A national touring exhibit, organized by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, will be coming to Duane G. Meyer Library on the Springfield campus of Missouri State University in early 2019. “Roots of Wisdom: Native Knowledge. Shared Science” will be on display from March 16, 2019 through May 26, 2019. This major exhibit will be free and open to the public.

Local ecosystems around the world face serious environmental challenges. Native communities have devised innovative solutions by combining traditional knowledge with modern science. This exhibit, developed by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry and Native community partners, features stories of ecological and cultural restoration from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Tulalip Tribes, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and Native Hawaiians.

Several areas of MSU, including the College of Natural and Applied Sciences, the College of Humanities and Public Affairs, the Division for Diversity and Inclusion, and the Libraries, are collaborating to bring this exhibit to campus.

“Roots of Wisdom: Native Knowledge. Shared Science.” was developed, produced, and circulated by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, and Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. The exhibition was made possible with funds provided by the National Science Foundation.