A People's Ecology: Explorations in Sustainable Living presents a tapestry of perspectives on food and the interplay of health, cultural ecology, and environment, which are the fabric and foundation of all sustainable living. It offers personal stories, documented information, traditional understandings, and speculations on future directions. Each contribution calls on us to reclaim our human heritage of "caring for our home fires" -- a metaphor that can inspire the revitalization of our connections to the earth, all living things, and each other.

The writers examine the underlying ecology of sustainable living rooted in the historical traditions, environmental practices, and sense of place of peoples of the Southwest; and they describe the impact that disruption of this way of life continues to have on health, well-being, and communal identity. Drawing on an Indigenous paradigm of "healthy environment, healthy culture, healthy people, " this book explores possibilities of applying the principles of sustainable living in both traditional and non-traditional communities.

Storytelling empowers children to engage in discussions; explore ideas about power, respect, community, fairness, equality, and justice; and help frame their understanding of complex ethical issues within a society. In Life Lessons through Storytelling, Donna Eder interviews elementary students and presents their responses to stories from different cultures. Using Aesop s fables and Kenyan and Navajo storytelling traditions as models for classroom use, Eder demonstrates the value of a cross-cultural approach to teaching through storytelling, while providing deep insights into the social psychology of learning."

What does it mean to be a Navajo (Dine) person today? What does it mean to "respect tradition"? How can a contemporary life be informed by the traditions of the past? These are the kinds of questions addressed by contributors to this unusual and pathbreaking book.
All of the contributors are coming to personal terms with a phrase that underpins the matrix of Dine culture: "Sa'ah Naaghai Bik'eh Hozh""o""o""n"." "Often referred to simply as SNBH, the phrase can be translated in many ways but is generally understood to mean "one's journey of striving to live a long, harmonious life." The book offers a variety of perspectives of Dine men and women on the Dine cultural paradigm that is embedded in SNBH. Their writings represent embodied knowledge grounded in a way of knowing that connects thought, speech, experience, history, tradition, and land. Some of the contributors are scholars. Some are Dine who are fighting for justice and prosperity for the Navajo Nation. Some are poets and artists. They are united in working to preserve both intellectual and cultural sovereignty for Dine peoples. And their contributions exemplify how Indigenous peoples are creatively applying tools of decolonization and critical research to re-create Indigenous thought and culture in a present day that rarely resembles the days of their ancestors.
More than 300,000 people self-identify as Dine today. Every one must grapple with how to make a life that acknowledges "Sa'ah Naaghai Bik'eh Hozh""o""o""n." "Dine"" Perspectives" is unique in bringing such personal journeys to the public eye.