In honor of this day, Those Nerdy Girls would like to share inspiration and public health wisdom held by many Indigenous groups.
They:
1. Recognize how their actions will impact the next 7 generations. You can apply this by considering the actions you take and whether they help protect ecosystems and public health so that our future generations have a healthy earth and future.
2. Act in honor of ancestors who fought to ensure their survival and elders who carry on their traditions and cultures. You can support this by learning about the history of colonialism, resistance, and survival on the lands where you live and work.
3. Hold on to ancestral knowledge in the ongoing fight to protect Mother Earth. You can support policies that ensure that Indigenous communities control their own data, narratives, and research about land, health and their environment
We want to demonstrate the second example above by acknowledging the ancestral lands from where we are writing, and we would love you to use this tool to find out on whose land you are as you are reading this post (Thank you @britlkoch for this idea!)
(Bonus: if you then click on the Indigenous group, it will take you to a page to learn more about that group and possibly ways to support them.)
🔹MK here. I am on Piscataway and Susquehannock land.
🔹Nora – Since I’m the same as MK, here in Maryland, I’ll do my hometown in Upstate NY. I spent a lot of my childhood learning about the native tribes from my area and I’m really proud to share their names: Mohawk, Mohican, and Haudenosaunee.
🔹Liz – I am on Wabanaki land. I have chosen to donate monthly to a Wabanaki charity as a small way of support. I also work every day to raise children who understand our colonial history and work to make a better future.
🔹Camille – I’m normally also on Piscataway & Susquehannock land. Right now I’m taking care of family on Wampanoag, Pauquumaukit, and Nahaganset land.
🔹Kenzie – I was born, raised, and currently live on Miami land.
🔹Gretchen – I was raised on 𐓏𐒰𐓓𐒰𐓓𐒷 𐒼𐓂𐓊𐒻 𐓆𐒻𐒿𐒷 𐓀𐒰^𐓓𐒰^(Osage), Očhéthi Šakówiŋ, Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo), and Kaskaskia land and currently live on the land of the Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo), Tawakoni, Wichita, and Jumanos.
And lastly, here is a list of children’s books that our Chief Science Officer, Dr. Liz Marnik, PhD has read to her own two kids.
“We Are Still Here” and “We are Grateful” by Traci Sorell
“Fry Bread” by Kevin Nobel Maillard
“The Gift of the Great Buffalo” and “We Are Water Protectors” by Carole Lindstrom
“This Land” by Ashley Fairbanks
“Go Show the World” by Wab Kinew
“Christopher the Ogre Cologre, It’s Over” by Dr. Oriel Maria Siu
For a look at more books by Indigenous authors, head over to our friend, Brit Koch’s list of books on Amazon or shop at your local bookstore.
