Some of the world’s most enigmatic and awe-inspiring structures were designed and built by Indigenous individuals, infused with the wisdom of the land.

From Earth to Sky is a new documentary exploring Indigenous architecture around the world and the Canadian individuals at the forefront of this effort to re-establish our connection to Mother Earth through construction. It premiered Monday, National Indigenous Peoples Day, and is available to stream anytime at tvo.org.

Eshewing box-like buildings that serve as little more than shelter, these architects have bent the traditional rules to match the land and people around them, often calling on community members to inform the designs. Great elliptical roofs reaching toward the sky like the wings of an eagle, open spaces inviting the forest in, feminine curves following rivers they look upon — beyond the complimentary aesthetic, these structures incorporate wisdom learned from the land and honour these natural connections.

Many examples of Indigenous architecture — from Middle-eastern mosques to Cambodia’s Angkor Wat temples and the Coast Salish longhouses — stand from ancient eras when a connection to nature was essential for survival. Stories and lessons were worked into the community’s architecture where generations gathered and lived and learned.

Europeans colonizing North America brought with them architecture’s academic Beaux-Arts tradition, and the obvious detachment from the surrounding landscape is still seen in many of the buildings where we live and work today. But a shift has taken hold — the importance of recognizing and caring for our environment becoming more entrenched in countless approaches of contemporary life — and Indigenous individuals are breaking ground in the architectural arena as they infuse their work with deeper, more meaningful knowledge.

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