We first learn a lot about the author herself. Her great-great-grandparents moved into the “colonial” world, and hid the fact that they were Indigenous, to protect their children. The next generation, while still knowing their ancestral languages, went even further and never spoke them in front of their own children. So the next generation of kids – the author’s grandma and her siblings – did not even know that they had Indigenous roots.

The author grew up working the land, though, as it was part of her family’s traditions. She knew she wanted to do something related to that when she grew up, and studied ecology. She introduces the idea of “Eden ecology,” where the goal is to return an area to its “former” state… but what does that even mean?

It’s often governments who initiate these programs, and there is this unspoken ideal that the land/plants/wildlife need to be like they were in a particular area before humans messed it up. But, as an adult the author comes to realize that, when looking through an Indigenous lens… people were always here. Humans are part of the ecosystem. And they farmed, fished, and engaged in animal husbandry of their own sorts, even if it didn’t look like the industrialized version we see today.

The concepts in the book are organized in the four “directions” of the Medicine Wheel: North for knowledge from the Elders; East for starting on a learning journey, often represented by being young or being a novice; South for being a “young elder” who is ready to work with others and keep the knowledge flowing, and who knows to expect that change is inevitable; and West, ready to put the lessons into action. (But also, with the understanding that one will travel around this cycle many times – perhaps on a different topic entirely, or because new information needs to be taken in about the topic at hand.)

One main theme here is whether or not Indigenous and Westernized views can ever truly be integrated – and whether or not Western science is even interested in that, or just sometimes gives the idea lip service.

Another, though, is that humans are inherently part of our environment. We need to take an active role in learning about the land (and waterways) around us. And she talks about the power of story – her own, but also stories of a particular place. We can look at the plants, wildlife, etc. as an ongoing story to see if we can figure out where things took a turn, where they might need to go next, etc. The Indigenous worldview sees all creatures as “relations,” and we can all benefit by examining our relations to each other – human, animal, plant, land, water, government, learning systems, and so on.

Medicine Wheel for the Planet: A Journey Toward Personal and Ecological Healing
by Jennifer Grenz
It took a while to read this book, partly because I needed to step away at times to see what is being described. I recommended this book to a science teacher whom was taking kids to Costa Rica to help with ecology projects. I hope that the teacher is able to read and find the lessons explained in the story. From the ecology, botany, and cultural aspects described this book is a long and through process of looking at our scientific and cultural views of these scientific endeavors. The personal struggles and ideals of the author is shown through her story telling. She states she is a story teller. It is event in her native voice, and the personal stories the importance of incorporating these lessons in our sciences is important. She spent a long time getting the credentials to be listened to by the public on these aspects of botany, and ecology. She also has many insights form listening to her Elders, and other knowledgeable people about healing and recovering land, and land management. Its insightful and very thought provoking.