­Indigenous Ingenuity: A Celebration of ­Traditional North American Knowledge

Gr 5 Up–Havrelock (Saddle Lake Cree Nation) and Kay present an extraordinarily comprehensive history of Indigenous peoples of North America and their important contributions to the world of STEM. Throughout the eras, Indigenous peoples have positively added to the realms of ecology, transportation, communications, agriculture, textile technology, mathematics, and more. In North America, those identifying as Indigenous number 25 million, from over 1,000 nations, each with its own culture, language, oral traditions, and traditional knowledge. Written in a conversational tone with interesting prompts and important, little-known historical facts, this book will amaze readers and teachers as it demonstrates how pervasive and crucial the history of Indigenous people is. The title is accessible, with tie-ins students can relate to, such as the dogsled teams that brought anti-diphtheria serum to remote Alaska comparing to similar extreme efforts during the COVID-19 era. Black-and-white photos, both modern and historical, are peppered throughout, as are simple yet fun experiments and activities. Readers are called upon to reciprocate and focus on a sustainable future for their generation and those yet to come. The book contains an authors’ note explaining their vision to celebrate North American Indigenous innovations in STEM, along with a glossary, bibliography, notes, and an index.