Today we talk about a word that's captivating to some, terrifying to others, and controversial in many ways... Wild. We go over the definition, etymology, our own opinion, and various perspectives from other writers that have touched on the words wild, wilderness, and nature. Enjoy!
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Links and Resources:
Tending the Wild
The Wilderness Act
Dudley Edmondson
Ralph Waldo Emerson
A Sand County Almanac
The Trouble with Wilderness
Definitions
Etymology
The Black & Brown Faces In America's Wild Places

#39 - Controversial Words (Wild/Wilderness)

Although a difficult topic to talk about, we both realized that thanatology was important enough to do an entire episode on. This field of study is associated with a wide variety of disciplines that include everything from sociology and anthropology to medical professions like working as a mortician or a medical examiner for a police department. In this episode, we go over the history of thanatology, some of the dominant philosophies, and our own opinions on this important but seldomly discussed field of study.
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Links and Resources:
Chapple, H. S., Bouton, B. L., Chow, A. Y. M., Gilbert, K. R., Kosminsky, P., Moore, J., et al. (2017). The body of knowledge in thanatology: an outline. Death Stud. 41, 118–125. doi: 10.1080/07481187.2016.1231000
Chen, S.-C. (2009). The fusion of life and health-spiritual education. Natl. Educ. 50, 7–13.
Chen, S.-C. (2012). Oriental humanities, mindfulness and life education. Paper Presented at the Life Education Symposium (Taipei: IEEE).
Chen, S.-C. (2013). Overview and reflection on the 20-year national education life education curriculum. Natl. Educ. 53, 1–6. doi: 10.1054/nedt.2000.0850
Fonseca, Luciana & Testoni, Ines. (2011). The Emergence of Thanatology and Current Practice in Death Education. Omega. 64. 157-69. 10.2190/OM.64.2.d.
Chakhssi, F., Kraiss, J.T., Sommers-Spijkerman, M. et al. The effect of positive psychology interventions on well-being and distress in clinical samples with psychiatric or somatic disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Psychiatry 18, 211 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-018-1739-2
Hampton M, Baydala A, Bourassa C, et al. Completing the Circle: Elders Speak about End-Of-Life Care with Aboriginal Families in Canada. Journal of Palliative Care. 2010;26(1):6-14. doi:10.1177/082585971002600103
Kastenbaum R. Reconstructing Death in Postmodern Society. OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying. 1993;27(1):75-89. doi:10.2190/P4XJ-EGNE-E157-G3QN
Lea Waters, Sara B. Algoe, Jane Dutton, Robert Emmons, Barbara L. Fredrickson, Emily Heaphy, Judith T. Moskowitz, Kristin Neff, Ryan Niemiec, Cynthia Pury & Michael Steger (2022) Positive psychology in a pandemic: buffering, bolstering, and building mental health, The Journal of Positive Psychology, 17:3, 303-323, DOI: 10.1080/17439760.2021.1871945
Lee, J. E., & Person, N. (n.d.). Tips for teaching a death and dying undergraduate course. https://www.apadivisions.org. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://www.apadivisions.org/division-20/publications/newsletters/adult-development/2021/10/facing-death
Meagher, D. J., and Balk, D. E. (eds) (2013). Handbook of Thanatology. London: Routledge.
Phan HP, Ngu BH, Chen SC, Wu L, Lin WW, Hsu CS. Introducing the Study of Life and Death Education to Support the Importance of Positive Psychology: An Integrated Model of Philosophical Beliefs, Religious Faith, and Spirituality. Front Psychol. 2020 Oct 8;11:580186. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.580186. PMID: 33117246; PMCID:

#38 - Thanatology (Life with Death Left In)

We're back! In this episode, we go over some updates and where the podcast is heading.
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#37 - Being Indigenous in the Modern World VII

This is a recording from the Montana Environmental Educators Association 2020 Annual Conference, where we presented to a group of educators across Montana who were interested in learning about ethnobotany. We went over definitions, our perspectives, and some practical tips that we thought were important to understand. And we thought this would be a good time to share this as a podcast since the seasons are changing and a lot of people just finished having big dinners with lots of delicious foods, including plants. Enjoy!
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Bonus Episode -  MEEA 2020 Annual Conference Recording

We're back! And we're beginning our brand new season with a fun Halloween episode. We share stories about the Deer Woman, go over the differences between horror and terror and then wrap it all up by giving some of our favorite recommendations for spooky movies to watch this season. Enjoy!
Oh yeah! HEADPHONES RECOMMENDED...
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Links and Resources:
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#36 - Halloween 2021

Happy New Year! We're glad to be back. On today's podcast, we have a conversation about a concept called Seasonal Rounds. This idea is something expressed in one form or another by all humans and even people in the cities can't escape it. The changes we've observed in the seasons are one of the biggest influences we have upon any changes in our behavior so we thought it would be fun to explore it NDN Science Style... We dive into this topic with our own stories from Montana and discuss some of the science that surrounds this idea, and we even get into what this idea looked like for ancient Greeks.
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Links & Resources:
The Reason for the Seasons
Wim Hof
Berkes Diagram on page 1257
Toasted Sister Podcast
~
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#35 - Seasonal Rounds

Patrick Yawakie has been working on food sovereignty and voter awareness for years, and we finally got him on the show. We talked about lots of stuff including life, love, his current project called Decolonize Turtle Island, and as always, his three tips for being Indigenous in the modern world. Enjoy!
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Links & Resources:
People's Food Sovereignty Program
Decolonize Turtle Island
~
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#34 - Interview with Patrick Yawakie

This event was so epic! It's almost impossible for us to truly wrap our minds around but we do our best on today's episode. Although there have been other events of comparable size, this was potentially the largest flood event in Earth's history. The only other event that's potentially larger happened in Siberia. This "lake" carved a path through the Rocky Mountains that still frames the landscape around places like Missoula and Camas Prairie, MT. Enjoy!
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Links & Resources:
Red Earth, White Lies by Vine Deloria Jr
Ice Age Flood Institute
Floodscapes Map
Explore Ice-Age Floods and Glacial Features - An Interactive Map
Montana Natural History Center
Mystery of the Megaflood on Nova
Post-Glacial Radiocarbon Ages for the Southern Cordilleran Ice Sheet
Glacial Lake Missoula Documentary 1
Glacial Lake Missoula Documentary 2
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#33 - The Biggest Flood Ever!

He's a fellow GIS nerd, future chief of his people, and currently working on studying coastal land loss to help those that are most at risk of the dangers of sea-level rise. Today we welcomed Devon Parfait onto the show and although Annie wasn't able to be there, we're glad to highlight his story.
Here are some of the main ideas we talked about:
- Devon's research on coastal land loss and its impacts in Louisiana
- How he got into GIS and his love of science
- His childhood experience with finding out he would be chief one day
- The Nature/Nurture dichotomy and balance in the modern world
- The ups and downs of modern technology and social media
- Police brutality and the complex conversations we need to have about it
- Louisiana tribes and the challenges of restoring coastlines
- His love of people and psychology, and his passion for film and acting
- The value of seeing different perspectives and hard conversations
- His 3 Tips for Being Indigenous in the Modern World
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Links and Resources:
Supersymmetry
News Feed Eradicator (Chrome Extension)
Accelerated Learning Techniques Workbook
Accelerated Learning Techniques Index
Katharine Hayhoe
The Coddling of the American Mind
12 Rules for Life
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#32 - Interview with Devon Parfait

We realized that we needed to do a bit of an update about where we've been over the last year and although we meant to keep it short, we started talking politics... you know how that goes. We talked about life, love, and sadness. We share about what we've been up to and where we're going, and then we went down the political rabbit hole for about twenty minutes. Enjoy!
~
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#31 - What a Crazy Year!

We're back! And thank you so much for all of the support over the past year while we've been reorganizing, reenergizing, and generally getting our shit together. This episode is all about scary stories. Enjoy!
~
Links and Resources:
List of Indigenous Scary Movies
Shudder (Stream Scary Movies)
~
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#30 - Scary Stories to Tell on the Rez

This is a special Halloween episode, where Annie's father Gene Sorrell shares his spooky stories on cryptids and ghosts. The topic of this episode is just looking at mythical creatures and beings from a cultural historic cryptozoological worldview. There are many indigenous people that have passed down stories over many generations. The episode will give a brief overview to help listeners learn about the science that they may have never heard about.
Main Ideas:
- Definitions for Cryptozoology, cryptid, and pseudoscience
- Cryptozoology: Real Science or Pseudoscience?
- Annie's Father's stories on Bigfoot, Mermaids, and Ghosts
- Tah-tah-kle-ah
- Cannibal Dwarves
- Yara-ma-yha-who
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Links & Resources:
www.moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/category/annotated-bibliography
Peter Dendle (2006) Cryptozoology in the Medieval and Modern Worlds, Folklore, 117:2, 190-206, DOI: 10.1080/00155870600707888
www.legendsofamerica.com/teihiihan-cannibals
www.deliriumsrealm.com/yaramayhawho
www.ratthaus.net/hftp/tag/tah-tah-kle-ah
~
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#29 - Cryptozoology: 101

This is a live recording of Annie Sorrell and Tommy Mackey at the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) 48th Annual Conference in Lexington, Kentucky on October 17, 2019. The topic of this session was focused on the diverse interests in environmental science that have grappled with the differences between mainstream quantitative science and qualitative Indigenous science. This hands-on presentation is for education practitioners who have questions about what these differences mean for environmental education. Be sure to check out the link below to download the PowerPoint so you can follow along.
Main Ideas:
- the importance of place
- Indigenous perspectives on land
- how a worldview shaped Onondaga Lake
- how a worldview shaped the Mission Mountain Tribal Wilderness
- moving forward with two lenses
~
Links & Resources:
NAAEE Workshop PowerPoint
Searching for Synergy: Integrating Traditional and Scientific Ecological Knowledge in Environmental Science Education by Robin Kimmerer
Two-Eyed Seeing into Environmental Education: Revealing its "Natural" Readiness to Indigenize by Margaret McKeon
North American Association for Environmental Education
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#28 - NAAEE Conference Live Recording

Today we had Neil Patterson Jr. on the show. Although Annie wasn't able to be there, it was a lot of fun and we're glad to be able to highlight Neil and his story. He's done all sorts of things and has experienced a lot in his life. He went from only wanting to hunt and fish to teaching about Indigenous issues and traditional ecological knowledge in a university setting. Neil's had quite the journey and continues to contribute to academia, to science, and to a vision for better futures for all people.
Here are some of the ideas we talk about:
- Neil's love for the outdoors and damming streams as a kid
- How he found his way to college and the role of family encouragement
- The differences between technologies and their effects on people
- His adventures toward becoming a teacher and mentor
- The challenges inherent in multiculturalism
- Some of the biggest/hardest realizations that led to learning
~
Links and Resources:
National Film Board of Canada
The Ecology and History of Onondaga Laken (a talk by Neil at the Skä-noñh Center)
Northville-Placid Trail
Robert Griffing Painting
~
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#27 - Interview with Neil Patterson Jr.

On today's episode, we took a different approach to this big topic and worked with Selina Kenmille, her son Leighton Wise Spirit, and Heather Atwin to have a round table discussion instead of the usual back-and-forth we have between just the two of us. We touch on all sorts of topics ranging from fry bread and Indin' tacos to suicide awareness and coping tools for everyday life. This was a heartfelt episode that was fun, and sad, and inspired both of us to be better people. Enjoy!
Here are some of the ideas we talk about:
- Variations on frybread making
- Struggles with alcohol and drinking
- What it's like being a teenager on the rez
- The benefits of doing things that are scary
- Modern technology and socializing
- The challenges of being and having parents
- How we cope with difficult situations
- The connection between food, habits, and health
- Differences in social, cultural, and economic situations
- Our different perspectives on responsibility
- Having transgender children and siblings
- The complexity and nuance of emotions
- 5 tips for being Indigenous in the Modern World
~
Links & Resources:
Fry Bread Recipe (But be sure to ask your grandma too!)
Suicide Prevention Hotline
YouTube Video about Responsibility
12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson
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#26 - Being Indigenous in the Modern World V

In today's episode, we talk about those words that have some sting to them. You know those words... the ones that get us cringing or offended when someone mentions them. Well, we talk about a few of the ones we've explored or experienced over the years. We also talk about how we respond to these words and how their meanings can differ.
Here are some of the main ideas we talk about:
- Indigifact about the Declaration of Independence
- Controversial words and their definitions
- How do we react and respond to these words
~ Links & Resources:
Declaration of Independence
Online Dictionary
Online Etymology Dictionary
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#25 - Hidden Words and Multiple Meanings

Today's our first official episode of Revolution Science, a series of episodes about the major revolutions that have occurred throughout human history. And it all begins with fire. In this episode, we start by going over the definitions of revolution and evolution. Then we get into describing some of the main theories behind why we think fire is potentially the first revolution for humans.
Here are some of the main ideas we talk about:
- IndigiFacts about the oldest human fossils
- The earliest evidence of fire use by humans
- The different types of evidence
- The "Cooking Hypothesis" and human evolution
- Different uses of fire and its effects on plants
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Links & Resources:
oldest *Homo Sapiens* fossils
oldest *Homo* fossils
Definition of revolution
Definition of evolution
Evidence of fire use: 1, 2, & 3
Control of Fire in the Paleolithic
Human Brain Expansion during Evolution Is Independent of Fire Control and Cooking
The discovery of fire by humans: A long and convoluted process
The nutritive value of cooked camas as consumed by Flathead Indians
~
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#24 - Fire Revolution

We're back! And to get back in the groove, we decided to do another episode on the topic of Being Indigenous in the Modern World (#BIMW). This is a big topic and we bounce around to different topics a lot, but that's a part of why it's so fun to record these episodes. Enjoy!
Here are some of the main ideas we talk about:
- IndigiFact about How Cats Land on Their Feet
- Updates on why we took a month off
- What makes this topic so broad/wide-reaching
- Sustainable/Renewable/Clean/Green Energy
- Some Ideas to Be Indigenous in the Modern World
~
Links & Resources:
How do cats land on their feet? Links: 1, 2, 3, 4
Do toilets spin in the opposite direction in the Southern Hemisphere? Links: 1, 2
Are cats good mousers? Links: 1, 2, 3
Ecological complexity, fuzzy logic, and holism in indigenous knowledge
Jaden Smith's Water Filter & Food Truck
Zealandia
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#23 - Being Indigenous in the Modern World IV

Today’s episode is all about being wrong… we caught ourselves making mistakes on three separate episodes. Although being wrong is okay, correcting yourself when you recognize that you're wrong is important. On today's show, we correct ourselves for some mistakes we made in three episodes (#16, #21, and #22), and then we reflect on it.
Here are some of the main ideas we talk about:
- Greg Gianforte DID support recognizing the Little Shell
- Coffee isn't the 60th most-traded commodity
- The Netherlands is not the top consumer of coffee
- Mark Twain's Quote was not originally him
- Workers might not make a dollar a day in Chiapas
- Margarin Misunderstanding
- Coffee Half-life isn't 12 hours
- Hippocrates is older than Jesus
- New York City doesn't have 12 million people
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Links & Resources:
How much coffee gets traded? One and Two
Per Capita Coffee Consumption
Mark Twain Quote
Margarin
Coffee Half-life: One and Two
Hippocrates: One and Two
New York City Population
Women Pharaohs
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Correction Reflections... Again

Ethnobotany can be looked at in different ways. On one hand, it describes the people-plant relationships that Indigenous cultures have always relied on. And on the other, it can be seen as the discipline within science that studies these relationships, plant biology, and their stories. In this episode, we dive into definitions, and some history, and we even talk about aliens a little bit. We also go over why we think this is an important topic and how we view plant relationships.
Here are some of the main ideas we talk about:
- Definitions of botany and ethnobotany
- Differences between botany and ethnobotany
- The history of ethnobotany
- Our perspectives on plant relations
- Seasonality and Gratitude
~
Links & Resources:
Cryptozoology
Merriam-Webster Definitions of Botany and Ethnobotany
Ethnobotany History
Egyptian Ethnobotany Pregnancy Tests
Lavender and Xenoestrogens
Hippocrates, Aldo Leopold, & Native Pragmatism
Camas and Bitterroot
Witness to Injustice Blanket Exercise
Support the show by rockin' a shirt or a hoodie for the Being Indigenous in the Modern World (#BIMW) Merchandise Campaign.
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