Dialogue: (intro)

Are you looking for a new read? Are you wanting to learn about the magic of the environment and how to surround yourself with compassion? Well I have a book for you

Available via the Multnomah County Library in paperback, and audiobook, Robin Wall Kimmerers Braiding Sweetgrass has bridged the divide and become a cult classic among alternative youth, hippies, and college professors alike. 

Robin Wall Kimmer, a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, has dedicated her life to indigenous philosophies and ecological research. As a Botanist, she is informed by both western science and indigenous knowledge, and was the former director of the center for native peoples and the environment at the university of NY. Her Book Braiding Sweetgrass centers stewardship of the earth, evaluating how scientific and traditional ecological knowledge can support our shared goals of environmental sustainability.

Format:

(Sweetgrass)

The book concepts the path of sweetgrass, planting, tending, picking, braiding, and burning, as it twists and turns throughout the lessons Robin has learned from her life teachers, her children, and the natural world.  

Indigenous knowledge flows through this book, telling us this earth was not built by one, but by all of the creatures together. In some cultures, the term for plants translates to “the ones who take care of us” Sweetgrass was the first plant to be planted by SkyWoman, and Indigenous communities practice braiding as a token of reciprocity and gratitude to the mother. Braiding sweetgrass can be done alone, but it is best done with a partner. Robin notes this in her book Ceremony focuses our attention, so attention becomes intention.

Themes or Concepts:

(Reciprocity)

The central theme is that of reciprocity, she asks the readers, “In return for this gift of life, what will I give in exchange”  Robin beckons the readers through questions of life purpose, such as“how do we consume in a way that gives justice to the lives we take?” robin draws conclusions that the land is not broken, it is our relationship to it, and taking note that it is an honor to steward other species if we choose to do so. It is not enough to simply weep for what is lost, the environmental movement is so much more than despair, and it is our responsibility to steward that. 

(What is wrong)

The way we live is incredibly generational, we consume resources in a way that eats them up. Robin urges us to consider a world where our future children matter, reminding us the land is being shaped by us, but it is not owned by us. We may be able to assign a monetary value to the amount of syrup that is in a bucket, but we cannot use that same metric to assign a value to the essential, and finite ecosystem services that we depend on. Robin elaborates on this idea:

“We fill ourselves with belongings, when it is belonging that we crave”

(How to change the Future)

She reminds us that the oblivion we manufacture for ourselves, suppressing our natural response, is part of the disease of our time. Our first step is to imagine what ecological reciprocity looks like, how can we create a future of coexistence, when we are not sure where to start?

Throughout the book Robin analyzes many solutions like diverging from polycultures and using our dollars and skills to support the change we wish to see. Recognizing pioneer culture serves its purpose in ecological and social environments, but it does not withstand the test of longevity, eventually it must plateau to balance and renewal. To love a place is not enough, we must reclaim our responsibility as cocreators, and find a way to heal our earth.

reciprocity, except those of course, who are extinct.

(What we want more of)

Robin’s book leaves us feeling rejuvenated and empowered to tackle the forces at be. Yet, upon finishing the book I found myself searching for how I can invest this energy into action.

A central theme reintroduced again and again is how when determined, you can do things your own way, but when in community, you can do things much better. This is why Robin has created a community of resistance, called Plant, Baby, Plant, as a counteraction to the current trend, Drill, baby, Drill.  A way for us to replant reciprocity into our mother earth, and reconnect with belonging.

You can access Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book for free with a public library card, and, dear radio listeners, there are unlimited copies of the audiobook available, again, for free, using the Libby library app. Visit your local library to learn more, or for the tech savvy, just google it. 

And if you’re interested in connecting with Robins collective Plant, Baby, Plant, to gather, share, and hear of the ways to reintroduce reciprocity into our daily lives, visit plantbabyplant.com

I am Artemisia, reporting on Kboo community radio for the Old Mole variety hour, thank you for lending me your ear today.