Gregory Cajete facts for kids
Gregory A. Cajete is a Tewa author and professor from Santa Clara Pueblo, New Mexico. He is known for bringing together Native American ways of understanding science with modern school teachings. His main goal is to teach "culturally based science," which focuses on health and well-being.
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Learning and Degrees
Gregory Cajete studied at New Mexico Highlands University. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology (the study of living things) and sociology (the study of human society). He also had a minor in secondary education, which means he learned how to teach in high schools.
Later, he received his Master of Arts degree from the University of New Mexico. He then earned his doctorate from the International College, Los Angeles. His doctorate focused on social science education with a special interest in Native American Studies.
His Work and Teaching
Currently, Dr. Cajete is the director of the Native American Studies program at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. He is also an associate professor of education there.
He has been a New Mexico Humanities scholar, focusing on ethnobotany. This is the study of how people use plants, especially in traditional cultures. He is also a member of the New Mexico Arts Commission.
Before his current role, he taught for 21 years at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe.
Awards and Special Projects
Dr. Cajete has led several important studies about Native science and education. These studies received funding from groups like the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
He has also received special awards and support from organizations such as the Newberry Library’s D’Arcy McNickle Center and the School for Advanced Research. He also spent time helping small communities near Santa Clara Pueblo.
Books by Gregory Cajete
Dr. Cajete has written several books that share his ideas about education and Native American knowledge:
- Green, Rayne, Dr. Gregory A. Cajete, and Lucy R. Lippard. Native Views. Influences of Modern Culture. A Contemporary Native American Art Exhibition. Artrain USA: 2004.
- Cajete, Gregory and Leroy Little Bear. Native Science: Natural Laws of Interdependence. Clear Light Books, 2001. ISBN: 1-57416-041-9.
- Cajete, Gregory. A People's Ecology: Explorations in Sustainable Living. Clear Light Books, 1999. ISBN: 1-57416-028-1.
- Cajete, Gregory. Igniting the Sparkle: An Indigenous Science Education Model. Kivaki Press, 1999. ISBN: 1-882308-66-2.
- Cajete, Gregory. Look to the Mountain: An Ecology of Indigenous Education. Kivaki Press, 1994. ISBN: 978-1-882308-65-1.
