RESILIENCY THROUGH ANCESTRAL KNOWLEDGE.

Abstract:

The traditions found in wayfinding engage in indigenous philosophies and incorporates ancestral knowledge that further emphasizes and elevates another level of understanding in the world that we live in today. Not only does indigenous practices connects man with environment but also connects man with ancestors in times past.

The tools that are involved in voyaging include sensory and/or intangible perceptions from objects. The sensory creates another dimension that allows for different styles and techniques of knowing to take place through another form of communication. For example, the ipu or gourd is used as a compass on a voyaging canoe and employs the sensory with intangible perceptions that is found in the elements of reference through the stories of the stars, wind channels, and ocean pathways. The gourd is an object and the intangible perceptions come from the storytelling of the elements of reference.

These stories not only describe patterns, cycles, and seasons of the world but also discusses the importance of genealogy and cosmology. Together, these aspects found in voyaging practices connects indigenous people to each other, strengthens cultural identity, allows for adaptation in modern times, and brings communities together as they remain resilient in ancestral practices and adaptive in a pathway that leads everyone forward in time. These traditions of wayfinding ultimately allow for another lens in discussing current pressing issues such as sustainability and solutions in climate change and allows for another perspective that brings out solutions