Talk – Woven Wisdoms: The new Center for Braiding Indigenous Knowledge and Science

Monday, March 25 from 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Speaker: Bonnie Newsom, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Faculty Associate Climate Change Institute, Co-PI Center for Braiding Indigenous Knowledge and Science, University of Maine

Indigenous Knowledge offers valuable insights into climate change as it encompasses multi-generational understandings of local ecosystems and human engagement with changing environments. This knowledge can reveal patterns of environmental change and new ways of living and coping with a changing planet. By bringing Indigenous knowledge and western science together to address contemporary climate change issues, we can foster new strategies for developing effective and holistic responses to the climate crisis. This presentation introduces the new Center for Braiding Indigenous Knowledge and Science (CBIKS), an NSF-funded center aimed at creating ethical pathways to bring holistic thinking to bear on contemporary climate change issues. Dr. Bonnie Newsom, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Maine, will present an overview of CBIKS goals, values, and objectives and highlight the university’s role as the Center’s Northeast Hub.

Bonnie Newsom (Penobscot) is an Indigenous archaeologist interested in the pre-contact lifeways of Maine’s Native peoples. She seeks to humanize past peoples by exploring concepts of identity, social boundaries, and human agency. Dr. Newsom’s professional history includes serving as the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Penobscot Indian Nation and as Assistant Director for UMaine’s Wabanaki Center. She has a strong public service record which includes serving as Chair of the Repatriation Review Committee for the National Museum of Natural History and as a member of the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission.

To request a reasonable accommodation, contact Ruth Hallsworth, 207.581.3196 or hallsworth@maine.edu

All Mitchell Center talks are free and open to the public. Talks are held virtually via Zoom and in-person at 107 Norman Smith Hall, UMaine, Orono. Refreshments will be served.

• Virtual attendance: Complete the registration form to receive Zoom connection information.

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