Remembering We are Nature
A Conversation with Wahinkpe Topa (Four Arrows) on awakening to the kinship worldview
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Join us for a captivating conversation with Wahinkpe Topa (Four Arrows), the former Director of Education at Oglala Lakota College and current Professor of Educational Leadership for Change at Antioch University. As the co-author of "Restoring the Kinship Worldview: Indigenous Voices Introduce 28 Precepts for Rebalancing Life on Planet Earth," written with Darcia Narvaez, Four Arrows brings a wealth of knowledge and profound insights to our discussion.
In this episode, he shares his transformative journey towards embracing an Indigenous nature-based worldview, sparked by a near-death experience and a miraculous recovery facilitated by the Raramuri Indians. We delve into what it means to be human in the face of existential crises, exploring the stark differences between anthropocentric and kinship worldviews as illustrated in his worldview chart.
Discover the intriguing Cat-Fawn dehypnotizing technology and its ceremonial connections, as well as Four Arrows' recent enlightening experiences with the unconquered Kogi in Colombia. Hear his compelling reasons for choosing Indigenous practices to treat his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and the challenges he faces in promoting “out-of-the-box” thinking for decolonizing and indigenizing higher education.
Four Arrows also recounts his powerful experience at Standing Rock, where he witnessed and partook in acts of fearless courage. Finally, he offers a poignant reflection on accepting the reality of death and discovering one's death song. This episode promises to inspire and provoke thought, offering a unique perspective on rebalancing life on our planet.
“The western worldview really is a binary worldview whereas the Indigenous worldview is non-binary dualistic complementarity seeking that balance between the sun and the moon… Nature really is everywhere and we are part of it. We are nature. Once we begin to realize the sentience of a tree or a bush we can do it anywhere and we can grow gardens on roofs.”
— Wahinkpe Topa (Four Arrows) —
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The Proven Sustainable™ Conversation Series is a fiscally sponsored project of the Center for Transformative Action, a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization.