Summary
Our latest LiveWell podcast episode features an enlightening conversation with Dr. Dan Wildcat, a professor at Haskell Indian Nations University and a profound thinker on Indigenous perspectives of ecology, technology, and community. Dr. Wildcat shares his transformative journey from Sociology to Environmental studies, deeply influenced by his mentor, Vine Deloria Jr.
In his book co-authored with Vine Deloria Jr., Power and Place (2001), covers the challenges that Native American students experience throughout educational systems and professions. Additionally, in his most recent book, Red Alert! Saving the Planet with Indigenous knowledge (2009), Dr. Wildcat uses Native American wisdom and a perspective that is centered in nature for modern solutions to global warming.
In this episode, we discuss:
- His unique approach to understanding the relationship between nature and culture through an Indigenous lens
- The concept of eco-kinship and moving beyond anthropocentric thinking
- His experience writing “Red Alert” and finding hope in the face of climate change challenges
- The power of storytelling, gratitude, and generosity in creating resilient communities
- The importance of reframing technology to enhance life for all living beings, not just human convenience
Whether you’re an environmentalist, educator, or anyone interested in Indigenous wisdom and sustainable living, this episode offers profound insights into reimagining our relationship with the natural world.
Listen now and subscribe for more stories that challenge conventional thinking and inspire holistic well-being.
More about Dr. Dan Wildcat
Daniel Wildcat, Ph.D., is a professor at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas, and an accomplished scholar who writes on Indigenous knowledge, technology, environment, and education. He is also director of the Haskell Environmental Research Studies Center, which he founded with colleagues from the Center for Hazardous Substance Research at Kansas State University. Wildcat helped design a four-part video series entitled All Things Are Connected: The Circle of Life (1997), which dealt with the land, air, water, biological, and policy issues facing Native nations. A Yuchi member of the Muscogee Nation of Oklahoma, Wildcat recently formed the American Indian and Alaska Native Climate Change Working Group, a tribal-college-centered network of individuals and organizations working on climate change issues. In 2008, he helped organize the Planning for Seven Generations climate change conference sponsored by the National Center for Atmospheric Research. He is the author most recently, of Red Alert! Saving the Planet with Indigenous Knowledge (2009).
