Tuesday, September 22, 2026 — PBS documentary ‘Knowledge Keepers’ explores Native scientific innovations

Modern traditional practitioners are the culmination of generations of people who acquired and passed on their skills, knowledge, and technology. That knowledge includes innovative ways to find water in arid places, stay warm in cold climates, navigate surroundings without a compass or a map, and to use the land in a way that doesn’t deplete it. A new documentary on the PBS science series “NOVA” talks to some of the Indigenous people who are the receivers of that knowledge and how they’re instilling it in the next generations. “Knowledge Keepers“, produced by Vision Maker Media, shows the innovations that come with knowledge accumulated over millennia, and how that can guide the future for everyone. We’ll talk with the filmmakers and producers ahead of the episode’s premiere on PBS.