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  • Sand Talk

  • How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World
  • Written by: Tyson Yunkaporta
  • Narrated by: Tyson Yunkaporta
  • Length: 7 hrs and 49 mins
  • 4.9 out of 5 stars (74 ratings)

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Sand Talk cover art

Sand Talk

Written by: Tyson Yunkaporta
Narrated by: Tyson Yunkaporta
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Publisher's Summary

A paradigm-shifting book in the vein of Sapiens that brings a crucial Indigenous perspective to historical and cultural issues of history, education, money, power, and sustainability - and offers a new template for living.

As an indigenous person, Tyson Yunkaporta looks at global systems from a unique perspective, one tied to the natural and spiritual world. In considering how contemporary life diverges from the pattern of creation, he raises important questions. How does this affect us? How can we do things differently?

In this thoughtful, culturally rich, mind-expanding book, he provides answers. Yunkaporta’s writing process begins with images. Honoring indigenous traditions, he makes carvings of what he wants to say, channeling his thoughts through symbols and diagrams rather than words. He yarns with people, looking for ways to connect images and stories with place and relationship to create a coherent world view, and he uses sand talk, the Aboriginal custom of drawing images on the ground to convey knowledge.

In Sand Talk, he provides a new model for our everyday lives. Rich in ideas and inspiration, it explains how lines and symbols and shapes can help us make sense of the world. It’s about how we learn and how we remember. It’s about talking to everyone and listening carefully. It’s about finding different ways to look at things. Most of all it’s about a very special way of thinking, of learning to see from a native perspective, one that is spiritually and physically tied to the earth around us, and how it can save our world.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2020 Tyson Yunkaporta (P)2020 HarperAudio

What listeners say about Sand Talk

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Strong medicine for the path forward

Tyson’s performance reading this book adds a depth that would be hard to experience while reading. The link between the personal and the power of the story is crucial and - like the images in the enhancements - provides a WAY to see the world that embraces complexity and relationships to produce a perspective that is entwined. Absolutely essential.

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Excellent book

I really enjoyed the perspectives, especially the stories shared about perspectives on old time and creation. Look forward to learning more, what's next.

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So much respect for this author!

What an amazing book, narrated by the author himself. I loved every part of it. Have so much to contemplate that I might just listen to the whole thing again!

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love it

I love this book. So full of integrity and wisdom. thanks for this kind gift.

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We need this

Some incredible food for thought. The writing is rich, funny, and bold. The author is candid and humble and quite brilliant—offers the reader some vital pieces of indigenous knowledge.Basically, he calls us on our bullshit in a really friendly and engaging way.

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Indigenous wisdom we should all hear.

I never fully understood just how edited and bias our education is when it comes to the history of Indigenous Australians. As we are seeing more and more cracks in our current society we should all look to the indigenous wisdom from the oldest humans known to inhabit the earth in harmony with the land. Oral history has the ability to change and remain dynamic to reflect the current truths unlike written history that once written becomes concrete and stagnant and will often reflect the bias of the writer.
Our governments, scientists and politicians need a better understanding and to show more respect for Indigenous thinking.
Very insightful I highly recommend to all.

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Deeply meaningful and transformative

This is a book that is of great use to all humans as a form of reflection that fits squarely into the cultural gaps of modern existence. Yunkaporta is both an amazing writer and an excellent narrator, and I will gladly fight anyone who wants to argue that... although I'm going to be busy for the next while applying meaning to my own relationship with time and space, and I've got a few of my own internal disputes to fight through first, as a result of the learning gathered through this experience. Want to become just a tiny bit of a better human? Read (or listen to) this, you butt!

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  • 2021-07-20

Certainly a book for these times

The book touches so many facets of society while viewing each sector through the eyes on an indigenous person. It fell into my lap exactly at the right time has really helped expand my own understanding of what type of world views and cultures are out there. More than that it has given me a way to view the atrocities that are happening in the world right now and how I can be part of the solution.

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phenomenal

awesome in every sense of the word. I cried and laughed the entire way through. it's so nice to hear real people and their honest views of this world.

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Enlightening

This book definitely added a few wrinkles to my brain. It really helps get your head outside the colonial box. These concepts need to be explored further.

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