring comprehensive thinking to contemporary climate change issues.

Bonnie Newsome, assistant professor of anthropology at UMaine, will provide an overview of the goals, values ​​and objectives of CBIKS and highlight the university's role as the center's Northeast hub.

Newsom (Penobscot) is an indigenous archaeologist interested in the pre-contact lifestyles of Maine's indigenous peoples. It seeks to humanize past peoples by exploring notions of identity, social boundaries, and human agency. Newsom's professional history includes serving as a tribal historic preservation officer for the Penobscot Nation and as assistant director of the Wabanaki Center at UMaine. She has a strong record of public service that includes serving as chair of the Repatriation Review Committee at the National Museum of Natural History and as a member of the Maine Indian Tribal Commission.

All hadiths in Sustainability Conversation Series organized by the Mitchell Center are free and offered remotely via Zoom and in person at 107 Norman Smith Hall on the UMaine campus in Orono.

Registration is required to attend remotely; To register and obtain contact information, see Event web page.

To request a reasonable accommodation, contact Ruth Hallsworth, 207.581.3196; [email protected].

The University of Maine's Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions aspires to be a leader and a valuable partner in understanding and solving problems related to the growing challenge of improving human well-being while protecting the environment. We collaborate with diverse stakeholders and bring together faculty and students from many different fields. By connecting knowledge to action, we seek to create a brighter environmental, social and economic future in Maine and beyond.