Robin Wall Kimmerer is a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. Kimmerer again affirms the importance of the entire experience, which builds a relationship and a sense of humility. What ceremonies are important to you, and serve as an opportunity to channel attention into intention? Each print is individually named with a quality that embodies the ways they care for us all. 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. What were your thoughts on the structure of the book and the metaphor of sweetgrass life cycle? Want more Water Words of Wisdom? How do we compensate the plants for what weve received? Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. Sign In, Acknowledgements text to use in a publication. Alder drops make a slow music. This is the water that moves under the stream, in cobble beds and old sandbars. And we think of it as simply rain, as if it were one thing, as if we understood it. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. This book contains one exceptional essay that I would highly recommend to everyone, "The Sacred and the Superfund." The chapters reinforce the importance of reciprocity and gratitude in defeating the greed that drives human expansion at the expense of the earths health and plenitude. We've designed some prompts to help students, faculty, and all of the CU community to engage with the 2021 Buffs OneRead. Burning Sweetgrass Windigo Footprints The Sacred and the Superfund Collateral Damage . The drop swells on the tip of the of a cedar and I catch in on my tongue like a blessing. Did you consider this a melancholy chapter? If not, what obstacles do you face in feeling part of your land? However, there is one plant, the broadleaf plantain, sometimes known as the White Mans Footstep, that has assimilated and become somewhat indigenous to place, working with the native plants in symbiosis in order to propagate. 226 likes. How does the story of Skywoman compare to the other stories of Creation? 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. Pull up a seat, friends. I wish Robin Wall Kimmerer had written three short books instead of one long book. Robin Kimmerers relation to nature delighted and amazed me, and at the same time plunged me into envy and near despair. Oh my goodness, what an absolutely gorgeous book with possibly the best nature writing I've ever read. 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. How many of you have ever grown anything from seed? Each raindrop will fall individually, its size and destination determined by the path of its falls and the obstacles it encounters along its journey. Tragically, the Native people who upheld this sacred tradition were decimated by diseases such as smallpox and measles in the 1830s. So let's do two things, please, in prep for Wednesday night conversation: 1) Bring some homage to rainit can bea memory of your most memorable experience ever walking in the rain, listening to rainfall, staying inside by a fire while it rained, etc.or a poem or piece of prose that captures something you feel about rainor a haiku you write tomorrow morning over your coffeeor best of all, a potent rain dance! Consider the degree of attention you give to the natural world. San Antonio, TX: Trinity University Press: 187-195. How do you feel community strength relates to our treatment of the environment? Give them a name based on what you see. By clicking subscribe, I agree to receive the One Water blog newsletter and acknowledge the Autodesk Privacy Statement. What have you overlooked or taken for granted? (including. Kimmerer has often pointed out the importance of direct experience with the land and other living things. It is hyporheic flow that Im listening for. publication online or last modification online. Kimmerer traces this theme by looking at forest restoration, biological models of symbiosis, the story of Nanabozho, her experiences of teaching ethnobotany, and other topics. Overall Summary. What did you think of the concept of the journey of plants relating to the journey of people? 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?. It teaches the reader so many things about plants and nature in general. Yet, this list of qualities could go on and on and each person carries multiple roles. If so, which terms or phrases? 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. (LogOut/ Quote by Robin Wall Kimmerer. PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. In. nature, rain, pandemic times, moments of life, garden, and light. Sweetgrass, as the hair of Mother Earth, is traditionally braided to show loving care for her well-being. The citation above will include either 2 or 3 dates. Kimmerer, Robin Wall Summary "An inspired weaving of indigenous knowledge, plant science, and personal narrative from a distinguished professor of science and a Native American whose previous book, Gathering Moss, was awarded the John Burroughs Medal for outstanding nature writing. Finally, the gods make people out of ground corn meal. It is informative about Native American history, beliefs, and culture. moments of wonder and joy. 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. She wonders what our gift might be, and thinks back on the people of mud, wood, and light. These questions may be posed to an entire class, to small groups, to online communities, or as personal reflective prompts. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Preface and Planting Sweetgrass Summary and Analysis. That's why Robin Wall Kimmerer, a scientist, author and Citizen Potawatomi Nation member, says it's necessary to complement Western scientific knowledge with traditional Indigenous wisdom. Five stars for introducing me to Sweetgrass, its many Native American traditions, and her message of caring for and showing gratitude for the Earth. Required fields are marked *. Braiding Sweetgrass Summary & Study Guide includes comprehensive information and analysis to online is the same, and will be the first date in the citation. Your email address will not be published. Shes completely comfortable moving between the two and their co-existence within her mind gives her a unique understanding of her experience. Five stars for the author's honest telling of her growth as a learner and a professor, and the impressions she must have made on college students unaccustomed to observing or interacting with nature. If so, what makes you feel a deeper connection with the land and how did you arrive at that feeling? Without the knowledge of the guide, she'd have walked by these wonders and missed them completely. Witness to the rain. In Witness to the Rain, Kimmerer gives uninterrupted attention to the natural world around her. At root, Kimmerer is seeking to follow an ancient model for new pathways to sustainability. But her native heritage, and the teachings she has received as a conscious student of that heritage, have given her a perspective so far removed from the one the rest of us share that it transforms her experience, and her perception, of the natural world. As a social scientist myself, I found her nuanced ideas about the relationship between western science and indigenous worldviews compelling. eNotes.com, Inc. [], There are different kinds of drops, depending on the relationship between the water and the plant. 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. For more reflective and creative activity prompts, please join the Buffs OneRead community course: Braiding Sweetgrass. Braiding Sweetgrass addresses a tapestry of relationships that represent a larger, more significant relationship between humans and the environment we call home. Dr. Kimmerer does a fantastic job of shining a spotlight on the intersectionality of traditionally divergent spheres; most specifically, Western scientific methods and Indigenous teachings. Learn how your comment data is processed. These writing or creative expression promptsmight be used for formal assignments or informal exercises. In Braiding. 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. Kimmerer explores the inextricable link between old-growth forests and the old-growth cultures that grew alongside them and highlights how one cannot be restored without the other. In the Bible Eve is punished for eating forbidden fruit and God curses her to live as Adam's subordinate according to an article on The Collector. We will discuss it more soon on their podcast and in the meantime I'll try to gather my thoughts! Even a wounded world is feeding us. Witness to the Rain Robin Wall Kimmerer | Last.fm Search Live Music Charts Log In Sign Up Robin Wall Kimmerer Witness to the Rain Love this track More actions Listeners 9 Scrobbles 11 Join others and track this song Scrobble, find and rediscover music with a Last.fm account Sign Up to Last.fm Lyrics Add lyrics on Musixmatch to explore their many inspiring collections, including the artist we are highlighting in complement to the Buffs One Read Braiding Sweetgrass. Braiding Sweetgrass consists of the chapters In the Footsteps of Nanabozho: Becoming Indigenous to Place, The Sound of Silverbells, Sitting in a Circle, Burning Cascade Head, Putting Down Roots, Umbilicaria: The Belly Button of the World, Old-Growth Children, and Witness to the Rain. Here, Kimmerer delves into reconciling humanity with the environment, dwelling in particular upon the changes wrought between generations upon the way in which one considers the land one lives on. The trees act not as individuals, but somehow as a collective. Do you feel a deeper connection to your local plants now? Adapting Fearlessness, Nonviolence, Anarchy and Humility in the 21st century. The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Kimmerer, Robin Wall. But Kimmerer's intention is not to hone a concept of obligation via theoretical discussions from a distance but rather to witness its inauguration close up and Kimmerer combines the indigenous wisdom shes learned over the years with her scientific training to find a balance between systems-based thinking and more thorny points of ethics that need to be considered if we want to meet the needs of every individual in a community. Hotchkiss All-School Read 2021 1 NOTA BENE: Kimmerer weaves together three major approaches to nature writing in this text: . I wish that I could stand like a shaggy cedar with rain seeping into my bark, that water could dissolve the barrier between us. Burning Sweetgrass and Epilogue Summary and Analysis, The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child. 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. 1976) is a visual artist and independent curator based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Kimmerer's words to your own sense of place and purpose at Hotchkiss. Her use of vibrant metaphor captures emotion in such a way that each chapter leaves us feeling ready to roll up our sleeves and reintroduce ourselves to the backyard, apartment garden, or whatever bit of greenspace you have in your area. A deep invisible river, known to roots and rocks, the water and the land intimate beyond our knowing. 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. Robin Wall Kimmerers book is divided into five sections, titled Planting Sweetgrass, Tending Sweetgrass, Picking Sweetgrass, Braiding Sweetgrass, and Burning Sweetgrass. Each section is titled for a different step in the process of using the plant, sweetgrass, which is one of the four sacred plants esteemed by Kimmerers Potawatomi culture. Can anyone relate to the fleeting African violet? It edges up the toe slope to the forest, a wide unseen river that flows beneath the eddies and the splash. Witness to the rain Download PDF Year: 2011 Publications Type: Book Section Publication Number: 4674 Citation: Kimmerer, Robin W. 2011. Please enter your email address to subscribe to this blog if you would like to receive notifications of new posts by email. The artists' books made in a concertina format, bear witness to the events observed, as visual scales. Never thought I would rate my last three non-fiction reads 5 stars. Wall Kimmerer draws on her own life experiences and her half North American Indian and half white settler ancestry. This Study Guide consists of approximately 46pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - Robin Wall Kimmerer is a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. How Human People Are Only One Manifestation of Intelligence In theUniverse. We are grateful that the waters are still here and meeting their responsibility to the rest of Creation. I choose joy. Kimmerer's claim with second and even third thoughts about the contradic-tions inherent in notions of obligation that emerge in the receiving of gifts. Everything in the forest seems to blend into everything else, mist, rain, air, stream, branches. 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. What have you overlooked or taken for granted? The chapters therein are Windigo Footprints, The Sacred and the Superfund, People of Corn, People of Light, Collateral Damage, Shkitagen: People of the Seventh Fire, Defeating Windigo, and Epilogue. These chapters paint an apocalyptic picture of the environmental destruction occurring around the world today and urge the reader to consider ways in which this damage can be stemmed. If there are three dates, the first date is the date of the original 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. One essay especially, "Allegiance to Gratitude," prompted me to rethink our Christian practices of thanks. So I stretch out, close my eyes, and listen to the rain. In part to share a potential source of meaning, Kimmerer, who is a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and a professor at the State University of New York's College of Environmental Science . I must admit I had my reservations about this book before reading it. The story focuses on the central role of the cattail plant, which can fulfill a variety of human needs, as the students discover. "As a botanist and professor of plant ecology, Robin Wall Kimmerer has spent a career learning how to ask questions of nature using the tools of science. Next the gods make people out of pure sunlight, who are beautiful and powerful, but they too lack gratitude and think themselves equal to the gods, so the gods destroy them as well. Different animals and how the indigenous people learned from watching them and plants, the trees. What are your thoughts on the assertion of mutual taming between plants and humans? Kimmerer occupies two radically different thought worlds. Do you relate more to people of corn or wood? 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. Kinship: Belonging in a World of Relations is a five-volume series exploring our deep interconnections with the living world and the interdependence that exists between humans and nonhuman beings. Can we agree that water is important to our lives and bring our minds together as one to send greetings and thanks to the Water? She lives in Syracuse, New York, where she is a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental . The series Takes Care of Us honors native women and the care, protection, leadership and love the provide for their communities. They provide us with another model of how . As water professionals, can we look closely enough at the raindrops to learn from them and respect the careful balance of these interactions when we design and build the infrastructure we rely on? Do you consider sustainability a diminished standard of living? 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. In this chapter, Kimmerer discusses Franz Dolps attempts to regenerate an old-growth forest. As an American, I don't think my countrypeople appreciate or understand enough about native culture, as a general rule and so I was very grateful for this sort of overview of modern day native life, as well as beautiful stories about the past. It's difficult to rate this book, because it so frequently veered from two to five stars for me. Why or why not? Did you Google any concepts or references? What would you gather along the path towards the future? I appreciated Robin Wall Kimmerers perspective on giving back to the land considering how much the land gives to us. publication in traditional print. How much do we love the environment that gives of itself despite our misuse of its resources? If you're interested in even more Braiding Sweetgrass book club questions, I highly recommend these discussion questions (best reviewed after reading the book) from Longwood Gardens. As we work to heal the earth, the earth heals us.". I don't know what else to say. 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. As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. Word Count: 1124. Its messagekeepsreaching new people, having been translated so far into nearly 20 languages.
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