Native Science (1999)

Native Science: Natural Laws of Interdependence is a 2001 book about traditional ecological knowledge by Gregory Cajete.

Publication

Native Science was first published by Clear Light Publishing in 2001 and had 328 pages.

A second edition 352-page edition was published in 2016 with a foreword by Leroy Little Bear.

Synopsis

In Native Science, Cajete describes how Indigenous peoples of the Americas have "a lived and creative relationship with the natural world" and a heightened "awareness of the subtle qualities of a place." The book notes how the scientific community has benefited from the traditional ecological knowledge of Indigenous peoples. Cajete describes science as inclusive of spirituality and relationships between species. The book covers topics including crop cultivation, astronomy, Indigenous ceremony, and health.

Critical reception

The book is used Leech Lake Tribal College's class Anishinaabe Understanding of Ecology.