Mission Statement

In The Old Way Institute is an organization committed to preserving cultural memory and rekindling the human relationship with Earth. Through story, conversation, and careful listening, we amplify Indigenous voices and explore the healing wisdom found in ancestral traditions, wilderness, and the cycles of nature.

We live in a time when languages are vanishing, elders are passing, and our connection to the land grows increasingly fragile. In response, with permission, we gather and share teachings through digital storytelling platforms that serve as a modern-day hearth. Our purpose is not to speak for Indigenous communities, but to provide space where traditional knowledge can be heard, remembered, and honored for generations to come.

Our Media Platform: In The Old Way Media

In The Old Way Media, the Institute's storytelling arm, is the hearth where all our offerings, including our podcast, writings, and reflections, come together. Through digital storytelling, we present the old ways in a form accessible to the modern world.

• The In The Old Way Podcast shares the voices of Indigenous elders, Earth-based teachers, and knowledge keepers who carry traditional wisdom, spiritual teachings, and lifeways that honor the land as alive and interconnected. It is a living archive of stories, ceremonies, and cultural insights that help us remember who we are and how to walk in balance.

  Inspired in part by Vine Deloria Jr.’s The World We Used to Live In, this podcast reminds us that the miraculous has not vanished; it still moves in the world for those willing to notice. Through conversations and reflections, we explore both the practical skills that root us to the Earth and the lived experiences that open us to the unseen.

  Our mission is not to chase miracles, but to learn to notice them again, in the forest, on the mountain, in ceremony, and in the quiet places of the heart.

Our Blogs

Our blog platform extends the teachings of the podcasts and deepens our mission through reflective writing, seasonal teachings, and cultural storytelling.

• In The Old Way: focused on ethnobotany and the traditional use of plants for food, medicine, and ceremony.

• The Living Fire: a storytelling hearth for ancestral myths, oral traditions, and sacred teachings carried across generations on Turtle Island.

• Wild Visions: essays, stories, and reflections on the healing power of wilderness and the human-nature relationship.

Core Values

• Preservation Through Story: We record, honor, and share ancestral teachings and oral traditions. This work is not entertainment; it is ceremony, a means of survival, and a legacy.

• Listening Before Speaking: We prioritize deep listening to elders, the land, and ancestral stories before taking any action. We move slowly and with respect, only sharing what has been given with permission.

• Earth-Centered Connection: All life is interconnected. We center the land as teacher, relative, and guide, encouraging a return to respectful and reciprocal ways of being.

• Cultural Integrity: We move slowly with respect. We only share what is given to be shared. We uplift Indigenous voices, center source communities, and avoid distortion or appropriation.

• Holistic Renewal: We believe that healing is not only individual but also communal, cultural, and ecological. Our work supports the renewal of mind, body, spirit, and planet.

• Seventh Generation Responsibility: We act on behalf of those yet to come. Inspired by Indigenous prophecy, we aim to be good ancestors by protecting the knowledge, land, and traditions that will nourish future generations.

Vision Statement

At In The Old Way Institute, we envision a future in which Traditional Knowledge (TK), earth-based practices, and ancestral stories are honored, protected, and shared with integrity.

We see a world where digital platforms can serve as fires around which stories are passed, not for entertainment but for remembrance, healing, and connection. Through our podcasts and written work, we provide a modern gathering space where cultural teachings can thrive and individuals can reawaken their connection to the wild, the sacred, and the ancestral.

*A Note on Earth-Based Spirituality

At the heart of Earth-based Indigenous spirituality is direct experience. Knowledge is not secondhand; it’s lived, felt, and earned. Personal sovereignty is respected and upheld. One does not form opinions or beliefs based on the hearsay or teachings of others alone. Instead, wisdom comes through personal immersion and participation.

Rather than being shaped by the crowd or swayed by popular opinion, Indigenous ways encourage deep listening, sincere curiosity, and inner discernment. Truth must be touched to be known. In many Native traditions, if you haven’t lived an experience yourself, you’re not expected or even permitted to speak on it. Without firsthand knowledge, there’s no ground to stand on.

I recall sitting in a Sundance council over a decade ago when a young dancer began to speak on a matter he hadn’t lived. An elder with patience and firmness reminded him that perspective without experience is hollow. Don’t speak it until you’ve lived it, he said. Until then, your words carry no weight. They lack integrity, clarity, and truth. In this way, Indigenous teachings invite each of us to walk our talk, not just echo the voices of others.

Disclaimer

In The Old Way Institute is not affiliated with any tribal government or nation. While we may share Traditional Knowledge stories or plant knowledge, we do so only with permission, proper attribution, and cultural context. Our work does not speak on behalf of any Indigenous community. We serve as stewards of what has been entrusted to us, approaching all content with humility, reverence, and a commitment to cultural integrity.

We acknowledge that not all teachings are meant to be shared publicly. We refrain from disclosing sacred ceremonial or private knowledge unless explicitly offered for educational and preservation purposes.