Voices of Indigenuity

Edited by Michelle R. Montgomery
University Press of Colorado (2023)
283 pages

Review by Gregory A. Cajete

Michelle R. Montgomery has produced a much-needed volume of essays of Voices of Indigenuity based on a speakers’ series reflecting the diverse ways Indigenous science practitioners are addressing the many and ever-evolving issues Indigenous people are dealing with regarding environmental justice and climate change.

She has accomplished this by building an online platform for networking of science professionals, community members, and tribal leaders who are engaging in creative problem solving in addressing the impact of climate changes on tribal lands and resources. Indeed, it is a portrait of “Indigenuity.”

Through the stories of their work, the various authors in this edited volume have attempted to capture the multiple and diverse ways Indigenous science professionals and community members are not only addressing issues of climate change but are forging an expression of Native science through their work in Western science. While these stories are specific to Indigenous issues and concerns, they have a more universal message related to environmental justice, and they capture a deeper voice and sentiment of the spirit of Native science that cannot be easily captured in a single story.

There are few other books that have been able to capture this multifaceted theme in this way. In this regard, it is a unique edited volume, and Dr. Montgomery has produced a highly effective work by employing multiple perspectives and examples of Indigenuity. This work reflects the continuation of Indigenous peoples applying their knowledge, research, and activities in distinctly creative ways to solve problems that affect Indigenous people, lands, and resources.

True to the tradition of Indigenous storytelling, Voices of Indigenuity weaves together inspiring stories of Indigenous resilience, resourcefulness, and relationship into a tapestry of Indigenous creativity. Therefore, I strongly recommend this book. It is timely and even urgent in its demonstration of the insights which Indigenous professionals and community members are bringing forward through their own creativity and propensity to do mindful research in the face of climate change challenges. They also bring focus to our collective responsibility to become “good ancestors” and to creatively address the perennial question, what kind of ancestors do we want to be?

Gregory A. Cajete, PhD (Tewa – Santa Clara Pueblo), is an emeritus professor in the College of Education at the University of New Mexico and the author of numerous books, including Indigenous Community: Rekindling the Teachings of the Seventh Fire.