DESCRIPTION
Indigenous Ingenuity: A Celebration of Traditional North American Knowledge, this STEM book by Indigenous children’s author Deidre Havrelock is co-authored with Edward Kay and illustrated by Kalila Fuller — May 2023 — with Little, Brown and Company.
Spanning topics from transportation to civil engineering, hunting technologies, astronomy, brain surgery, architecture, and agriculture, Indigenous Ingenuity is a wide-ranging STEM offering that answers the call for Indigenous nonfiction by reappropriating hidden history. The book includes fun, simple activities and experiments that kids can do to better understand and enjoy the principles used by Indigenous inventors. Readers of all ages are invited to celebrate traditional North American Indigenous innovation, and to embrace the mindset of reciprocity, environmental responsibility, and the interconnectedness of all life.
Indigenous Ingenuity has received a 2023 Nerdy Book Club Award for Best Longform Nonfiction!
REVIEWS
A comprehensive unveiling of the “rich scientific legacy” of Indigenous Peoples.
-Kirkus Reviews
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Engaging and informative, this will be welcomed by both STEM and social studies curricula to help to correct prevailing narratives about Indigenous technology.
–Booklist, *starred review
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A completely unique and important narrative not to be missed; readers and teachers will come away with a new appreciation for the myriad contributions Indigenous people have made.
-School Library Journal, *starred review
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Via authoritative, meticulously researched prose, the creators detail Native peoples’ significant strides in scientific pursuits . . . [and] showcase Native tribes’ continual and enduring impact. Photographs, as well as interactive activities detailing recipes and science experiments, feature throughout, lending a hands-on approach to this clear and concise work.
—Publishers Weekly
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A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
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Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Nobel | Target | Indie Bound | Chapters-Indigo
“Explore how the world we know today is influenced by the innovation, knowledge, and culture of Indigenous Peoples from North America.”
Classroom Slides
Links for Teachers
- Culture-Based School Mathematics
- Enhancing School Science with Indigenous Knowledge
- Native American Representation in STEM: Indigenous Innovation
- Student-Centered Digital Learning Activities from National Indian Education Association
- Impact of Native Americans from IllumiNative
- Resources for Teaching About Indigenous Peoples from NEA
- Tlingit War Canoe & Halibut Hook
Download our Nahuatl word list and listen to words spoken in Nahuatl, the language of the Mexica.
One of my favorite Indigenous inventions — the making of the dugout canoe! (this one is not in the book) Enjoy!
