Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants

Hi, I’m Sue and I write about the beauty and ingenuity of Nature, and how we can deepen our connection for our optimum health and wellbeing. Discover more Nature-inspired content on Spiral Leaf, Twitter and my video Nature Channel.

Braiding Sweetgrass is a beautiful book that provides a wealth of information about the biology of plants and how all living things are interconnected in a joyous web of life. It is written by Robin Wall Kimmerer who skilfully weaves sacred Indigenous stories with scientific knowledge and the holistic teachings of plants.

Braiding Sweetgrass is a testament to the wisdom of traditional stories passed down to us from our Indigenous Elders. It is a rendition of Robin's work as a Potawatomi botanist, author and director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

The analogy of lovingly braiding together ancient wisdom, true scientific knowledge and the spirit of Nature is a theme that runs through this book. Robin's words bring many revelations and the realisation that it is time for us to come together as one with love in our hearts to appreciate and protect the gifts bestowed upon us.

The true nature of science

Robin is recognised as a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental Biology who understands the importance of humility in scientific research rather than modern day science which reveals the world through rational inquiry alone.

This contrasts with the scientific worldview where a culture uses the process of interpreting science and technology to reinforce reductionist, materialistic economic and political agendas as opposed to holistic science which tries to understand the life of another being or another system so unlike our own.

As Robin says: This is a deeply spiritual pursuit that serves to counter the separation of knowledge from responsibility where science is used as a force to establish the illusion of dominance and control.

The gifts of responsibility, reciprocity and respect

The story of Braiding Sweetgrass centres around the concept of taking responsibility for life's creation in a harmony of responsibility, reciprocity and respect. It honours the life-giving attributes of generosity and gratitude where we join together in a cyclical movement of give and take.

These values are clearly demonstrated through Robin's own stories which are delightful to read. Growing up surrounded by Strawberry fields, collecting syrup from her own Maple trees, restoring a large pond in her garden and introducing her students to botany in the physical environment where they can observe, touch and understand plants and their connection to the ecosystems in which they reside.

Picking Wild Strawberries as a child taught Robin many things including the qualities of patience in allowing these tiny fruits to fully ripen before picking them; connectivity in clearing the way for the plant’s runners to travel and lay down their tiny roots on the ground; reciprocity as she helped her Mother to make homemade Wild Strawberry Shortcake for her Father on Father’s Day.

This is an example of the best possible gift as it is something that cannot be bought. The gift of hand-picked Wild Straberries is embued with the gifts of time, attention and care that cannot be duplicated. As Robin says: The field gave to us, we gave to my Dad and we gave back to the plant by helping them to find their way on the ground so that they could keep flourishing year after year.

Being a good Mother

Many lessons were learned from the experience of processing the syrup from the Maple trees that Robin inherited as a single Mother when she moved to an old farmhouse in need of renovation. The challenge of clearing a large spring-fed pond completely choked with algae required her to wade in and patiently repeat the process of dredging and filtering, causing the least possible harm to the creatures already living there, as an ongoing commitment that took several years.

Robin had promised her children a place to swim and it really was a labour of love to clear the pond for this purpose. It took a long time but reaped so many rewards for herself, her family and the creatures who were now able to swim freely in their refurbished home. It also fulfilled a responsibility all Indigenous women hold dear because: Being a good Mother includes the care-taking of water.

In terms of her students, Robin makes it her priority to take them out of the classroom to experience Nature on its own ground. Only then can they understand how the natural world interconnects in a spectacular web of life where plants and other species work together in a reciprocal cycle of give and take. She opens their eyes and diverts them away from their mobile screens to show them that by being curious and by being involved, they can flourish as much as the plants do too.

Revealing the intricacies of plant life

Robin’s descriptions of plants and their ways are a revelation and a joy to read. These include the gifts provided by Sweetgrass, Wild Strawberries, Asters and Goldenrods, Maple Trees, Witch Hazel, The Three Sisters (Corn, Beans and Squash), Cedar Tree Roots, Mycorrhizas, Black Ash, Spruce Roots, Lichens and more.

These beautiful descriptions with scientific observations and findings reveal the intricate lives of such treasured plants. They show us how all plants live and grow in a cycle of reciprocity and interconnectedness that we often fail to observe or understand in a world that has become so disconnected from the natural world.

Traditional stories of ancient wisdom

The stories and experiences passed down through generations of Indigenous Peoples represent the Original Instructions which act as a compass to help us create a map for living a happy and healthy life on this beautiful planet Earth. These include:

Skywoman Falling (creating a garden of wellbing for all); Pecan Grove (the power of unity and concerted action); Maple Sugar Moon (distilling sweetness through gratitude and reciprocation); Thanksgiving Address (the meeting of minds to show gratitude as the highest priority in life); The Honourable Harvest (rules that govern our taking and shape our relationship with the natural world); WIndigo Footprints (the dangers of greed and the multi-national corporations that are insatiably devouring Earth’s resources without giving anything back); People of the Seventh Fire (rekindling the flames of the Sacred Fire to begin the rebirth of a nation).

Robin tells us that the people of the Seventh Fire walk amoung us. They are using the fire stick of the original teachings to restore health to the people, to help them bloom again and bear fruit. This story of prophesy brings us to where we are today, at a crossroads where we must make a choice on our path to the future. Robin reminds us that we have now arrived at this fork in the road but we are not alone.

When we choose a future of responsibility, reciprocity, respect, generosity and gratitude for each other and for Mother Earth, we create the opportunity to leave the troubled path of the Windigo behind us and step onto a new path. One that will benefit us all and lead us towards a wonderful future. This is where we come together to start planting seeds for the next seven generations.

I hope you find the insights here inspirational and feel compelled to read Braiding Sweetgrass for all the treasures it holds. I hope you will pass on this knowledge to anyone who is ready to step into the circle of knowledge and listen so that more and more of us can be part of the solution to heal our world.

It is our time and I thank you for being here and look forward to seeing you again soon.

BUY A BOOK!

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses by Robin Wall Kimmerer

The Democracy of Species: A guide towards a more reciprocal, grateful and joyful relationship with our animate Earth by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Sacred Instructions: Indigenous Wisdom for Living Spirit-Based Change by Sherri Mitchell

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