When a young Amish boy is sole witness to a murder while visiting Philadelphia with his mother, police detective John Book tries to protect the boy until an attempt on Book's life forces him into hiding in Amish country. Her students conducted a study showing that in areas where sweetgrass was harvested wisely (never take more than half) it returned the following year thicker and stronger. I want to feel what the cedars feel and know what they know. Kimmerer closes by describing the Indigenous idea that each part of creation has its own unique gift, like a bird with its song. To Be In ReceptiveSilence (InnerCharkha), RestorativeJustice & NonviolentCommunication, Superando la Monocultura Interna y Externa / Overcoming Inner & OuterMonoculture, En la Oscuridad con Asombro/ In Darkness with Wonder. What can you do to promote restoration over despair? Did you recognize yourself or your experiences in it? Then I would find myself thinking about something the author said, decide to give the book another try, read a couple of essays, etc. Do you consider sustainability a diminished standard of living? Everything in the forest seems to blend into everything else, mist, rain, air, stream, branches. Despairing towards the end of the trip that she had focused too much on scientific graphing of vegetation and too little on the spiritual importance of land, Kimmerer recalls being humbled as the students began to sing Amazing Grace. I think that moss knows rain better than we do, and so do maples. This Study Guide consists of approximately 46pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - . 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. However alluring the thought of warmth, there is no substitute for standing in the rain to waken every sensesenses that are muted within four walls, where my attention would be on me, instead of all that is more than me. . Where will the raindrops land? What ceremonies are important to you, and serve as an opportunity to channel attention into intention? Witness to the rain Download PDF Year: 2011 Publications Type: Book Section Publication Number: 4674 Citation: Kimmerer, Robin W. 2011. Is it possible to stay quiet long enough to hear/learn? She speaks about each drops path as completely different, interacting with a multitude of organic and inorganic matter along the way, sometimes becoming bigger or smaller, sometimes picking up detritus along the way or losing some of its fullness. So I stretch out, close my eyes, and listen to the rain. Do you feel a deeper connection to your local plants now? Here in the rainforest, I dont want to just be a bystander to rain, passive and protected; I want to be part of the downpour, to be soaked, along with the dark humus that squishes underfoot. Many of her arguments rely on this concept of honour, which is what she thinks weve abandoned in our publicpolicies. When was the last time you experienced a meditative moment listening to the rain? Artist Tony Drehfal is a wood engraver, printmaker, and photographer. This chapter centers around an old Indigenous tradition wherein the people greeted the Salmon returning to their streams by burning large swathes of prairie land at Cascade Head. Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer (also credited as Robin W. Kimmerer) (born 1953) is Associate Professor of Environmental and Forest Biology at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF). "Braiding Sweetgrass - Braiding Sweetgrass Summary and Analysis" eNotes Publishing Sshhhhh from rain, pitpitpit from hemlock, bloink from maple and lastly popp of falling alder water. Why? This is an important and a beautiful book. Living out of balance with the natural world can have grave ecological consequences, as evidenced by the current climate change crisis. Kimmerer believes that the connections in the natural world are there for us to listen to if were ready to hear them. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. (LogOut/ Against the background hiss of rain, she distinguishes the sounds drops make when they fall on different surfaces, a large leaf, a rock, a small pool of water, or moss. Dr. Kimmerer invites us to view our surroundings through a new lens; perhaps a lens we should have been using all along. San Antonio, TX: Trinity University Press: 187-195. What have you overlooked or taken for granted? The last date is today's Do any specific plants bring you comfort and connection? In this chapter, Kimmerer describes another field trip to the Cranberry Lake Biological Station, where she teaches an ethnobotany class that entails five weeks of living off the land. Kimmerer imagines a kind of science in which people saw plants as teachers rather than as objects to be experimented on. If this paragraph appeals to you, then so will the entire book, which is, as Elizabeth Gilbert says in her blurb, a hymn of love to the world. ~, CMS Internet Solutions, Inc, Bovina New York, The Community Newspaper for the Town of Andes, New York, BOOK REVIEW: Braiding Sweetgrass: indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer April 2020, FROM DINGLE HILL: For The Birds January 2023, MARK PROJECT DESCRIBES GRANTS AVAILABLE FOR LARGE TOWN 2023 BUDGET WAS APPROVED, BELOW 2% TAX CAP January 2022, ACS ANNOUNCES CLASS OF 2018 TOP STUDENTS June 2018, FIRE DEPARTMENT KEEPS ON TRUCKING February 2017, FLOOD COMMISSION NO SILVER BULLET REPORT ADOPTED BY TOWN BOARD June 2018. Oh my goodness, what an absolutely gorgeous book with possibly the best nature writing I've ever read. Robin Wall Kimmerer . 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. They feel like kindred spirits. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. When Kimmerer moves herself and her daughters to upstate New York, one of the responsibilities that she decides to take is to provide her daughters with a swimmable pond. I was intimated going into it (length, subject I am not very familiar with, and the hype this book has) but its incredibly accessible and absolutely loved up to the seemingly unanimous five star ratings. At Kanatsiohareke, he and others have carved out a place where Indigenous people can gather to relearn and celebrate Haudenosaunee culture. She sees these responsibilities as extending past the saying of thanks for the earths bounty and into conservation efforts to preserve that which humanity values. Pull up a seat, friends. Read the Epilogue of Braiding Sweetgrass, Returning the Gift. Today were celebrating Robin Wall Kimmerer, Professor of Environmental Science and Forestry at State University of New York College and citizen of the Potawatomi Nation. I wish Robin Wall Kimmerer had written three short books instead of one long book. Witness to the Rain. 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. And, how can we embrace a hopeful, tangible approach to healing the natural world before its too late? As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. Maybe there is no such thing as rain; there are only raindrops, each with its own story. This forest is textured with different kinds of time, as the surface of the pool is dimpled with different kinds of rain. Maybe there is no such thing as time; there are only moments, each with its own story. Instant PDF downloads. In In the Footsteps of Nanabozho: Becoming Indigenous to Place, Kimmerer compares Nanabozhos journey to the arrival of immigrant plants carried from the Old World and rehabilitated in American soil. It gives us knowing, but not caring. In. Yet we also have another human gift, language, another of our, Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. What did you think of the juxtaposition between light and dark? Burning Sweetgrass Windigo Footprints The Sacred and the Superfund Collateral Damage . . "T his is a time to take a lesson from mosses," says Robin Wall Kimmerer, celebrated writer and botanist. 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. As the field trip progresses and the students come to understand more fully their relationship with the earth, Kimmerer explains how the current climate crisis, specifically the destruction of wetland habitation, becomes not just an abstract problem to be solved on an intellectual level but an extremely personal mission. Were you familiar with Carlisle, Pennsylvania prior to this chapter? First, shes attracted by the way the drops vary in size, shape, and the swiftness of their fall, depending on whether they hang from a twig, the needles of a tree, drooping moss, or her own bangs. Learn how your comment data is processed. What kind of nostalgia, if any, comes to mind when you hear the quote Gone, all gone with the wind?. She invites us to seek a common language in plants and suggests that there is wisdom and poetry that all plants can teach us. In this way, the chapter reflects that while Western immigrants may never become fully indigenous to Turtle Island, following in the footsteps of Nanabozho and plantain may help modern Americans begin their journey to indigeneity. date the date you are citing the material. The idea for this suite of four dresses came from the practice of requesting four veterans to stand in each cardinal direction for protection when particular ceremonies are taking place. Does your perception of food change when you consider how food arrived at your table; specifically, a forced removal vs. garden nurturing? What did you think of the perspective regarding the ceremony of life events; in which those who have been provided with the reason for the celebration give gifts to those in attendance. The author has a flowery, repetitive, overly polished writing style that simply did not appeal to me. Your email address will not be published. Kimmerer occupies two radically different thought worlds. The way of natural history. Overall Summary. Is it possible that plants have domesticated us? Next they make humans out of wood. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. From his origins as a real estate developer to his incarnation as Windigo-in-Chief, he has regarded "public lands"our forests, grasslands, rivers, national parks, wildlife reservesall as a warehouse of potential commodities to be sold to the highest bidder. These writing or creative expression promptsmight be used for formal assignments or informal exercises. Wall Kimmerer draws on her own life experiences and her half North American Indian and half white settler ancestry. What would you gather along the path towards the future? It is informative about Native American history, beliefs, and culture. 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. Robin Wall Kimmerer begins her book Gathering Moss with a journey in the Amazon rainforest, during which Indigenous guides helped her see an iguana on the tree branch, a toucan in the leaves. This point of view isnt all that radical. Our lifestyle content is crafted to bring eco-friendly and sustainable ideas more mainstream. These Braiding Sweetgrass book club questions are intended to be used as discussion points post-reading, and not a guide during the reading itself. This is the water that moves under the stream, in cobble beds and old sandbars. The Earth is providing many valuable gifts for us, including fresh air, water, lands and many more natural resources to keep us alive. Her work is in the collections of the Denver Art Museum, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, Tweed Museum of Art, IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, Akta Lakota Museum among other public and private collections. White Hawk earned a MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2011) and BFA from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico (2008). When you have all the time in the world, you can spend it, not on going somewhere, but on being where you are. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. By clicking subscribe, I agree to receive the One Water blog newsletter and acknowledge the Autodesk Privacy Statement. Do you believe in land as a teacher? San Antonio, TX: Trinity University Press: 187-195. What are your first thoughts when you hear the word environmentalism?. She writes about the natural world from a place of such abundant passion that one can never quite see the world the same way after having seen it through Kimmerer's eyes. Log in here. What were your thoughts surrounding the Original Instructions?. I suppose thats the way we are as humans, thinking too much and listening too little. I close my eyes and listen to all the voices in the rain. Kimmerer combines these elements with a powerfully poetic voice that begs for the return to a restorative and sustainable relationship between people and nature. Witness to the rain. I read this book in a book club, and one of the others brought some braided Sweetgrass to our meeting. Did you find this chapter poetic? The gods send disasters to strike them, and they also give the rest of creation their own voices to speak out against their mistreatment. Yet, this list of qualities could go on and on and each person carries multiple roles. She asks this question as she tells the stories of Native American displacement, which forever changed the lives of her . She isnt going for a walk or gathering kindling or looking for herbs; shes just paying attention. Robin Wall Kimmerer posed the question to her forest biology students at the State University of New York, in their final class in March 2020, before the pandemic sent everyone home. 1976) is a visual artist and independent curator based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In: Fleischner, Thomas L., ed. Maybe there is no such thing as rain; there are only raindrops, each with its own story.. Every drip it seems is changed by its relationship with life, whether it encounters moss or maple or fir bark or my hair. Teachers and parents! It was not until recently that the dikes were removed in an effort to restore the original salt marsh ecosystem. Five stars for the beauty of some of Robin Wall Kimmerer's writing in many essays/chapters. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. Robin Kimmerer, Potawatomi Indigenous ecologist, author, and professor, asks this question as she ponders the fleeting existence of our sister speciesspecies such as the passenger pigeon, who became extinct a century ago. In thinking through the ways the women in our lives stand guard, protect, and nurture our well-being, the idea for this set of four was born. The author does an excellent job at narration. I really enjoyed this. I don't know what else to say. It asks whether human beings are capable of being mothers too, and whether this feminine generosity can be reciprocated in a way which is meaningful to the planet. The Andrews Forest Programprovides science on multiple themes and provides a broader foundation for regional studies. to explore their many inspiring collections, including the artist we are highlighting in complement to the Buffs One Read Braiding Sweetgrass. "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. Are there aspects of a Windigo within each of us? My mother is a veteran. Struggling with distance learning? Kimmerer has often pointed out the importance of direct experience with the land and other living things. Burning Sweetgrass and Epilogue Summary and Analysis, The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child. This makes the story both history, ongoing process, and prophecy of the future. Because she made me wish that I could be her, that my own life could have been lived as fully, as close to nature, and as gratefully as hers. October 6, 2021 / janfalls. If not, what obstacles do you face in feeling part of your land? The ultimate significance of Braiding Sweetgrass is one of introspection; how do we reciprocate the significant gifts from the Earth in a cyclical fashion that promotes sustainability, community, and a sense of belonging? Traditional knowledge represents the outcome of long experimentation . In areas where it was ignored, it came back reduced in quantity, thus bearing out the Native American saying: Take care of the land and the land will take care of you.. Ed. How can we have a relationship if we lack thorough understanding, an ability to listen, and ideas to give back to the natural world? What do you consider the power of ceremony? moments of wonder and joy. . I don't know how to talk about this book. The second is the date of What were your thoughts on the structure of the book and the metaphor of sweetgrass life cycle? What have you overlooked or taken for granted? Learn more about what Inspired Epicurean has to offer in theabout mesection. She is the author of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teaching of Plants and Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses.She lives in Syracuse, New York, where she is a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental . What aspects did you find difficult to understand? Welcome! I would read a couple of essays, find my mind wandering, and then put the book down for a couple of weeks.