17 | Two-Eyed Sight: Indigenous Science, Existence, and Planetary Health | Nicole Redvers

Published: Feb. 10, 2021, 11 a.m.

Nicole Redvers (@DrNicoleRedvers) joins us to speak about Indigenous ways of knowing, the necessity for protecting Indigenous lands and ways of life, and the necessity for integration of traditional knowledge and Western science in the pursuit of human and planetary health. She discusses the need for truth-telling and reconciliation; how Indigenous communities have resisted colonialism, extraction, and exploitation across Turtle Island; and how reciprocal knowledge is a gift.


Dr. Nicole Redvers ND MPH is a member of the Deninu K’ue First Nation and has worked with various Indigenous patients and communities around the globe helping to bridge the gap between traditional and modern medical systems. She is co-founder and chair of the Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation based in the Canadian North, winning a $1 million dollar prize for work with homeless and at-risk people in northern Canada. She is actively involved in international efforts ot include indigenous perspectives in planetary health and sustainable healthcare education (SHE), and sits on a number of national and international committees. Se is the author of The Science of the Sacred: Bridging Global Indigenous Medicine Systems and Modern Scientific Principles (North Atlantic Books, 2019) and is an Assistant Professor at the University of North Dakota. 


Her recommended resources:

  • Redvers N, Blondin B (2020). "Traditional Indigenous medicine in North America: A scoping review." PLoS ONE, bit.ly/3p1MP0Z



  • Redvers N, Schultz C, Prince MV, Cunningham M, Jones R (2020). "Indigenous perspectives on education for sustainable healthcare." Med. Teach. bit.ly/2YXnhHO



  • Redvers, Nicole. The Science of the Sacred: Bridging Global Indigenous Medicine Systems and Modern Scientific Principles. North Atlantic Books, 2019. bit.ly/3a53OeC



  • Redvers N, Yellow Bird M, Quinn D, Yunkaporta T, Arabena K (2020). "Molecular Decolonization: An Indigenous Microcosm Perspective of  Planetary Health." Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. bit.ly/2OcPpED




Resources mentioned during the show:

  • Cultural Survival and the International Indian Treaty Council, "Respecting Our Traditional Science and Ways of Knowing: Indigenous Peoples’ Sovereignty, Lifeways, and Climate Change,” bit.ly/3cZTBlr





  • Schaefer, Carol. Grandmothers Counsel the World: Women Elders Offer Their Vision for Our Planet. Trumpeter, 2006. bit.ly/3cZTYMR