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Braiding Sweetgrass
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants | Robin Kimmerer
6 posts | 6 read | 1 reading | 3 to read
As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these two lenses of knowledge together to take us on a journey that is every bit as mythic as it is scientific, as sacred as it is historical, as clever as it is wise (Elizabeth Gilbert). Drawing on her life as an indigenous scientist, and as a woman, Kimmerer shows how other living beingsasters and goldenrod, strawberries and squash, salamanders, algae, and sweetgrassoffer us gifts and lessons, even if we've forgotten how to hear their voices. In reflections that range from the creation of Turtle Island to the forces that threaten its flourishing today, she circles toward a central argument: that the awakening of ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world. For only when we can hear the languages of other beings will we be capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learn to give our own gifts in return.
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review
Bookish_Gal
Pickpick

Audio. The writing style took a bit to get used to, yet once it got there the theme really stuck. Slow narrative, but it works with this theme. Short stories to bring one back to nature. The books points basically take Native American gratitude teachings and reapply them to today‘s desire for buying stuff. What impacted me was the chapter on rain. How water connects us all. How rain is different for every item it falls upon.

review
AvidReader25
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Mehso-so

A nonfiction meditation on nature & humans & the way we interact. The book is at its strongest when the author is writing about her personal experiences, & not just facts & history. She is a scientist and her passion for the world around her is evident in her reflections.

“That is the power of ceremony. It marries the mundane to the sacred. The water turns to wine; the coffee to a prayer.”

“I close my eyes & listen to the voices of the rain.”

Lcsmcat I loved this one on audio, read by the author. 1w
AvidReader25 @Lcsmcat i loved the first half and then I felt like it was dragging. I think that might have been timing for me. 1w
35 likes2 comments
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megnews
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35 likes1 stack add
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megnews
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This is amazing. “We have so much more in common than what separates us.”

kspenmoll 💙💙💙 love this quote. (edited) 1mo
21 likes2 comments
blurb
camryn.arndt
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Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer is a series of nonfiction, informative and argumentative essays centering on how humans and nature coexist. It explores various topics such as Indigenous knowledge of science and nature, environmental stewardship, healing and restoration and more specifically, a gift economy vs a private property economy, The Three Sisters and the harvesting of sweetgrass itself.

camryn.arndt Kimmerer formulates this novel from a first-person point of view. This often aids in accentuating her own experiences while tying them into the idea she is trying to express, allowing the reader a more personal approach and insight into Kimmerer\'s viewpoints. There are numerous themes and central concepts within her teachings, however, one seems to always draw and seep into every lesson. This is the interconnectedness within nature. (edited) 3mo
camryn.arndt The Three Sisters (corn, beans and squash) is a perfect example of how she emphasizes this concept. She shows how all three of these plants work in harmony as they grow and thrive once planted in proximity. How the beans will travel up the stalk of the corn and the squash at the base to protect and prevent harm to the harmonious group. (edited) 3mo
camryn.arndt Lastly, if this book seems intriguing or was read and thoroughly enjoyed, here\\\'s a list of similar books! The Overstory by Richard Powers, Silent Spring by Racheal Carson, The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben (strongly suggested!) and last but not least Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer. (edited) 3mo
camryn.arndt Braiding Sweetgrass is far beyond captivating with personal stories and long-forgotten knowledge, exploring a notion that\'s often overlooked.

An inspiring book to add to your list!
(edited) 3mo
4 likes5 comments
review
Cortg
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Pickpick

This is a beautiful ode to Mother Earth. Elegantly written by a biology student/professor and Native American about all the Earth gives to us. I learned a few things and I‘m grateful for what she has to teach us. In many ways, this book reminded me of Lab Girl but a much softer read if that makes sense.