Find uplifting stories about heroes, innovations, and solutions
40 results for "indigenous knowledge"
Two elderly healers in India's remote forests have been using a five-plant formula for decades—and scientists just discovered it kills cancer cells in the lab. Researchers are now studying how this traditional Konyak remedy could lead to new treatments.
A Métis scholar's new podcast is rewriting science history by uncovering two centuries of Indigenous knowledge that shaped Western discoveries. Dr. Darrell Racine's series gives Indigenous youth proof of their ancestors' hidden contributions to the modern world.
%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Ftf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ffiler_public%2Fb8%2F5d%2Fb85d6c70-9747-4395-a923-b2d3c577acee%2Fjr-19-6177-78.jpg)
When students in Galena, Alaska spotted dangerous thin ice near their school, their measurements helped warn the community and prevent tragedy. Now 325 kids across Alaska are collecting ice data that keeps their neighbors safe and helps scientists understand climate change.
Indigenous communities across North America are reclaiming ancient land management practices, from engineered clam gardens to prescribed burns, as Western scientists finally recognize what traditional knowledge holders knew all along. The shift is restoring both ecosystems and food sovereignty after generations of forced separation.
Two marsupial species scientists thought were extinct for 6,000 years are alive in Papua's forests, thanks to Indigenous elders who knew they were there all along. The discovery highlights how traditional knowledge can reshape what science thinks it knows.
Indigenous knowledge-holders in New Zealand partnered with scientists to track dramatic shifts in forest fruiting patterns over 75 years, revealing how climate change ripples through entire ecosystems. Their work shows how traditional ecological wisdom can illuminate environmental changes that conventional science might miss.
South Africa is repositioning indigenous wisdom from the margins to the center of its national innovation system, creating new opportunities in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and sustainable development. The move protects indigenous communities while unlocking valuable knowledge for modern research.
Newly documented Aboriginal rock paintings in Australia suggest Tasmanian tigers survived on the mainland far more recently than scientists believed. The discovery bridges ancient Indigenous knowledge with modern science in a beautiful way.
A 90-year-old grandmother who remembers when Mexico City's chinampas canals ran clear just helped organize an international summit to save them. After 60 years of fighting, Abuela Amalia is leading a groundbreaking effort to give the ancient waterways legal rights as a living entity.
When botanists tried a mysterious fruit in a Colombian village, they discovered a 20-meter palm tree unknown to science. The Cacua people who've used it for centuries became co-authors on the research paper describing it.
A conservation researcher in Australia is listing the Martuwarra Fitzroy River as the lead author on her scientific publications, challenging Western views of knowledge and honoring Indigenous traditions. The river even has its own research identifier, with seven papers published so far.
In American Samoa, village-led conservation efforts are protecting giant clams better than federal no-take zones, proving that Indigenous stewardship works. The discovery could reshape how coastal communities protect marine life while honoring cultural traditions.
Archaeologists working alongside Guatemala's Tz'utujil Maya community have confirmed an ancient settlement beneath Lake Atitlán, creating a new model where Indigenous knowledge and science work as equal partners. This discovery rewrites both what lies beneath the water and how archaeology itself should be practiced.
%2Ffile%2Fattachments%2F2989%2F10star_gazing_9_huge_139190.jpg)
In Carnarvon, South Africa, six locals are becoming professional astronomy guides, blending modern science with ancient San storytelling to create jobs in a region hit hard by unemployment. Their secret weapon? Some of the clearest night skies on Earth.
Martu elders in Western Australia are combining traditional wisdom with modern science to protect the endangered northern quoll, creating a powerful new model for conservation. Their cultural knowledge revealed the species' history in areas where Western science had no records.
Traditional healers and indigenous knowledge holders in South Africa are getting access to modern labs and expertise to turn ancestral remedies into regulated, market-ready products. A new platform aims to help communities claim their share of the $168 billion global natural health market.
%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Ftf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ffiler_public%2F78%2F4c%2F784cc2a1-9da8-4f11-b06f-3851a8a4550f%2Fscreenshot_2026-03-06_at_44019pm.png)
Scientists rediscovered two marsupial species on New Guinea that were thought to have vanished 6,000 years ago. Working with Indigenous communities, researchers found living pygmy long-fingered possums and ring-tailed gliders, making history with an unprecedented double "Lazarus species" discovery.
Scientists discovered bones of an extinct creature in a region where indigenous people have protected its memory through sacred stories for thousands of years. The find proves ancient oral traditions can preserve real knowledge across millennia.
Scientists discovered two marsupial species in remote West Papua that were thought to have vanished 6,000 years ago. The pygmy long-fingered possum and ring-tailed glider represent an exceptionally rare double "lazarus taxon" discovery.
Scientists in West Papua have rediscovered two tiny marsupials thought extinct for 6,000 years, rewriting history with help from Indigenous elders. The long-fingered possum and ring-tailed glider are thriving in remote rainforests.
Showing 20 of 40