Sand Talk: Indigenous Perspectives for Saving the World

Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World is a paradigm-shifting book akin to Sapiens, offering a crucial Indigenous perspective on historical and cultural issues such as history, education, money, power, and sustainability, and proposing a new template for living.

As an Indigenous person, Tyson Yunkaporta examines global systems from a unique viewpoint, one intrinsically linked to the natural and spiritual world. In considering the divergence between contemporary life and the pattern of creation, he raises vital questions: How does this affect us? How can we do things differently?

In this thoughtful, culturally rich, and mind-expanding book, Yunkaporta provides answers. His writing process begins with images, honoring Indigenous traditions by carving representations of what he wishes to convey, channeling his thoughts through symbols and diagrams rather than words. He engages in yarning with people, seeking ways to connect images and stories with place and relationship, creating a coherent worldview. He also utilizes sand talk, the Aboriginal custom of drawing images on the ground to impart knowledge.

In Sand Talk, Yunkaporta offers a new model for our everyday lives. Rich in ideas and inspiration, it explains how lines, symbols, and shapes can help us make sense of the world. It is about how we learn and how we remember. It is about conversing with everyone and listening intently. It is about finding diverse ways to perceive things.

Most significantly, it is about a very special mode of thinking, of learning to see from a native perspective, one that is spiritually and physically connected to the earth around us, and how this perspective can save our world.

Sand Talk includes 22 black-and-white illustrations that add depth to the text, complementing the reader's understanding of Yunkaporta's insights and teachings.

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