
Indigenous Ingenuity
A Celebration of Traditional North American Knowledge
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $19.48
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Erin Tripp
About this listen
Celebrate Indigenous thinkers and inventions with this 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. Listeners 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
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Killers of the Flower Moon
- The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
- By: David Grann
- Narrated by: Will Patton, Ann Marie Lee, Danny Campbell
- Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured automobiles, built mansions, and sent their children to study in Europe.
-
-
An outstanding story, highly recommended
- By S. Blakely on 06-22-17
By: David Grann
-
Becoming Kin
- An Indigenous Call to Unforgetting the Past and Reimagining Our Future
- By: Patty Krawec, Nick Estes - foreword
- Narrated by: Patty Krawec
- Length: 5 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The invented history of the Western world is crumbling fast, Anishinaabe writer Patty Krawec says, but we can still honor the bonds between us. Settlers dominated and divided, but Indigenous peoples won't just send them all "home." Weaving her own story with the story of her ancestors and with the broader themes of creation, replacement, and disappearance, Krawec helps listeners see settler colonialism through the eyes of an Indigenous writer.
-
-
Relearning History
- By Bo Buxton on 02-05-23
By: Patty Krawec, and others
-
Finding the Mother Tree
- Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest
- By: Suzanne Simard
- Narrated by: Suzanne Simard
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Suzanne Simard is a pioneer on the frontier of plant communication and intelligence; her TED talks have been viewed by more than 10 million people worldwide. In this, her first book, now available in audio, Simard brings us into her world, the intimate world of the trees, in which she brilliantly illuminates the fascinating and vital truths—that trees are not simply the source of timber or pulp, but are a complicated, interdependent circle of life.
-
-
Couldn't finish, will try the hard copy
- By primrose on 07-22-21
By: Suzanne Simard
-
The Hidden Life of Trees
- What They Feel, How They Communicate - Discoveries from a Secret World
- By: Peter Wohlleben
- Narrated by: Mike Grady
- Length: 7 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How do trees live? Do they feel pain or have awareness of their surroundings? Research is now suggesting trees are capable of much more than we have ever known. In The Hidden Life of Trees, forester Peter Wohlleben puts groundbreaking scientific discoveries into a language everyone can relate to.
-
-
Tree Hugger
- By Darwin8u on 04-18-19
By: Peter Wohlleben
-
Bushcraft 101: A Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival
- Bushcraft Series
- By: Dave Canterbury
- Narrated by: Travis Tonn
- Length: 4 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The ultimate resource for experiencing the backcountry! Written by survivalist expert Dave Canterbury, Bushcraft 101 gets you ready for your next backcountry trip with advice on making the most of your time outdoors. Based on the Five Cs of Survivability - cutting tools, covering, combustion devices, containers, and cordages - this valuable guide offers only the most important survival skills to help you craft resources from your surroundings and truly experience the beauty and thrill of the wilderness.
-
-
This book would be better in Palermo kindle
- By Moto-ikemen-Ossan on 07-09-19
By: Dave Canterbury
-
The Ultimate Preppers Guide for Off-Grid Survival
- Simple Hacks that Will Help You Become More Self-Reliant and Keep Your Family Safe
- By: Shaun Michael
- Narrated by: Michael Stuhre
- Length: 4 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Ultimate Preppers Guide for Off-Grid Survival Tactics is a must-listen book for anyone who wants to ensure they become more self-reliant and can live off-grid.
-
-
Better prepared than not!
- By Roger on 04-27-23
By: Shaun Michael
-
Killers of the Flower Moon
- The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
- By: David Grann
- Narrated by: Will Patton, Ann Marie Lee, Danny Campbell
- Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured automobiles, built mansions, and sent their children to study in Europe.
-
-
An outstanding story, highly recommended
- By S. Blakely on 06-22-17
By: David Grann
-
Becoming Kin
- An Indigenous Call to Unforgetting the Past and Reimagining Our Future
- By: Patty Krawec, Nick Estes - foreword
- Narrated by: Patty Krawec
- Length: 5 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The invented history of the Western world is crumbling fast, Anishinaabe writer Patty Krawec says, but we can still honor the bonds between us. Settlers dominated and divided, but Indigenous peoples won't just send them all "home." Weaving her own story with the story of her ancestors and with the broader themes of creation, replacement, and disappearance, Krawec helps listeners see settler colonialism through the eyes of an Indigenous writer.
-
-
Relearning History
- By Bo Buxton on 02-05-23
By: Patty Krawec, and others
-
Finding the Mother Tree
- Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest
- By: Suzanne Simard
- Narrated by: Suzanne Simard
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Suzanne Simard is a pioneer on the frontier of plant communication and intelligence; her TED talks have been viewed by more than 10 million people worldwide. In this, her first book, now available in audio, Simard brings us into her world, the intimate world of the trees, in which she brilliantly illuminates the fascinating and vital truths—that trees are not simply the source of timber or pulp, but are a complicated, interdependent circle of life.
-
-
Couldn't finish, will try the hard copy
- By primrose on 07-22-21
By: Suzanne Simard
-
The Hidden Life of Trees
- What They Feel, How They Communicate - Discoveries from a Secret World
- By: Peter Wohlleben
- Narrated by: Mike Grady
- Length: 7 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How do trees live? Do they feel pain or have awareness of their surroundings? Research is now suggesting trees are capable of much more than we have ever known. In The Hidden Life of Trees, forester Peter Wohlleben puts groundbreaking scientific discoveries into a language everyone can relate to.
-
-
Tree Hugger
- By Darwin8u on 04-18-19
By: Peter Wohlleben
-
Bushcraft 101: A Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival
- Bushcraft Series
- By: Dave Canterbury
- Narrated by: Travis Tonn
- Length: 4 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The ultimate resource for experiencing the backcountry! Written by survivalist expert Dave Canterbury, Bushcraft 101 gets you ready for your next backcountry trip with advice on making the most of your time outdoors. Based on the Five Cs of Survivability - cutting tools, covering, combustion devices, containers, and cordages - this valuable guide offers only the most important survival skills to help you craft resources from your surroundings and truly experience the beauty and thrill of the wilderness.
-
-
This book would be better in Palermo kindle
- By Moto-ikemen-Ossan on 07-09-19
By: Dave Canterbury
-
The Ultimate Preppers Guide for Off-Grid Survival
- Simple Hacks that Will Help You Become More Self-Reliant and Keep Your Family Safe
- By: Shaun Michael
- Narrated by: Michael Stuhre
- Length: 4 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Ultimate Preppers Guide for Off-Grid Survival Tactics is a must-listen book for anyone who wants to ensure they become more self-reliant and can live off-grid.
-
-
Better prepared than not!
- By Roger on 04-27-23
By: Shaun Michael
-
Camping Trivia for Family Trips
- 117 Questions, Riddles and Fun Facts (and a Few Tips) for Kids and Adults
- By: Lila Bird
- Narrated by: Lila Bird
- Length: 1 hr and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Do you want to add some extra fun to your family camping experience? Everyone know there are days when the trip to the great outdoors can be a bit too...real. Rainy days in a tent, long hours driving with tired kids in the back, sometimes you want to change it up a bit. Why not give them a little education that’s fun and interactive? You and the kids can test your knowledge, learn some facts, and increase your family’s appreciation of nature with this camping trivia quiz.
-
-
Great for the whole family!
- By ShineOn_444 on 07-27-21
By: Lila Bird
-
Fearless Foraging in the Rocky Mountains
- Rapidly Identify the Most Common Edible Wild Mushrooms in the Mountain States and Safely Distinguish Them from Toxic and Inedible Fungi
- By: Wild Harvest Publications
- Narrated by: Ana Stephens
- Length: 3 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mushroom hunting is easier than you think, and less dangerous than everyone assumes. There are so many benefits of foraging to your health and the environment.
-
-
Enlightening!
- By Stewart K. on 03-17-23
-
Fresh Banana Leaves
- Healing Indigenous Landscapes Through Indigenous Science
- By: Jessica Hernandez Ph.D.
- Narrated by: Stacy Gonzalez
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Despite the undeniable fact that Indigenous communities are among the most affected by climate devastation, Indigenous science is nowhere to be found in mainstream environmental policy or discourse. And while holistic land, water, and forest management practices born from millennia of Indigenous knowledge systems have much to teach all of us, Indigenous science has long been ignored, otherized, or perceived as "soft"--the product of a systematic, centuries-long campaign of racism, colonialism, extractive capitalism, and delegitimization.
-
-
Great research, little awareness or viable solutions
- By Nyrel Cederstrom on 07-19-22
-
As Long as Grass Grows
- The Indigenous Fight for Environmental Justice, from Colonization to Standing Rock
- By: Dina Gilio-Whitaker
- Narrated by: Kyla Garcia
- Length: 7 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The story of Native peoples’ resistance to environmental injustice and land incursions and a call for environmentalists to learn from the indigenous community’s rich history of activism.
-
-
Unbalanced Information
- By J. Scott on 08-30-22
-
Origins
- How Earth's History Shaped Human History
- By: Lewis Dartnell
- Narrated by: John Sackville
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When we talk about human history, we often focus on great leaders, population forces, and decisive wars. But how has the earth itself determined our destiny? Our planet wobbles, driving changes in climate that forced the transition from nomadism to farming. Mountainous terrain led to the development of democracy in Greece. Atmospheric circulation patterns later on shaped the progression of global exploration, colonization, and trade. Even today, voting behavior in the southeast United States ultimately follows the underlying pattern of 75 million-year-old sediments from an ancient sea.
-
-
GREAT Book with a Narrator Who's Falling Asleep
- By aaron on 08-02-20
By: Lewis Dartnell
-
Who Ate the First Oyster?
- The Extraordinary People Behind the Greatest Firsts in History
- By: Cody Cassidy
- Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris
- Length: 4 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Who wore the first pants? Who painted the first masterpiece? Who first rode the horse? Who invented soap? This madcap adventure across ancient history uses everything from modern genetics to archaeology to uncover the geniuses behind these and other world-changing innovations. With a sharp sense of humor and boundless enthusiasm for the wonders of our ancient ancestors, Who Ate the First Oyster? profiles the perpetrators of the greatest firsts and catastrophes of prehistory.
-
-
It could be better...
- By Alex on 04-06-21
By: Cody Cassidy
-
Dark Emu
- Black Seeds: Agriculture or Accident?
- By: Bruce Pascoe
- Narrated by: Bruce Pascoe
- Length: 5 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dark Emu argues for a reconsideration of the 'hunter-gatherer' tag for pre-colonial Aboriginal Australians and attempts to rebut the colonial myths that have worked to justify dispossession. Accomplished author Bruce Pascoe provides compelling evidence from the diaries of early explorers that suggests that systems of food production and land management have been understated in modern retellings of Aboriginal history, and that a new look at Australia's past is required.
-
-
One of the best books ever!!!!
- By Matt Powers on 05-07-18
By: Bruce Pascoe
-
How to Stay Alive in the Woods
- A Complete Guide to Food, Shelter and Self-Preservation Anywhere
- By: Bradford Angier
- Narrated by: Matthew Boston
- Length: 8 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Broken down into four essential sections - Sustenance, Warmth, Orientation, and Safety - this enlightening manual reveals how to catch game without a gun, what plants to eat, how to build a warm shelter, make clothing, protect yourself, and signal for help. Expanded instructions offer crucial information at a glance, making How to Stay Alive in the Woods truly a lifesaver.
By: Bradford Angier
-
Practical Survival Skills
- 2 in 1 Value Bundle: Wild Foods & Natural Medicines Survival Guides
- By: J.P. Logan
- Narrated by: Matt Williams
- Length: 6 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With this comprehensive wilderness food guide, you can guarantee your survival and eat well in the wild. The simple fact of life is - everyone has to eat. But what happens if you get lost in the wilderness without supplies to help you survive...Or a natural disaster suddenly cuts you off from modern conveniences and help services...What if a camping, hiking, or a weekend outdoor trip ends up in an emergency where you have to fend for yourself in the great outdoors...The truth is, you only have a limited amount of time before you become just another statistic.
-
-
A must for anyone wanting to learn
- By Dorothy R. Williams on 05-09-22
By: J.P. Logan
-
Indian Givers
- How the Indians of the Americas Transformed the World
- By: Jack Weatherford
- Narrated by: Victor Bevine
- Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After 500 years, the world's huge debt to the wisdom of the Indians of the Americas has finally been explored in all its vivid drama by anthropologist Jack Weatherford. He traces the crucial contributions made by the Indians to our federal system of government, our democratic institutions, modern medicine, agriculture, architecture, and ecology, and in this astonishing, ground-breaking book takes a giant step toward recovering a true American history.
-
-
All things Jack Weatherford
- By Robert on 06-03-10
By: Jack Weatherford
-
How to Invent Everything
- A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler
- By: Ryan North
- Narrated by: Ryan North
- Length: 12 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What would you do if a time machine hurled you thousands of years into the past...and then broke? How would you survive? With this book as your guide, you'll survive - and thrive - in any period in Earth's history. Best-selling author and time-travel enthusiast Ryan North tells you how to invent all the modern conveniences we take for granted - from first principles. This manual contains all the science, engineering, art, philosophy, facts, and figures required for even the most clueless time traveler to build a civilization from the ground up.
-
-
Get the book
- By Tim McNerney on 11-26-18
By: Ryan North
-
Survive!
- Essential Skills and Tactics to Get You Out of Anywhere - Alive
- By: Les Stroud
- Narrated by: Les Stroud
- Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the sun-scorched sands of the Kalahari to the snake-infested jungles of the Amazon, Les Stroud has made a life of surviving in the harshest - and most remote - regions on Earth. Now, the creator, producer, and host of the hit television program Survivorman transfers his decades of knowledge and experience to the audiobook Survive!, a practical guide that gives everyday listeners a no-nonsense look at the real world of survival.
-
-
Les Stroud - THE SURVIVORMAN
- By Roseclan on 02-10-23
By: Les Stroud
Critic reviews
"Erin Tripp chronicles the scientific advancements of the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island, or North America, in a matter-of-fact voice that complements the narrative.... As Tripp covers topics that range from ecology to agriculture and recreation, each discovery and innovation is introduced with enthusiasm and clarity, making it easy to grasp. Listeners, especially young STEM enthusiasts, will enjoy learning about the countless contributions of North American Indigenous Peoples and how they are helping to shape the present and future as new challenges arise." (AudioFile)
"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
What listeners say about Indigenous Ingenuity
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Dawn Duncan
- 01-21-25
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.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!