Indigenous Ingenuity

A Celebration of Traditional North American Knowledge

By: Deidre Havrelock, Edward Kay

Narrated by: Erin Tripp

Celebrate Indigenous thinkers and inventions with this beautifully designed, award-winning interactive nonfiction book—perfect for fans of Braiding Sweetgrass.

Corn. Chocolate. Fishing hooks. Boats that float. Insulated double-walled construction. Recorded history and folklore. Life-saving disinfectant. Forest fire management. Our lives would be unrecognizable without these, and countless other, scientific discoveries and technological inventions from Indigenous North Americans. 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.

★ "This book will amaze readers and teachers. Completely unique and important." —SLJ, starred review

★ "Engaging and informative." —Booklist, starred review" Essential for kids and adults. We need this book." —Candace Fleming, award-winning author of The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh and The Family Romanov

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY School Library Journal • Shelf Awareness • National Education Society • American Association of Geography • Canadian Children’s Book Centre • Nerdy Book Club • NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Awards • The Green Earth Book Award

Critic reviews

"An astonishing, exuberant treasure trove of history, science and hands-on activities that repeatedly begs the question: "Why didn't I know this?" Essential for kids and adults. We need this book." —Candace Fleming, award-winning author of The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh and The Family Romanov

"A conversational tone invites readers to engage with this monumental collection . . . Curious readers will learn facts unique to individual tribal groups while gaining knowledge of STEM/STEAM concepts. An ambitious, appealing, and accessible work documenting and protecting valuable knowledge."—Kirkus Reviews

"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

Such useful information and woven together so beautifully

I loved how it linked traditional knowledge with modern reality and society. It was full of such good information that many people don’t know about. It gave me hope for including indigenous perspectives in helping to protect our world and all the beings in it.