Like us, all animals need homes.  Skwxw’u7mesh ethnobotanist Cease Wyss and the Questers explore the forest, finding bugs in a fallen log, cloudberry and red huckleberry bushes and a squirrel eating seeds. 

An animated story tells us about animals at risk of extinction because of habitat destruction. Endangered animals include polar bears, the Bengal tiger; orca, blue and beluga whales; the giant panda, black rhino, bald eagle, Indian elephant, sea turtle, snow leopard, orangutan, hippopotamus, and Arctic fox.

Kai shows us how to make waterproof matches; fire was important to the ancestors and must be respected. The amphibious roughskin newt lives on North America’s west coast has a toxin that protects them from predators.

Dr. Ruby Dunstan from the Lytton First Nation says it is important not to be greedy when harvesting food from habitats, a principle of indigenous science. She helped protect the Stein Valley from loggers as this habitat is an important source of medicine and food for their nation.

Chickasaw Nation astronaut, John Herrington, shows us the Sami people in northern Norway, Sweden, and Finland. They raise reindeer, whose very thick fur protects them in the Subarctic winters. Their dependence on reindeer is similar to Canada’s northern indigenous people who rely on migrating caribou for food. The elders say animals, our brothers and sisters, are our teachers.

COYOTE’S CRAZY SMART SCIENCE SHOW (Coyote Science) is a fun, educational science series designed for elementary students. Drawing on wisdom from pioneers in Indigenous education, including Dr. Leroy Little Bear, Amethyst First Rider, and Dr. Lorna Williams, Coyote Science bridges the worlds of Indigenous and Western science, teaching kids scientific concepts through discussions with Indigenous scientists, storytelling, animation, music, and experiments.

BIO: Created by Loretta Todd, a Métis–Cree filmmaker who was one of the first Indigenous women to pursue film studies at Simon Fraser University in BC. Loretta is an amateur science geek who always wanted to inspire Indigenous children and youth to learn more about science, especially Indigenous science. Using her creative skills as a creative, L. S. Todd is an internationally acclaimed, award-winning filmmaker known for powerful, visual storytelling and cultural leadership.