Throughout the three-day field trip, Kimmerer was anxious to help the students forge a greater connection with nature and moved through a checklist of ecological sights without evoking much awe from her captive audience. 4 Mar. How has your view of plants changed from reading this chapter? Artist Tony Drehfal is a wood engraver, printmaker, and photographer. I read this book in a book club, and one of the others brought some braided Sweetgrass to our meeting. Robin W Kimmerer | Environmental Biology - Robin Wall Kimmerer "Witness to the Rain" is the final chapter of the "Braiding Sweetgrass" section of RWK's beautiful book. 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 . She thinks its all about restoration: We need acts of restoration, not only for polluted waters and degraded lands, but also for our relationship to the world. Mediums and techniques: linoleum engravings printed in linen on both sides. 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. By paying attention we acknowledge that we have something to learn from intelligences other than our own. Many of her arguments rely on this concept of honour, which is what she thinks weve abandoned in our publicpolicies. Everything is steeped in meaning, colored by relationships, one thing with another.[]. eNotes.com, Inc. She invites us to seek a common language in plants and suggests that there is wisdom and poetry that all plants can teach us. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer - Penguin She is the author of numerous scientific articles, and the book Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these two lenses of knowledge together to take us on "a journey that is every bit . Did you recognize yourself or your experiences in it? In Witness to the Rain, Kimmerer gives uninterrupted attention to the natural world around her. (LogOut/ Link to other LTER Network Site Profiles. Kimmerer muses on this story, wondering why the people of corn were the ones who ultimately inherited the earth. Robin Kimmerer Witness (1985) - IMDb You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. How do you show gratitude in your daily life; especially to the Earth? Kimmerer also brings up how untouched land is now polluted and forgotten, how endangered species need to be protected, how we can take part in caring for nature, especially during the climate crisis that we are currently experiencing and have caused due to our carelessness and lack of concern for other species. How do we characterize wealth and abundance? Its about pursuing the wants and needs of humans, with less concern for the more-than-human world. What's a summary of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Braiding Sweetgrass Chapter 29 Summary & Analysis | LitCharts Burning Sweetgrass is the final section of this book. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. Do you relate more to people of corn or wood? How can we create our own stories (or lenses) to view sacred relationships? 5 minutes of reading. Drew Lanhamrender possibilities for becoming better kin and invite us into the ways . Teachers and parents! What are your thoughts on the assertion of mutual taming between plants and humans? In fact, these "Braiding Sweetgrass" book club questions are intended to help in the idea generation for solutions to problems highlighted in the book, in addition to an analysis of our own relationship with our community and the Earth. As a botanist and indigenous person you'd think this would be right up my alley, but there was something about the description that made it sound it was going to be a lot of new-age spiritual non-sense, and it was a bit of that, but mostly I was pleasantly surprised that it was a more "serious" book than I thought it'd be. date the date you are citing the material. Hotchkiss All-School Read 2021 1 NOTA BENE: Kimmerer weaves together three major approaches to nature writing in this text: . These qualities also benefited them, as they were the only people to survive and endure. What concepts were the most difficult to grasp, if any? What have you overlooked or taken for granted? The Blessing of a Swelling Raindrop | Earthling Opinion Yet we also have another human gift, language, another of our, Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. moments of wonder and joy. Every drip it seems is changed by its relationship with life, whether it encounters moss or maple or fir bark or my hair. Braiding Sweetgrass Summary & Study Guide - www.BookRags.com What are your thoughts regarding the concepts of: The destruction resulting from convenience, Do you agree with the idea that killing a who evokes a different response from humans than killing an it?. Visit the CU Art Museum to explore their many inspiring collections, including the artist we are highlighting in complement to the Buffs One Read Braiding Sweetgrass. And, when your book club gets together, I suggest these Triple Chocolate Chickpea Brownie Bites that are a vegan and more sustainable recipe compared to traditional brownies. Her writing blends her academic botantical scientific learning with that of the North American indigenous way of life, knowledge and wisdom, with a capital W. She brings us fair and square to our modus operandi of live for today . If so, how can we apply what we learn to create a reciprocity with the living world? It establishes the fact that humans take much from the earth, which gives in a way similar to that of a mother: unconditionally, nearly endlessly. Five stars for the beauty of some of Robin Wall Kimmerer's writing in many essays/chapters. The old forest, a result of thousands of years of ecological fine-tuning, and home to an incredible variety of life forms, does not grow back by itself; it has to be planted. Maybe there is no such thing as rain; there are only raindrops, each with its own story. The author reflects on how modern botany can be explained through these cultures. Skywoman and Her Lessons - Climate Justice is Racial Justice Kimmerer combines these elements with a powerfully poetic voice that begs for the return to a restorative and sustainable relationship between people and nature. I don't know what else to say. Kimmerer is a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. In 2013, Braiding Sweetgrass was written by Robin Wall Kimmerer. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. 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. She imagines writing and storytelling as an act of reciprocity with the living land, as we attempt to become like the people of corn and create new stories about our relationship to the world. Book Synopsis. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. How much do we love the environment that gives of itself despite our misuse of its resources? Robin Kimmerers relation to nature delighted and amazed me, and at the same time plunged me into envy and near despair. In "Braiding Sweetgrass," she weaves Indigenous wisdom with her scientific training. Dr. Kimmerer invites us to view our surroundings through a new lens; perhaps a lens we should have been using all along. Was there a passage that struck you and stayed with you after you finished reading? Listening, standing witness, creates an openness to the world in which boundaries between us can dissolve in a raindrop." From 'Witness to Rain' [essay], BRAIDING SWEETGRASS: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teaching of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer, 2015 by Milkweed Editions. Book Arts 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. If your book club is about to read "Braiding Sweetgrass" and has limited time for discussion, consider sticking with these ten general questions that are intended to instigate conversation about the book as a whole. But I'm grateful for this book and I recommend it to every single person! Did you Google any concepts or references? But just two stars for the repetitive themes, the disorganization of the book as a whole, the need for editing and shortening in many places. This study guide contains the following sections: This detailed literature summary also contains Topics for Discussion on Adapting Fearlessness, Nonviolence, Anarchy and Humility in the 21st century. Robin Wall Kimmerer. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom - JSTOR Copyright 2020 The Christuman Way. OK, this book was a journey and not a precisely pleasant one. 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. Written from a native American point of view, Braiding Sweetgrass (2013) is one of the most unusual books Ive read. Do you feel a connection to the Earth as reciprocal as the relationships outlined in this chapter? In this chapter, Kimmerer considers the nature of raindrops and the flaws surrounding our human conception of time. Praise and Prizes Braiding Sweetgrass. The artists' books made in a concertina format, bear witness to the events observed, as visual scales. Shes completely comfortable moving between the two and their co-existence within her mind gives her a unique understanding of her experience. When we take from the land, she wants us to insist on an honourable harvest, whether were taking a single vegetable for sustenance or extracting minerals from the land. Five stars for introducing me to Sweetgrass, its many Native American traditions, and her message of caring for and showing gratitude for the Earth. Give your attention to the plants and natural elements around you. 1976) is a visual artist and independent curator based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Learn how your comment data is processed. The way of natural history. Do any specific plants bring you comfort and connection? We've designed some prompts to help students, faculty, and all of the CU community to engage with the 2021 Buffs OneRead. She is the author of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants and Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses. Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of "Braiding Sweetgrass" Sweet Briar College is thrilled to welcome Robin Wall Kimmerer on March 23, 2022, for a special in-person (and livestream) presentation on her book "Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants.". Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. Kimmerer writes about a gift economy and the importance of gratitude and reciprocity. Braiding Sweetgrass Chapter 28 Summary & Analysis | LitCharts If there is one book you would want the President to read this year, what would it be? Do offering ceremonies or rituals exist in your life? Online Linkage: http://www.wayofnaturalhistory.com/ Related Links As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. The author does an excellent job at narration. online is the same, and will be the first date in the citation. At root, Kimmerer is seeking to follow an ancient model for new pathways to sustainability. What were your thoughts on the structure of the book and the metaphor of sweetgrass life cycle? What do you consider the power of ceremony? My mother is a veteran. She puts itwonderfully in this talk: Its not the land which is broken, but our relationship to the land.. date the date you are citing the material. 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. A graceful, illuminating study of the wisdom of the natural world, from a world-renowned indigenous scientist. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Do you consider sustainability a diminished standard of living? These writing or creative expression promptsmight be used for formal assignments or informal exercises. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. The reflecting surface of the pool is textured with their signatures, each one different in pace and resonance. We need to restore honor to the way we live, so that when we walk through the world we dont have to avert our eyes with shame, so that we can hold our heads up high and receive the respectful acknowledgment of the rest of the earths beings.. As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. Tending Sweetgrass includes the chapters Maple Sugar Moon, Witch Hazel, A Mothers Work, The Consolation of Water Lilies, and Allegiance to Gratitude. This section more closely explores the bounty of the earth and what it gives to human beings. Was the use of animals as people in various stories an effective use of metaphor? What did you think of the juxtaposition between light and dark? Braiding Sweetgrass: Fall, 2021 & Spring, 2022 - New York University In the world view that structures her book the relations between human and plant are likewise reciprocal and filled with caring. This article highlights the findings of the literature on aboriginal fire from the human- and the land-centered disciplines, and suggests that the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples be incorporated into plans for reintroducing fire to the nation's forests.