The Rooted series began with a simple intention: to create puzzle books that do more than entertain. I wanted to design something accessible, relaxing, and educational—something that invites readers to slow down and connect with the deeper stories of the places they love. Each volume in the Rooted series focuses on a single U.S. national park and highlights three core elements: the Indigenous nations who have stewarded the land since time immemorial, the ecosystems that make

On Monday, May 4, 2026, we will meet to discuss Decolonizing Trauma Work by Renee Linklater. This book reframes trauma healing through Indigenous, community‑based, and land‑centered approaches that challenge the dominance of Western clinical models. Rethinking Trauma Through a Decolonial Lens Linklater argues that trauma cannot be separated from colonial violence, displacement, and systemic oppression. Healing, therefore, must be rooted in cultural reclamation, community conn

On Monday, April 6, 2026, the Fifth Element Book Club will gather virtually to explore Sherri Mitchell’s Sacred Instructions: Indigenous Wisdom for Living Spirit‑Based Change. This text offers a profound invitation into Indigenous worldviews, relational accountability, and the responsibilities we hold to one another and to the land. Honoring Indigenous Knowledge and Responsibility Mitchell’s work challenges Western assumptions about individuality, ownership, and progress. She

At Fifth Element, we believe that crediting the sources of our inspiration is not optional — it is a practice of accountability. Our work is shaped by the wisdom of those who have carried histories of resilience and repair, and we name them because our commitments are not abstract. They are rooted in place, in people, and in lived experience. One of the talks that has deeply influenced our vision is “Introduction to the Maine-Wabanaki” by gkisedtanamoogk . In this talk, he sp