Wisdom Keepers: Stories from Mother Earth

What changes when we see the world not as a collection of resources, but as a community of relatives? 
In this episode of Wisdom Keepers, Native scholar and educator Dr. Dan Wildcat reflects on the meaning of Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ—“all my relations.” Drawing on Indigenous teachings, he explores what it means to understand humans as part of a larger living world and considers how these relationships can shape the way we care for the Earth and plan for generations to come. 

In this episode, you’ll hear about: 
-The meaning of “all my relations” 
-Seeing plants, animals, water, and land as relatives rather than resources 
-Indigenous perspectives on interconnectedness 
-Relationships between people and the more-than-human world 
-How these teachings can inform our future 

About the Wisdom Keeper 
Dr. Dan Wildcat is a Muscogee scholar, educator, and author whose work focuses on Indigenous knowledge, environmental justice, climate change, and relationships between people and the natural world. 

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About the Music   
Stories can be shared in all kinds of ways, including through song. In theWisdom Keepers series, you’ll notice the enchanting vocal and flute melodies from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bear Fox⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mignon Geli⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, inspired by the language, traditions, and stories of the Mohawk Nation. These songs reflect the messages, spirit and wisdom passed down from their ancestors and through today’s generations.   
Acknowledgement: Wisdom Keepers highlights the essential role of Indigenous and community leadership in conservation. The series was co-produced by Annabelle Le Jeune and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Raine Media,⁠⁠⁠⁠ with additional production support provided by Eric Noyes and Ximena Marquez Abbona. We extend our gratitude to the Elders and their support networks for their thoughtful review and contributions throughout the production process.  
Photo credit: ©Dr. Dan Wildcat

What can ancestral teachings teach us about leadership, identity, and our responsibilities to one another? 
In this episode of Wisdom Keepers, Mohawk Clan Mother Louise “Mama Bear” Herne shares teachings rooted in the story of Sky Woman and the beginnings of the Haudenosaunee world. She explores Mother Law, women’s leadership, and the responsibilities carried across generations to restore identity, culture, and connection. 
In this episode, you’ll hear about: 
-The story of Sky Woman and the beginnings of the Haudenosaunee world 
-Mother Law and its connection to the land 
-Women’s leadership and the role of Clan Mothers 
-Cultural identity and the importance of ancestral teachings
-Responsibilities carried from one generation to the next 

About the Wisdom Keeper 
Louise “Mama Bear” Herne is a Mohawk Clan Mother who shares teachings about culture, identity, leadership, community, and the responsibilities we have to future generations. 
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About the Music   
Stories can be shared in all kinds of ways, including through song. In theWisdom Keepers series, you’ll notice the enchanting vocal and flute melodies from ⁠⁠⁠⁠Bear Fox⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Mignon Geli⁠⁠⁠⁠, inspired by the language, traditions, and stories of the Mohawk Nation. These songs reflect the messages, spirit and wisdom passed down from their ancestors and through today’s generations.   
Acknowledgement: Wisdom Keepers highlights the essential role of Indigenous and community leadership in conservation. The series was co-produced by Annabelle Le Jeune and ⁠⁠⁠Raine Media,⁠⁠⁠ with additional production support provided by Eric Noyes and Ximena Marquez Abbona. We extend our gratitude to the Elders and their support networks for their thoughtful review and contributions throughout the production process.  
Photo credit: ©Mother Louise “Mama Bear” Herne

What does it mean to live in a relationship of reciprocity with the Earth? 
In this episode of Wisdom Keepers, scholar and Elder Dr. Henrietta Mann shares a Cheyenne creation story in which a small waterbird and an ancient turtle help bring the Earth into being. Through this story, she explores teachings of reciprocity, compassion, responsibility, and the enduring relationship between people and Grandmother Earth. 

In this episode, you’ll hear about: 
-A Cheyenne creation story about the origins of Earth 
-The roles of water, animals, and other living beings 
-Reciprocity as a relationship between people and the natural world
-Compassion and responsibility 
-The instruction to love and care for Grandmother Earth 

About the Wisdom Keeper 
Dr. Henrietta Mann is a Cheyenne scholar and Elder whose work centers Indigenous knowledge, education, culture, and the relationships between people and the natural world. 
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About the Music   
Stories can be shared in all kinds of ways, including through song. In theWisdom Keepers series, you’ll notice the enchanting vocal and flute melodies from ⁠⁠⁠Bear Fox⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Mignon Geli⁠⁠⁠, inspired by the language, traditions, and stories of the Mohawk Nation. These songs reflect the messages, spirit and wisdom passed down from their ancestors and through today’s generations.   
Acknowledgement: Wisdom Keepers highlights the essential role of Indigenous and community leadership in conservation. The series was co-produced by Annabelle Le Jeune and ⁠⁠Raine Media,⁠⁠ with additional production support provided by Eric Noyes and Ximena Marquez Abbona. We extend our gratitude to the Elders and their support networks for their thoughtful review and contributions throughout the production process.  
Photo credit: ©Dr. Henrietta Mann

For generations, people have looked to the Sun, Moon, and stars to understand the rhythms of life. 
In this episode of Wisdom Keepers, cultural astronomer and ecologist Geraldine Patrick Encina explores ancestral systems of timekeeping and their connection to the natural world. Drawing from Indigenous knowledge across Mesoamerica, she shares how cyclical understandings of time guided planting, ceremonies, and everyday life—and how Maya, Otomi, and Mexica calendars are being recovered and reintroduced in local schools. 

In this episode, you’ll hear about: 
-How ancestral communities observed the Sun, Moon, and stars 
-The relationship between astronomy, agriculture, ceremony, and daily life 
-Cyclical understandings of time 
-Maya, Otomi, and Mexica calendars 
-The importance of preserving and revitalizing ancestral knowledge 

About the Wisdom Keeper 
Geraldine Patrick Encina is a cultural astronomer and ecologist whose work explores Indigenous knowledge, ancestral timekeeping, and relationships between people, place, and the cosmos. 
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About the Music   
Stories can be shared in all kinds of ways, including through song. In theWisdom Keepers series, you’ll notice the enchanting vocal and flute melodies from ⁠⁠Bear Fox⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Mignon Geli⁠⁠, inspired by the language, traditions, and stories of the Mohawk Nation. These songs reflect the messages, spirit and wisdom passed down from their ancestors and through today’s generations.   
Acknowledgement: Wisdom Keepers highlights the essential role of Indigenous and community leadership in conservation. The series was co-produced by Annabelle Le Jeune and ⁠Raine Media,⁠ with additional production support provided by Eric Noyes and Ximena Marquez Abbona. We extend our gratitude to the Elders and their support networks for their thoughtful review and contributions throughout the production process.  
Photo credit: ©Geraldine Patrick Encina

What might we learn if we slowed down and truly listened to the world around us? 
In this episode of Wisdom Keepers, Unangan Elder Ilarion “Kuuyux” Merculieff reflects on the teachings he received from his Elders and the lessons he learned through fishing, hunting, and observing the natural world. From imagining what it would be like to be a seabird to learning to listen with his whole body, Kuuyux invites us to consider what it means to be fully present with Mother Earth. 

In this episode, you’ll hear about: 
-Unangan ways of knowing and connecting with the natural world
-Learning through fishing, hunting, observation, and experience 
-What it means to listen with the mind and the heart 
-The importance of presence and awareness 
-Lessons we can learn from animals and the places around us 

About the Wisdom Keeper 
Ilarion “Kuuyux” Merculieff is an Unangan Elder and advocate for Indigenous knowledge, traditional ways of knowing, and deeper relationships between people and the natural world. 
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About Wisdom Keepers  
Wisdom Keepers is an audio series from The Nature Conservancy sharing stories and teachings from Indigenous Elders around the world about living in balance with Mother Earth.  
About the Music   
Stories can be shared in all kinds of ways, including through song. In theWisdom Keepers series, you’ll notice the enchanting vocal and flute melodies from ⁠Bear Fox⁠ and ⁠Mignon Geli⁠, inspired by the language, traditions, and stories of the Mohawk Nation. These songs reflect the messages, spirit and wisdom passed down from their ancestors and through today’s generations.   
Acknowledgement: Wisdom Keepers highlights the essential role of Indigenous and community leadership in conservation. The series was co-produced by Annabelle Le Jeune and Raine Media, with additional production support provided by Eric Noyes and Ximena Marquez Abbona. We extend our gratitude to the Elders and their support networks for their thoughtful review and contributions throughout the production process.  
Photo credit: ©Global Center for Indigenous Leadership & Lifeways + Wisdom Weavers of the World