WaYS’ priority is working with and for Wabanaki communities to provide experiential learning opportunities for indigenous youth. This is accomplished with the inclusion of Cultural Knowledge Sharers, western science professionals, and educators in various settings and forms. We work with youth in elementary school through college-age. To accomplish our priorities, WaYS opportunities include:
- Cultural Knowledge-Western Science Camps for native youth
- Learning experiences in tribal schools
- After school programs in tribal communities
- College courses integrating Indigenous science with western science
- Internships mentored by Cultural Knowledge Sharers and western science professionals
- Natural Resource Technical Assistance to Tribal Communities
- Western Science Educator Unlearning-relearning
- WaYS trail crew maintenance on indigenous/NPS lands throughout Maine
*The way traditional is being utilized in this context is not a static term to connote being stuck in the past. Rather, to be traditional is to acknowledge the ancestors, what they thought, what they knew and what they believed. To be traditional is to live your life by those same teachings, taking those teachings and applying them in a modern context or to live in the same spirit as our ancestors. Being Traditional is a mark that you live your culture. Traditional is to live your culture.*
