How can I learn from Indigenous knowledge if I'm not Indigenous myself?

This is the question Sor Juana grappled with her entire life—how to engage across difference with genuine respect, not appropriation. First: acknowledge the distinction. Learning from Indigenous restorative traditions isn't the same as practicing them. You can understand principles, recognize their wisdom, and shift how you approach conflict and community—without claiming ownership or spiritual authority you don't have. Second: source matters. Learn from Indigenous scholars, teachers, and communities themselves—not from white academics interpreting Indigenous knowledge, not from commercialized "wellness" versions. Read Sor Juana's own writing; she studied across cultures while maintaining intellectual honesty about her position as a colonial subject engaging with knowledge systems. Third: ask permission and stay accountable. If you're entering a space or tradition that isn't yours, ask the people stewarding it. Be clear about what you're doing and why. Don't extract knowledge and vanish. Sor Juana's example: she engaged with Indigenous thought, African thought, European thought—not as theft but as a thinking person in dialogue. She credited sources. She acknowledged what she didn't have access to. She used her position to amplify voices that weren't being heard. Your role might be similar: learn deeply, cite generously, defer to Indigenous leadership, and use whatever platform you have to center Indigenous voices, not your own interpretation of them.