“We have no greater concern than the future of this planet and the life upon it.” In many ways this statement sums up the essence of Indigenous wisdom, a worldview that recognizes human connection to the planet and also emphasizes respect and responsibility for the Earth. These words, however, are not quoted from the speech of an American Indian leader. They were taken from the 1988 report, “Earth System Science: A Closer View,” by a NASA advisory council, the Earth Systems Sciences Committee. The committee was tasked in 1983 with creating direction for NASA’s Earth Sciences Program. This report is part of the “Bretherton Report,” named after committee chairman Francis Bretherton of the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Released in two volumes, “Earth System Science: An Overview” (1985) and “Earth System Science: A Closer View” (1988), the report is considered a seminal contribution to the discipline of Earth System Science and its approach to climate change.