Our Work

How We Work

At The New People, we believe cultural transformation requires more than awareness—it demands action, imagination, and community. Our work is guided by the question: What does it mean to be fully human in an age of planetary crisis and awakening?

We operate at the intersection of science, spirit, and social change, drawing from a wide range of disciplines and traditions. Through education, research, public dialogue, and hands-on projects, we aim to nourish a movement grounded in wisdom, collaboration, and regeneration.

What We Do

Research

Our research explores the evolutionary edge of what it means to be human. We investigate how human consciousness, culture, and ecological systems interact—both historically and in the present moment. By integrating insights from evolutionary biology, psychology, neuroscience, anthropology, Indigenous knowledge systems, and complexity science, we seek to develop a deeper understanding of how the self relates to everything, how societies change, how healing occurs, and how new worldviews emerge. Our goal is not just to publish papers in scarcely read academic journals, but to generate living knowledge that can serve communities, movements, and future generations.

Education

Education is how we seed transformation. We are in the process of designing learning experiences that blend intellectual rigor with personal reflection and spiritual presence. From online masterclasses to in-person gatherings, our programs engage participants in self-inquiry, storytelling, systems thinking, and sacred ecology. These offerings are not about “teaching” in the traditional sense, but about co-creating spaces where learning flows in all directions—between people, places, and ancestral lineages. Everyone is both student and teacher.

Lectures & Public Speaking

Founder Mitchell Ryan Distin, PhD, along with guest speakers, offers keynote presentations, academic lectures, and community talks on themes central to our mission (see YouTube video below for an example). Topics include “The Great Consilience” of Indigenous ontology with modern science, “A Deep History of Philosophy” which includes Indigenous ontology alongside modern Western science, “Why Science Needs Spirituality”, “An Introduction to Ecospirituality”, “Good Medicine: A Theory of Everything Underlying Human Health and Disease”, and more! To book Mitch, leave us a note in our Contact Us page or email us at: [email protected]

Community Projects

Humans evolved to be a social and communal species. We believe real change is rooted in place and relationship. That’s why we partner with local groups, Indigenous communities, schools, and grassroots organizers to support on-the-ground initiatives. These projects might include ecological restoration efforts, cultural healing workshops, interfaith dialogues, or youth mentorship circles. By honoring each community’s unique context and knowledge, we help foster regenerative systems that arise from within—not imposed from above.