CanalCanoa: Indigenous Brain Development

Indigenous children of the Amazon enjoy riches unthinkable in the developed world: the liberty to explore the jungle and experience science-as-curiosity, the joy of collective play, the chance to learn side by side with parents as they paddle, hunt, and garden. Neuroscientific studies show these elements as essential to brain development.Colonial pressures undermine many of these childrearing techniques. Television shows other family models, formal education and social work de-value traditional knowledge, and new diseases raise infant mortality to scandalous levels. CanalCanoa uses science to provide a basis for dialogue with other cultures; digital media to help indigenous people to document their songs, stories, and childrearing practices; and outreach to policy makers to change how services work. Instead of focusing on their financial poverty, CanalCanoa leverages indigenous cultural wealth as a platform for effective cultural practices during pregnancy and early childhood.