Westfield Public Schools

Biologist and author David Good recently visited Westfield High School to share his story of reuniting with his long-lost mother in the Amazon in 2011 and rediscovering his indigenous roots.  Good, the son of an American anthropologist and a tribeswoman from the Yanomami tribe in the Amazon rainforest, is co-founder and executive director of The Good Project. According to its website, the Good Project “collaborates with indigenous communities to build projects that promote self-determination, advance scientific research, preserve their ancient knowledge, and protect their ancestral lands.” On December 6, Good spoke to students in WHS social studies and humanities classes about the importance of protecting indigenous cultures and about his work in microbiome research to help understand the unique relationship between microbes and human health and development.