Feb. 24, 2021

This discussion will focus on various uses of Native plants in and around the four corners area, along with their beneficial effects. Kyle will showcase how plants may be used in cooking and crafting.

Bio

Kyle Kootswatewa is an enduring practitioner of Traditional Ecological Knowledge and a rising traditional weaver of natural fibers. He is of Hopi descent, coming from the Kachina clan in Mungapi, Arizona. While Kootswatewa emerged as a traditional artist, he has also merged his knowledge into higher academics. Earning a BA at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), Kootswatewa studied within the Indigenous Liberal Arts Department and its strong interdisciplinary curriculum. He utilized his academic training and traditional ecological knowledge towards fortifying earth stewardship, while increasing awareness and involvement in combating climate change. Learning to work with the earth has been attributed from Kootswatewa’s maternal clan grandparents, mothers, and uncle. The processes of foraging, creating, cooking, and building has allowed Kootswatewa to become well versed in the traditional sciences of agriculture, botany, nutrition, permaculture, geology, and the chemistry that brings all these natural sources into act within his community.

While at IAIA, Kootswatewa committed to gathering research with the Land Grant Department and Hopi Cultural Preservation Office. He has studied and recorded data in various continuing projects that include, but are not limited to, ecological surveying and assessments, permaculture design, and cultural/language preservation.

If you missed Kyle's recording or would like to watch it again, here's the link for Reciprocity of Native Plants.

And, here's anIAIA Library guide with additional resources.