This book contains one exceptional essay that I would highly recommend to everyone, "The Sacred and the Superfund." Throughout five sections that mirror the important lifecycle of sweetgrass, Dr. Kimmerer unfolds layers of Indigenous wisdom that not only captures the attention of the reader, but also challenges the perspectives of Western thought in a beautiful and passionate way. Dr. Kimmerer weaves together one of the most rich resources to date in Braiding Sweetgrass, and leaves us with a sense of hope rather than paralyzing fear. Even the earth, shes learned from a hydrologist, is mixed with water, in something called the hyporheic flow.. The Andrews Forest Programprovides science on multiple themes and provides a broader foundation for regional studies. Braiding Sweetgrass Summary & Study Guide includes comprehensive information and analysis to As immigrants, are we capable of loving the land as if we were indigenous to it? In: Fleischner, Thomas L., ed. Tragically, the Native people who upheld this sacred tradition were decimated by diseases such as smallpox and measles in the 1830s. Next they make humans out of wood. It takes time for fine rain to traverse the scabrous rough surface of an alder leaf. Learn how your comment data is processed. Kimmerer hopes that with the return of salmon to Cascade Head, some of the sacred ceremonies of gratitude and reciprocity that once greeted them might return as well. Alex Murdaugh's sentence came down Friday, after a jury took less than three hours Thursday to convict him in his family's murders. I can see my face reflected in a dangling drop. The Blessing of a Swelling Raindrop | Earthling Opinion I'm so glad I finally read this book for the Book Cougars/Reading Envy joint readalong. Kimmerer muses on this story, wondering why the people of corn were the ones who ultimately inherited the earth. Returning The Gift Kimmerer Analysis | ipl.org What was the last object you felt a responsibility to use well? Your email address will not be published. Parts of it are charming and insightful. Fir needles fall with the high-frequency hiss of rain, branches fall with the bloink of big drops, and trees with a rare but thunderous thud. She wonders what our gift might be, and thinks back on the people of mud, wood, and light. How many of you have ever grown anything from seed? She is the author of the New York Times bestselling collection of essays Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants. Her book of personal observations about nature and our relationship to it,Braiding Sweetgrass, Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teaching of Plants,has been on theNYTimes bestseller list as a paperback for an astounding 130 weeks. One essay especially, "Allegiance to Gratitude," prompted me to rethink our Christian practices of thanks. Ms. Kimmerer explains in her book that the Thanksgiving Address is "far more than a pledge, a prayer or a poem alone," it is "at heart an invocation of gratitude . publication online or last modification online. Five stars for the beauty of some of Robin Wall Kimmerer's writing in many essays/chapters. In the story, the first divine beings, or gods, create plants and animals to fill the emptiness. Start your 48-hour free trial to get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts. The property she purchases comes with a half acre pond that once was the favorite swimming hole for the community's boys, but which now is choked with plant growth. Her book reachedanother impressive milestone last weekwhen Kimmerer received a MacArthur genius grant. These people are compassionate and loving, and they can dance in gratitude for the rest of creation. The reflecting surface of the pool is textured with their signatures, each one different in pace and resonance. When you have all the time in the world, you can spend it, not on going somewhere, but on being where you are. Kimmerer, Robin Wall : eAudiobook - Toronto Public Library Visualize an element of the natural world and write a letter of appreciation and observation. If you embrace the natural world as a whole from microscopic organisms to fully-fledged mammals, where do you draw the line with sacrificing life for your greater good?. What fire within you has proven to be both good and bad? Rare, unless you measure time like a river. At Kanatsiohareke, he and others have carved out a place where Indigenous people can gather to relearn and celebrate Haudenosaunee culture. Order our Braiding Sweetgrass Study Guide. When you have all the time in the world, you can spend it, not on going somewhere, but on being where you are. The following questions are divided by section and chapter, and can stand independently or as a group. She relates the idea that the, In Witness to the Rain, Kimmerer noted that everything exists only in relationship to something else, and here she describes corn as a living relationship between light, water, the land, and people. Every drip it seems is changed by its relationship with life, whether it encounters moss or maple or fir bark or my hair. What about the book resonated the most with you? Do you feel a connection to the Earth as reciprocal as the relationships outlined in this chapter? a material, scientific inventory of the natural world." It invokes the "ancient order of protocols" which "sets gratitude as the highest priority." She invites us to seek a common language in plants and suggests that there is wisdom and poetry that all plants can teach us. Welcome! How has your view of plants changed from reading this chapter? What did you think of Robins use of movement as metaphor and time? Braiding Sweetgrass Book Summary, by Robin Wall Kimmerer 1976) is a visual artist and independent curator based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The second date is today's Vlog where I reflected daily on one or two chapters: Pros: This non-fiction discusses serious issues regarding the ecology that need to be addressed. Witness to the rain. A wonderfully written nonfiction exploring indigenous culture and diaspora, appreciating nature, and what we can do to help protect and honor the land we live upon. The questionssampled here focus onreader experience and connection. We are showered every day with the gifts of the Earth, gifts we have neither earned nor paid for: air to breathe, nurturing rain, black soil, berries and honeybees, the tree that became this page, a bag of rice and the exuberance of a field of goldenrod and asters at full bloom. Privacy | Do not sell my personal information | Cookie preferences | Report noncompliance | Terms of use| 2022 Autodesk Inc. All rights reserved, Braiding Sweetgrass, Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teaching of Plants. They feel like kindred spirits. Which were the most and least effective chapters, in your opinion? As a Potawatomi woman, she learned from elders, family, and history that the Potawatomi, as well as a majority of other cultures indigenous to this land, consider plants and animals to be our oldest teachers. (USA), 2013. Afterward they want to create a creature who can speak, and so they try to make humans. Today were celebrating Robin Wall Kimmerer, Professor of Environmental Science and Forestry at State University of New York College and citizen of the Potawatomi Nation. This study guide contains the following sections: This detailed literature summary also contains Topics for Discussion on Is it possible to stay quiet long enough to hear/learn? From his land, Dolp can see the remains of an old-growth forest on top of a nearby peak, the rest of the view being square patches of Douglas fir the paper companies had planted alternating with clear cut fields. Braiding Sweetgrass Summary and Analysis - eNotes.com These writing or creative expression promptsmight be used for formal assignments or informal exercises. Robin Wall Kimmerer: 'People can't understand the world as a gift Kinship With The More Than Human World - To The Best Of Our Knowledge When a young Amish boy is sole witness to a murder while visiting Philadelphia with his mother, police detective John Book tries to protect the boy until an attempt on Book's life forces him into hiding in Amish country. As we work to heal the earth, the earth heals us.". Where will the raindrops land? A deep invisible river, known to roots and rocks, the water and the land intimate beyond our knowing. Braiding Sweetgrass - By Robin Wall Kimmerer : Target She compares this healthy relationship to the scientific relationship she experienced as a young scholar, wherein she struggled to reconcile spirituality, biology, and aesthetics into one coherent way of thinking. Why or why not? Kimmerer's words to your own sense of place and purpose at Hotchkiss. Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerers "Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants," is a beautiful and thoughtful gift to those of us even the least bit curious about understanding the land and living in healthy reciprocity with the environment that cares for us each day. She is the author of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teaching of Plants and Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses.She lives in Syracuse, New York, where she is a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental . They make the first humans out of mud, but they are ugly and shapeless and soon melt away in the rain. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Kimmerer describes Skywoman as an "ancestral gardener" and Eve as an "exile". Every drip it seems is changed by its relationship with life, whether it encounters moss or maple or fir bark or my hair. What were your thoughts surrounding the Original Instructions?. And we think of it as simply time, as if it were one thing, as if we understood it. Copyright 2022 Cook'd Pro on the Cook'd Pro Theme, Banana Tahini Cookies (Vegan, Gluten Free), Blackberry Strawberry Banana Smoothie (Vegan, Gluten Free). Looking at mosses close up is, she insists, a comforting, mindful thing: "They're the most overlooked plants on the planet. What questions would you add to this list? Book Synopsis. Did the Depression-era reference hit home with you? By observing, studying, paying attention to the granular journey of every individual member of an ecosystem, we can be not just good engineers of water, of land, of food production but honourable ones. During times of plenty, species are able to survive on their own but when conditions become harsh it is only through inter-species reciprocity that they can hope to survive. Braiding Sweetgrass a book by Robin Wall Kimmerer Even a wounded world is feeding us. I was intimated going into it (length, subject I am not very familiar with, and the hype this book has) but its incredibly accessible and absolutely loved up to the seemingly unanimous five star ratings. From Braiding Sweetgras s by author, ethnobotanist, and biologist Robin Wall Kimmerer, of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation: "Our old farm is within the ancestral homelands of the Onondaga Nation, and their reserve lies a few ridges to the west of my hilltop. Consider the degree of attention you give to the natural world. In this chapter, Kimmerer recounts the journey of Nanabozho as he walks across the earth for the first time. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. When was the last time you experienced a meditative moment listening to the rain? From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. Robin Wall Kimmerer is a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. It perceives the family of life to be little more than a complex biochemical machine. The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Kimmerer, Robin Wall. Note what the gods valued most in the people of corn: their ability to be grateful and to live in community with each other and the earth itself. How Human People Are Only One Manifestation of Intelligence In theUniverse. Which of the chapters immediately drew you in and why? Kimmerer has often pointed out the importance of direct experience with the land and other living things. In a small chapter towards the end of the book, "Witness to the Rain," Kimmerer notices how the rhythm and tempo of rain failing over land changes markedly from place to place. I close my eyes and listen to all the voices in the rain. We are discussing it here: Audiobook..narrated by Robin Wall Kimmerer, Powerful book with lots of indigenous wisdom related to science, gratitude, and how we relate to the land.