Special Collections:
Wisdom Keepers
Published on April 17, 2018, the 17th UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues convened at United Nations Headquarters in New York from April 16-27, 2018.
Thousands of indigenous representatives from around the world gathered to address various issues concerning indigenous peoples' rights.
Chase Iron Eyes, an American Indian activist and attorney for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, has been instrumental in raising awareness for the #NoDAPL movement opposing new oil pipelines.
His talk focuses on these ongoing efforts, recent revelations of corporate infiltration, and attempts to keep arrested water protectors free from prison.
Pennie Opal Plant, co-founder of Idle No More SF Bay, emphasizes the vital role of individual action.
She discusses our collective responsibilities in securing a safe and sustainable future for all living things on Earth.
At the 2016 National Bioneers Conference, First Nations and Métis leaders, including Clayton Thomas-Muller, Jeff Baker, Eriel Deranger, Melina Laboucan Massimo, and Tara Houska, discussed truth, reconciliation, residential schools, and future actions.
This presentation was part of the Indigeneity Forum, a Native-led Bioneers program that champions indigenous knowledge to address pressing environmental and social issues through respectful dialogue.
Support Bioneers by donating at bioneers.org/donate. Join our mailing list here, and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
Tom 'Putuparri' Lawford's people have inhabited Western Australia's desert for over 40,000 years. They lived nomadically, sustained by sacred waterholes like Kurtal, a vital source of 'jila' (living water) and a spiritual return place.
European arrival disrupted this ancient way of life; cattle fouled waterholes, forcing Aboriginal people off their land. Many worked on cattle stations, but equal pay laws in the late 1960s led to their displacement into towns like Fitzroy Crossing.
Putuparri grew up in Fitzroy Crossing within an activist family. At ten, he joined the Noonkanbah Station picket line, fighting oil drilling on sacred land.
"A Blessing for Mother Earth" is a piece by Woman Stands Shining (Pat McCabe).
It was published on November 8, 2016.
Betty Reid Soskin, the nation's oldest active park ranger, shared her unique experiences as a Black woman in World War II shipyards during a "Talks at Google" event published on September 15, 2016. Now in her 90s, Soskin serves at the Rosie the Riveter World War II/Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, California, a park she helped establish.
Her talk, titled "Of Lost Conversations: Opportunity and Discrimination...", offers a firsthand perspective on the home front effort and the immense social changes she has witnessed. Soskin also reflects on the responsibilities of living in a democracy. More context on her work is available in the video: Of Lost Conversations.
Randy Woodley and Graham Hill discuss embracing ethnic diversity and learning from indigenous communities on The GlobalChurch Project. Woodley, a descendent of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, is a founding member of the North American Institute for Indigenous Theological Studies. Hill is the Founder and Director of The GlobalChurch Project.
Woodley and his wife Edith previously led a Native American gathering and developed a holistic service model, including a sustainable farm and Christian community. This initiative, which taught sustainability and eco-justice, was unfortunately disbanded due to violence. The GlobalChurch Project films Christian leaders and churches from diverse non-Western cultures, providing resources like curriculum, books, and training videos. A full 35-minute interview is available here.
The "Declaration of Interdependence: A Pledge to Planet Earth" was co-authored in 1992 by David Suzuki, Tara Cullis, Raffi Cavoukian, Wade Davis, Guujaw, and others.
As the founding document of the David Suzuki Foundation, it articulates the organization's core values. It presents a vision for planetary survival through a "new politics of hope," emphasizing connection and interdependence for the future of Earth.
The Pachamama Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating a just, thriving, and sustainable world for all. Its work originated in the Amazon rainforest, responding to a call from indigenous partners.
From these beginnings, the Alliance's message has spread globally, advocating for a better future.
Honoring native traditions, "Dakota 38" is a film distributed as a gift, not for sale. It chronicles a spiritual journey of healing and reconciliation, depicting a challenging ride and the supportive communities encountered along the way.
In 2005, spiritual leader Jim Miller dreamed of the 1862 mass execution of 38 Dakota ancestors. Four years later, he and a group of riders began retracing a 330-mile horseback route from South Dakota to Mankato, Minnesota. This annual ride culminates at the hanging site on the execution's anniversary, fostering healing and reconciliation.
To download the film in HD, burn your own DVD, or order a free copy, visit http://www.dakota38.com/.
The late Ute elder Grandma Bertha presented "The Essential Quality of Prayer" at an interspiritual conference in 2009.
This recording was uploaded on January 11, 2011, by the Sacred Fire Foundation. For more, visit ancientwisdomrising.com.
Clayton Thomas-Muller, an organizer for Idle No More and Defenders of the Land, and Co-Director of Polaris Institute’s Indigenous Tar Sands Campaign, describes Canada’s growing Native-led rights movement. Supported by diverse groups, it challenges the neo-liberal agenda that made Canada a petro-state, aiming to protect lands and people from extractive industries and their financiers.
Since 1990, Bioneers has been a fertile hub for social and scientific innovators, providing practical and visionary solutions for the world's most pressing environmental and social challenges.
Tom Goldtooth, Executive Director of the Indigenous Environmental Network, joins Laura Flanders to discuss earth-connected economies and the impacts of colonization.
This interview was filmed at Land is Life's Interactive Learning for Indigenous Peoples Event in NYC. It was published on October 13, 2014, by Grit.tv with Laura Flanders.
The Turtle Lodge shares an original song for Nibi (the Water). This song was gifted to the Lodge by Zoongi Gabowi Ozawa Kinew Ikwe (Strong Standing Golden Eagle Woman) of the Anishnabe Nation, Crane Clan (Ojijak), who received it in a dream.
Intended for all to learn and share widely, this song was published on February 3, 2015.
Connect with the Turtle Lodge on Facebook.
Earlier this month, Congress passed a measure within the 2015 defense bill to transfer sacred American Indian lands in Arizona to a foreign company.
Bill Moyers interviewed Robert A. Williams Jr., a professor of American Indian law, who explained how such land deals continue a tragic history of dispossession for American Indians.
Published on December 26, 2014.
Cree actor Gordon Tootoosis shares his personal beliefs in this video.
Published on November 15, 2011, by Blackstone First Nation. For more information, visit blackstonetheseries.com/first-nation.
Ethnobotanist Mark Plotkin argues that the most endangered species in the Amazon are its isolated tribes. In his energetic TED Talk, he reveals their profound medicinal plant knowledge and the urgent need to protect this irreplaceable wisdom from ongoing threats.
TEDTalks presents daily video podcasts featuring leading thinkers and doers sharing insights on technology, entertainment, design, science, and global issues in 18 minutes or less. Multilingual captions and subtitles are available at ted.com/translate.
David Suzuki is spearheading a major initiative to secure the right to a healthy environment in Canada. While over 110 nations worldwide recognize this fundamental right, Canada currently does not.
This campaign seeks to change that. Join the movement and help ensure all Canadians have the right to a healthy environment: http://www.bluedot.ca/join-us.
At the Earth Day Conference 2012, sponsored by the Earth & Spirit Council, a panel discussion between elders and youth addressed the central topic: "What gives us hope and heart to keep working on what is best for our Earth in the face of difficult changes?" The evening concluded with song, drumming, and celebration.
This excerpt covers part of the discussion on "hope," featuring insights from Larry Merculieff, Barbara Ford, and Duane Elgin. The event was videotaped by Sustainability Action Media (SAM).
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The Thinking Game | Full documentary | Tribeca Film Festival official selection
“The Thinking Game” is the inside story of DeepMind's groundbreaking AI research, culminating in the Nobel Prize-winning AlphaFold breakthrough. Filmed over five years by the award-winning team behind "AlphaGo," this documentary explores co-founder Demis Hassabis's lifelong pursuit of artificial general intelligence and the rigorous scientific journey from mastering strategy games to solving the 50-year-old protein folding problem.
Following its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival, "The Thinking Game" is now available to watch for free. For those interested in hosting a screening for a classroom, community, or workplace, visit: rocofilms.com/films/the-thinking-game/.






















