Wheeler Presents Changemaker Kiliii Yuyan: Indigenous Wisdom for a Modern World

National Geographic Explorer and award‑winning photographer Kiliii Yüyan brings Indigenous Wisdom for a Modern World sharing stories rooted in generations of ecological knowledge and lived experience. Of Siberian Yupik and Chinese descent, Yüyan has traveled alongside sea‑ice hunters, reindeer herders, and Indigenous communities whose lives remain closely tied to the natural world.

Drawing from his acclaimed book Guardians of Life, Yüyan explores how Indigenous stewardship has sustained coral reefs, rainforests, and Arctic tundra across centuries. Through vivid storytelling and striking visual work, he examines what these communities can teach us about resilience, adaptation, and responsibility in a rapidly changing climate.

As part of the Changemaker Speaker Series, this program offers a thoughtful perspective on how cultural knowledge, passed down by Elders and shaped by place, can inform a healthier future for the planet—and all who depend on it.

Presented in association with Aspen Center for Environmental Studies