How to Learn Indigenous Knowledge the Right Way (Dr. Susan (Sue) Chiblow)

How to Learn Indigenous Knowledge the Right Way (Dr. Susan (Sue) Chiblow)

From Indigenous Earth Community Podcast by Frank Oscar Weaver

August 5, 2025 · 34 min · Episode 58

About this episode

Dr. Susan (Sue) Chiblow discusses the importance of learning Indigenous knowledge respectfully and its application to environmental issues.

Join us as we return with Professor Susan (Sue) Chiblow, one of our most beloved guests whose wisdom bridges Indigenous science with academic research. As an Ojibwe professor and International Joint Commission commissioner, Sue reveals the right way to learn from Indigenous knowledge—without appropriation or harm. Discover how to respectfully access traditional wisdom, trace your own ancestral stories, and apply Indigenous practices to solve environmental problems in your own community. What You'll Experience: Sue's groundbreaking work fighting harmful herbicides like glyphosate in Canadian forests 🌲 Why Indigenous peoples aren't the only ones responsible for fixing environmental problems—it's all of us The powerful classroom exercise that helps students understand their own displacement stories How maple syrup, potatoes, and canoes are Indigenous innovations the world still uses today 🍁 Traditional water ceremonies that connect us to our universal origin story The difference between saving the planet (impossible) and saving ourselves (essential) Practical ways to honor the Indigenous peoples of the land you currently live on Why trees teach us better coexistence than most…

People in this episode

Host: Frank Oscar Weaver

Guest: Dr. Susan (Sue) Chiblow

Topics covered

  • Indigenous knowledge
  • environmental issues
  • cultural appropriation
  • traditional wisdom
  • ancestral stories
  • ecological practices

Keywords

  • Indigenous science
  • glyphosate
  • environmental problems
  • traditional practices
  • maple syrup
  • water ceremonies
  • coexistence

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: International Joint Commission

Books & works: Native Science: Natural Laws of Interdependence, Braiding Sweetgrass, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Water Voices from Around the World

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