This lecture is what inspired my thesis. The beginning of the lecture focuses on fossil fuels, sustainability, and protecting the environment. At 24:30 she quotes Derrick Jensen and Aric McBay saying “If you invent a new technology the depends on unsustainable infrastructure, your technology is simply not going to be sustainable.” She has exemplified this idea of powering down, using appropriate technologies, and being sustainable. Starting at 25:25 Dr. Waziyatawin talks about buying land next to her reserve and building an earthen home to address her reserve’s housing crisis in a natural way. As many/most Indigenous people view the earth as mother, she talks about how comforting it is to “be swaddled in the body of mother earth” (31:30s) and wanting to “build a home made of earth that is ancient, solid, and loving” (32:50s).  She spoke of the necessity to use straw bales as insulation when building earth homes in cold weather climates (apx.34mins). She started by building a compost outhouse of cob (clay, sand and straw) to practice working with the material. She referred to making cob structures as a democratic process, as anyone, children and elders included, can help with the process with no machinery. She found it empowering especially for women who have often felt they couldn’t be involved in the building processes (apx. 35mins). At the 40 min mark she talks about masonry heaters and rocket mass stoves as being the most efficient (see the Wisner article). She also talks about farming their own trees and permaculture “farming” as access to traditional gathering grounds are limited. (42-46:00). The way she talks about how it is impossible to “go back” to the traditional lifestyle and how using these improvements on ancient technologies can help regain those traditional ideologies and become proper stewards of our homelands. Their goal is to “find the joy that we can in the handmade life while living lightly on the earth, so that we can nurture life.” (47:36-47:44).

The lecturer is an advocate of the Dakota people, author of several books, and has taught at Arizona State University and UVIC. Note: I found this as possibly being her email address waziyatawin@gmail.com , I may want to contact her personally as she inspired my research and could add context and details to my work.