Original Instructions: Indigenous Teachings for a Sustainable Future

by Melissa K. Nelson (Editor)

Indigenous leaders and other visionaries suggest solutions to today’s global crisis

• Original Instructions are ancient ways of living from the heart of humanity within the heart of nature

• Explores the convergence of indigenous and contemporary science and the re-indigenization of the world’s peoples

• Includes authoritative indigenous voices, including John Mohawk and Winona LaDuke

For millennia the world’s indigenous peoples have acted as guardians of the web of life for the next seven generations. They’ve successfully managed complex reciprocal relationships between biological and cultural diversity. Awareness of indigenous knowledge is reemerging at the eleventh hour to help avert global ecological and social collapse. Indigenous cultural wisdom shows us how to live in peace--with the earth and one another.

Original Instructions evokes the rich indigenous storytelling tradition in this collection of presentations gathered from the annual Bioneers conference. It depicts how the world’s native leaders and scholars are safeguarding the original instructions, reminding us about gratitude, kinship, and a reverence for community and creation. Included are more than 20 contemporary indigenous leaders--such as Chief Oren Lyons, John Mohawk, Winona LaDuke, and John Trudell. These beautiful, wise voices remind us where hope lies.

Genres: Nonfiction, Indigenous, Sustainability, Spirituality, Environment, Philosophy, History

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 16, 2008

Reviews

[Whinnie Calhoun]

I use this book as a text at a tribal college. I highly recommend for those who are interested in indigenous teachings that support a sustainable way of living.

[Rocio]

This book is so amazing!! It inspire me to write a grant for the making of a mural. The mural is now being paited at CSU Chico. Reading this book made me look at sustainebility in a different way.

[joshua]

I think this book is essential to the conversation about where to go from our moment in time in terms of our pending ecological crisis. A variety of native voices offer perspective and suggestions for action in several aspects of life from diet, conservation, worldview, and politics.

[Janergy]

Enjoying this book alot-- I can read a chapter at a time--each one is by a different author/speaker from the bioneers conference

[Jeni]

A book filled with wisdom and promise. So glad I read this book, it's one I will certainly re-read in the future.

[Jolabrese]

This was a great compilation of many papers and stories. Great to help understand Land and harmony.

[Dameon Launert]

As with most anthologies, some of the essays were better than others. It was refreshing to hear indigenous perspectives on (neo-)colonialism, past and present oppression, and steps being taken to re-indigenize their cultures. That they have suffered so much and been colonized so much is heartbreaking.

Some of the essays were long on broad concepts but short on specific details, particularly Indigenous Knowledge. There were hints that some of it is secret or guarded, which I respect and is understandable.

I understand indigenous spirituality to be what is called animism. This actually has a basis in science, as all matter is essentially energy condensed to different vibrations and complexities. This also informs their intimate relationships with plants, animals, water, mountains, and natural forces. But several of the essays referenced God or Creator or Sky Father, and I have to wonder if this is at least partly a result of Christianization. Other sections were a bit too "spiritual" for me, as an atheist, to fully appreciate.

Some essays seemed to be almost acquiescing to so-called sustainable development, which is unfortunate.

Others were perhaps a bit too dismissive of science in favor of myths and stories. Again, this is understandable as a means to reclaim heritage and fight western worldview. Certainly science suffers from funding bias (mostly military and corporate), Cartesian reductionism and mechanical worldview, and the obsession with applications in technology that is evermore powerful beyond our collective wisdom. But I digress.

I appreciate the work of the Bioneers and the contributors. When this civilization crashes, as they all eventually do (see peak oil), the indigenous peoples of the world will be among the best equipped to survive and thrive, if they can reclaim their authentic roots in time.

[Peter]

Voices we so need to her.
The whole book is fascinating and instructive. It's composed of lectures given at a few Bioneeers Conferences and introduced me to the Bioneers.
It covers six major aspects of life with a few lectures of indigenous views of each.

[Eileen]

2008. Had to return to library but I think I will finish it someday. Collection of talks given by indigenous people at a Bioneers conference. Many good idea for sustainable living, & living in a sacred manner on this good earth.

[Julia]

Such an interesting collection of essays and talks with so much relevance and richness.

[Megan]

A series of personal short essays from Native folks around the states, all telling the reader of personal experiences and moments in their lives.

[Lori Koppelman]

I got halfway through and then needed to return it to the library. I would like an updated version - I kept wondering what the writers would say now.

[Guadalupe Espitia]

This book taught me an indigenous-based of reclaiming the world as ours - the common people. Strong, important "original Instructions" which I'll use to guide my life mission. 🤞🏽

[Dave]

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but the assumptions I came to after looking at this one, which kept me from reading it for the last few years, were pretty close. The thing just screams "New Age B.S.!" I've never really been too impressed with Bioneers either, having seen a bunch of their talks on Link TV that just left me feeling like I'd wasted 30 minutes of my life. They always start off interesting enough to grab my attention but they never really get beyond the same typical platitudes about loving nature and giving back to the cosmos and shit. Most of them don't really say anything. It's too bad that so much of this book follows that trend because there are some good ideas mixed in here if you're willing to dig them out, and the general idea of the book, that we need to look to the diverse indigenous cultures of the world for inspiration on how to "reindigenize" ourselves to our bioregions, is great. For that reason I can still recommend it to people who've already taken the time to study some anthropology. For those who aren't already familiar with indigenous cultures though, you really are at risk of making yourself dumber by reading this. A lot of the history needs to be taken with a grain of salt.