Review By Gabrielle
Indigenous Ingenuity is an absolute must-read book.
Favourite Quote:
So much Traditional Knowledge is hiding in plain sight that it has become vital to dig deeper into cultural history to give thanks to the people behind our favorite inventions. For instance, by acknowledging those Indigenous nations that invented the processing of maple sugar, we’re learning to say: “We see you, we appreciate you, and we are thankful for your amazing contribution to this world.” STEM scholarship often overlooks Indigenous Peoples and their contributions. Instead, let us affirm and celebrate their ingenuity!
Goodreads Synopsis:
Corn. Chocolate. Fishing hooks. Boats that float. Insulated double-walled construction. Recorded history and folklore. Life-saving disinfectant. Forest fire management. Our lives would be unrecognizable without these, and countless other, scientific discoveries and technological inventions from Indigenous North Americans.
Spanning topics from transportation to civil engineering, hunting technologies, astronomy, brain surgery, architecture, and agriculture, Indigenous Ingenuity is a wide-ranging STEM offering that answers the call for Indigenous nonfiction by reappropriating hidden history. The book includes fun, simple activities and experiments that kids can do to better understand and enjoy the principles used by Indigenous inventors. Readers of all ages are invited to celebrate traditional North American Indigenous innovation, and to embrace the mindset of reciprocity, environmental responsibility, and the interconnectedness of all life.
Evidence of Indigenous ingenuity surrounds us and yet so few of us know anything about it. Through colonization, Indigenous Peoples have lost important connections to their Traditional Knowledge and this book made me reflect more on that. It also made me sad that non-Indigenous folks have also lost the true history of so many of these inventions and innovations. For example, Sigmund Freud is widely regarded as the “inventor” of talk therapy, but did you know the Aztecs, Haudenosaunee, and the Hurons had already been using the concept to help their people for thousands of years? Long before Sigmund’s time, Indigenous folks understood the value of mental health. As I read, I discovered hundreds of these “inventions” that we attribute to others, or worse, don’t even consider the origins of. This book shines a light on all of these hidden histories. I couldn’t help but think, if more people could read this and understand how important the contributions of Indigenous folks are, that maybe reconciliation wouldn’t be so far off.
Interspersed throughout the book are fun activities you can try for yourself. I tried making the Mexica Hot Chocolate and it was delicious! 10 out of 10, would recommend. With lots of photos and helpful explainer boxes, this book makes learning fun and easy.
Although this book is marketed as a book for kids, I would say this is a book for everyone. Adults will get just as much from reading it. Anyone interested in the origins or history of the things we use everyday will find this book an absolute treat. It would make an excellent resource for teachers as well. As they teach social studies, science, math and art, including information from this book would undoubtedly make every lesson not only more accurate, but more robust too.
Indigenous Ingenuity is a wonderful and well-deserved celebration of all the incredible and important contributions of Indigenous Peoples. I highly recommend picking it up.
Thank you, Hachette Book Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
