Now open in KNC’s Exhibits Hall
At the Roots of Wisdom, Story Area groups engage in story telling, either by listening to a traditional story around the cracking “fire pit” or sharing their own stories of ancestral/family traditions and places.
KNC is thrilled to host its first traveling exhibit, Roots of Wisdom: Native Knowledge, Shared Science. This interactive exhibition explores ecological challenges and the solutions that are informed by native knowledge, practices, and traditions. Real-life stories are presented through the voices of four indigenous communities. Visitors gain insight into how traditional knowledge and Western science can be unified to improve our relationship with the natural world. Messaging will center around engaging content that highlights the striking influences and impacts native communities have on the wider world.
The exhibition was developed by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), the Indigenous Education Institute (IEI), the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Tulalip Tribes, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Waikalua Loko Fishpond Preservation Society in Hawaii. It was made possible through funding from the National Science Foundation.
Gun Lake Tribe’s Mnomen restoration team.
In addition, Kalamazoo Nature Center is collaborating with the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians, Gun Lake Tribe, to create a feature on Mnomen (wild rice).
This section of the exhibit will speak to the cultural significance of Mnomen, the harvesting process and the important role Mnomen plays in local ecosystems. We’ll get an in-depth look at tools that are part of the harvesting process as well as current restoration initiatives of Mnomen in local waterways.
Contact Justin Davies with questions or feedback around Roots of Wisdom at . For media inquiries, contact Lisa Panich at or 269-381-1574 ext. 38.
