A Review of Braiding Sweetgrass

For this week’s theme of “Wilderness,” Sara shares a favorite read that encompasses the beauty of nature, the learning of science, and the wisdom of indigenous people.

By Sara Habibipour

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants is one of my new favorite books. It is written by Robin Wall Kimmerer, a Native American woman and biologist. As a botanist, the author has been trained to view the world and its inhabitants through a scientific lens. But, as a member of the Potawatomi nation, she teaches her students that there’s more to plants than just bodies; they have spirits. 

Plants have been on this earth longer than we have, so we must listen to them, especially if we want to save our earth from the destruction we humans have inflicted through our selfish activities. It’s not too late yet to reverse the damage we’ve done to nature. But, if we want to make positive progress, we must learn from those who don’t take nature for granted: the Natives. 

In the book, Kimmerer draws on her experiences as an indigenous woman and scientist to show how other living creatures all share their gifts with us. In order to gain a wider scientific and ecological understanding of what must be done to save our earth, we must learn to appreciate each being’s gifts. Not only that, but we must show appreciation for these gifts by giving back and establishing a reciprocal relationship with the earth. It is only then that we can restore our lost relationship with nature. 

In Potawatomi culture, there is a practice called The Honorable Harvest. It is a set of unwritten rules that guide how much to take from the earth so as to not deplenish all of its resources for future generations. 

In the culture, before taking anything from nature (a plant, a deer, etc.), one must not take the first creature they see; this ensures that an endangered species is not being killed. One must also ask the being if it’s okay to take its life. If there’s no sign or gut feeling that it should not be taken, then it’s okay to use. Finally, you must use all of what you take and share it with others so as to not waste any part of it. 

In a capitalist society, we are raised to believe that taking from the earth is normal. But, this book is trying to tell us that if we can just recognize the destructiveness of our greedy nature, then we can all “become indigenous” and save our earth. We can all give back.

If you love nature, and if you appreciate science, I highly recommend that you read this book. I’d love to discuss it with you!

Wilderness Editor: Hannah Hall

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The Honorable Harvest: thinking more mindfully about what it means to be a consumer, forager, hunter, human