Her rich use of metaphor and storytelling make this a nonfiction book that leaves an impression as well as a desire to reflect upon new perspectives. A New York Times Bestseller A Washington Post Bestseller Named a Best Essay Collection of the Decade by Literary Hub As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." "T his is a time to take a lesson from mosses," says Robin Wall Kimmerer, celebrated writer and botanist. Did the Depression-era reference hit home with you? Can anyone relate to the fleeting African violet? 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. How has this book changed your view of the natural world and relationships? If you embrace the natural world as a whole from microscopic organisms to fully-fledged mammals, where do you draw the line with sacrificing life for your greater good?. Braiding sweetgrass : indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge and the teachings of plants / Robin Wall Kimmerer. Algae photosynthesizes and thus produces its own nutrients, a form of gathering, while fungi must dissolve other living things in order to harness their acids and enzymes, a form of hunting. It takes time for fine rain to traverse the scabrous rough surface of an alder leaf. How would you describe the sensation when you did or did not? Can you identify any ceremonies in which you participated, that were about the land, rather than family and culture? Which of the chapters immediately drew you in and why? Word Count: 1124. Kimmerer also discusses her own journey to Kanatsiohareke, where she offered her own services at attempting to repopulate the area with native sweetgrass. This Study Guide consists of approximately 46pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - 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. This is an important and a beautiful book. Copyright 20112022 Andrews Forest Program. It also means that her books organizational principles are not ones were accustomed to, so instead of trying to discern them in an attempt to outline the book, I will tell you about the two chapters that left the deepest impression. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer . 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. Get help and learn more about the design. How much do we love the environment that gives of itself despite our misuse of its resources? After reading the book, what do you find yourself curious about? Listening, standing witness, creates an openness to the world in which the boundaries between us can dissolve in a raindrop. How do you feel community strength relates to our treatment of the environment? Complete your free account to request a guide. When you have all the time in the world, you can spend it, not on going somewhere, but on being where you are. 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. We are approaching the end of another section inBraiding Sweetgrass. What creates a strong relationship between people and Earth? She honors the "humility rare in our species" that has led to developments like satellite imagery . How do you show gratitude in your daily life; especially to the Earth? In her talk, she references another scientist and naturalist weve covered before,Aldo Leopold. Overall Summary. Kimmerer describes Skywoman as an "ancestral gardener" and Eve as an "exile". Instead, settler society should write its own story of relationship to the world, creating its own. 5 minutes of reading. (including. Drew Lanhamrender possibilities for becoming better kin and invite us into the ways . "Braiding Sweetgrass" Chapter 25: Witness to the Rainwritten by Robin Wall KimmererRead by Sen Naomi Kirst-SchultzOriginal text can be bought at:https://birc. Robin Wall Kimmerer from the her bookBraiding Sweetgrass. Witness to the rain. Rather, we each bear a responsibility to gain understanding of the land in which we live and how its beauty is much greater than a blooming tree or manicured lawn. We will discuss it more soon on their podcast and in the meantime I'll try to gather my thoughts! Is it possible to stay quiet long enough to hear/learn? She is the author of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teaching of Plants.She has BS in Botany from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry as well as a MS and PhD from the University of Wisconsin. 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. Do any specific plants bring you comfort and connection? If so, how? Your email address will not be published. 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. They all lacked gratitude, which is indeed our unique gift as human beings, but increasingly Kimmerer says that she has come to think of language as our gift and responsibility as well. Hotchkiss All-School Read 2021 1 NOTA BENE: Kimmerer weaves together three major approaches to nature writing in this text: . The second date is today's . 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. 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. Teachers and parents! Christelle Enault is an artist and illustrator based in Paris. She is the author of the New York Times bestselling collection of essays Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants. One thing Ive learned in the woods is that there is no such thing as random. In: Fleischner, Thomas L., ed. Do you feel a connection to the Earth as reciprocal as the relationships outlined in this chapter? She is represented by. In Witness to the Rain, Kimmerer gives uninterrupted attention to the natural world around her. 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. I close my eyes and listen to the voices of the rain. Pull up a seat, friends. Order our Braiding Sweetgrass Study Guide. Does embracing nature/the natural world mean you have a mothers responsibility to create a home? Parts of it are charming and insightful. Do you relate more to people of corn or wood? If so, how can we apply what we learn to create a reciprocity with the living world? 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. The citation above will include either 2 or 3 dates. And, how can we embrace a hopeful, tangible approach to healing the natural world before its too late? The property she purchases comes with a half acre pond that once was the favorite swimming hole for the community's boys, but which now is choked with plant growth. How did the explanation of circular time affect your perception of stories, history, and the concept of time in which you are most familiar? How can we refrain from interfering with the sacred purpose of another being? In this chapter, Kimmerer discusses Franz Dolps attempts to regenerate an old-growth forest. A graceful, illuminating study of the wisdom of the natural world, from a world-renowned indigenous scientist. Yet we also have another human gift, language, another of our, Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. This book contains one exceptional essay that I would highly recommend to everyone, "The Sacred and the Superfund." If tannin rich alder water increases the size of the drops, might not water seeping through a long curtain of moss also pick up tannins, making the big strong drops I thought I was seeing? . Want more Water Words of Wisdom? The fish-eye lens gives me a giant forehead and tiny ears. (USA), 2013. Wall Kimmerer draws on her own life experiences and her half North American Indian and half white settler ancestry. "Braiding Sweetgrass - Braiding Sweetgrass Summary and Analysis" eNotes Publishing As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. Kimmerer combines these elements with a powerfully poetic voice that begs for the return to a restorative and sustainable relationship between people and nature. What about the book resonated the most with you? This forest is textured with different kinds of time, as the surface of the pool is dimpled with different kinds of rain. Why or why not? In "Witness to the Rain," Kimmerer noted that everything exists only in relationship to something else, and here she describes corn as a living relationship between light, water, the land, and people. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. I read this book in a book club, and one of the others brought some braided Sweetgrass to our meeting. "Robin Wall Kimmerer is writer of rare grace. She then relates the Mayan creation story. 4 Mar. Looking at mosses close up is, she insists, a comforting, mindful thing: "They're the most overlooked plants on the planet. Recall a meaningful gift that youve received at any point in your life. She isnt going for a walk or gathering kindling or looking for herbs; shes just paying attention. Braiding Sweetgrass is a nonfiction work of art by Dr. Robin Kimmerer. Its based on common sense, on things we may have known at one time about living in concert with our surroundings, but that modern life and its irresistible conveniences have clouded. She is the co-founder and past president of the Traditional Ecological Knowledge section of the Ecological Society of America. What would you gather along the path towards the future? Not because I have my head. Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerers "Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants,". Tragically, the Native people who upheld this sacred tradition were decimated by diseases such as smallpox and measles in the 1830s. Dr. She has participated in residencies in Australia and Russia and Germany. How can we create our own stories (or lenses) to view sacred relationships? 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?. 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 . [], If there is meaning in the past and the imagined future, it is captured in the moment. The way of natural history. Did you recognize yourself or your experiences in it? tags: healing , human , nature , relationship , restoration. Consider the degree of attention you give to the natural world. 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. Science is a painfully tight pair of shoes. Burning Sweetgrass Windigo Footprints The Sacred and the Superfund Collateral Damage . You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. Welcome! "Witness to the Rain" is the final chapter of the "Braiding Sweetgrass" section of RWK's beautiful book. I can see my face reflected in a dangling drop. 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. Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs Throughout his decades-long journey to restore the land to its former glory, Dolp came to realize the parallel importance of restoring his personal relationship to land. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. The last date is today's [], There are different kinds of drops, depending on the relationship between the water and the plant. How does the story of Skywoman compare to the other stories of Creation? Clearly I am in the minority here, as this book has some crazy high ratings overall. Through this anecdote, Kimmerer reminds us that it is nature itself who is the true teacher. This list is simply a starting point, an acknowledgement and gesture of gratitude for the many women in my life that have helped Create, Nurture, Protect, and Lead in ways that have taught me what it means to be a good relative. 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. Robin Wall Kimmerer is a mother, scientist, professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. Give them a name based on what you see. Witness to the rain Published December 15, 2017 Title Witness to the rain Authors: Kimmerer, Robin W. Secondary Authors: Fleischner, Thomas L. Publication Type Book Section Year of Publication: 2011 Publisher Name: Trinity University Press Publisher City: San Antonio, TX Accession Number: AND4674 URL please join the Buffs OneRead community course: In Witness to the Rain, Kimmerer gives uninterrupted attention to the natural world around her. I don't know what else to say. Kimmerer who recently won a MacArthur Foundation "genius" grant used as an example one successful project at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, where she directs the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment. What questions would you add to this list? What can you do to promote restoration over despair? Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. "As a botanist and professor of plant ecology, Robin Wall Kimmerer has spent . I had no idea how much I needed this book until I read it. These are not 'instructions' like commandments, though, or rules; rather they are like a compass: they provide an orientation but not a map. Many of the pants have since become invasive species, choking or otherwise endangering native species to sustain their own pace of exponential growth. At root, Kimmerer is seeking to follow an ancient model for new pathways to sustainability. In "Braiding Sweetgrass," she weaves Indigenous wisdom with her scientific training. Braids plated of three strands, are given away as signs of kindness and gratitude. These people have no gratitude or love within them, however, and they disrespect the rest of creation. Do you consider them inanimate objects? eNotes.com, Inc. These qualities also benefited them, as they were the only people to survive and endure. What have you overlooked or taken for granted? A fairly gentle, love-based look at ecology and the climate crisis with lots of educational value. Summary/Review: "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. What have you overlooked or taken for granted? This is the water that moves under the stream, in cobble beds and old sandbars. This idea has been mentioned several times before, but here Kimmerer directly challenges her fellow scientists to consider it as something other than a story: to actually allow it to inform their worldviews and work, and to rethink how limited human-only science really is. How does Kimmerer use myths to illustrate her ideas in 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 . Its not about wisdom. Where will the raindrops land? online is the same, and will be the first date in the citation. Braiding Sweetgrass explores the theme of cooperation, considering ways in which different entities can thrive by working in harmony and thereby forming a sense of mutual belonging. In addition to this feature event, Sweet Briar is hosting a series of events that complement . It was not until recently that the dikes were removed in an effort to restore the original salt marsh ecosystem. This passage also introduces the idea of ilbal, or a seeing instrument that is not a physical lens or device but a mythology. 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? As she says: We are all bound by a covenant of reciprocity: plant breath for animal breath, winter and summer, predator and prey, grass and fire, night and day, living and dying. Looking back through the book, pick one paragraph or sentence from each of these sections that for you, capture the essence of the statement that Kimmerer includes in the intro of each section. (LogOut/ She is wrong. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. Through this symbiotic relationship, the lichen is able to survive in harsh conditions. Quote by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Every drip it seems is changed by its relationship with life, whether it encounters moss or maple or fir bark or my hair. Did you consider this a melancholy chapter? And we think of it as simply rain, as if it were one thing, as if we understood it. What are your thoughts regarding the democracy of species concept? It is a book that explores the connection between living things and human efforts to cultivate a more sustainable world through the lens of indigenous traditions. I must admit I had my reservations about this book before reading it. . And we think of it as simply time, as if it were one thing, as if we understood it. So I stretch out, close my eyes, and listen to the rain. What are your first thoughts when you hear the word environmentalism?. "Burning Sweetgrass" is the final section of this book. Next they make humans out of wood. What can benefit from the merging of worlds, like the intersection of Western science and Indigenous teachings? I appreciated Robin Wall Kimmerers perspective on giving back to the land considering how much the land gives to us. 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. How can species share gifts and achieve mutualism? Kimmerer lives in Syracuse, New York, where she is a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental Biology and the founder and director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment. LitCharts Teacher Editions. Elsewhere the rain on . 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.". Witness to the Rain 293-300 BURNING SWEETGRASS Windigo Footprints 303-309 . 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. The motorists speeding by have no idea the unique and valuable life they are destroying for the sake of their own convenience. Corn, she says, is the product of light transformed by relationship via photosynthesis, and also of a relationship with people, creating the people themselves and then sustaining them as their first staple crop. Specifically, this chapter highlights how it is more important to focus on growing a brighter future for the following generations rather than seeking revenge for the wrongs suffered by previous generations. "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. San Antonio, TX: Trinity University Press: 187-195. In the world view that structures her book the relations between human and plant are likewise reciprocal and filled with caring. The reflecting surface of the pool is textured with their signatures, each one different in pace and resonance. 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. If there is meaning in the past and in the imagined future, it is captured in the moment. After reading the book do you feel compelled to take any action or a desire to impact any change? As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. I want to feel what the cedars feel and know what they know. (LogOut/ This question was asked of a popular fiction writer who took not a moment's thought before saying, my own of course. They provide us with another model of how . Kimmerer's words to your own sense of place and purpose at Hotchkiss. Maybe there is no such thing as time; there are only moments, each with its own story. Never thought I would rate my last three non-fiction reads 5 stars. The poetry of nature does not escape this writer and she becomes a poet herself at times, as in the following paragraph from this chapter with which I will conclude. Consider the degree of attention you give to the natural world. And we think of it as simply rain, as if it were one thing, as if we understood it. 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. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. In Old-Growth Children Kimmerer tells how Franz Dolp, an economics professor, spent the last part of his life trying to restore a forest in the Oregon Coastal Range. The story focuses on the central role of the cattail plant, which can fulfill a variety of human needs, as the students discover. Author: Kimmerer, Robin Wall Additional Titles: . 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! Because the relationship between self and the world is reciprocal, it is not a question of first getting enlightened or saved and then acting. Visualize an element of the natural world and write a letter of appreciation and observation. It was heartbreaking to realize my nearly total disconnection from the earth, and painful to see the world again, slowly and in pieces. Dr. Kimmerer weaves together one of the most rich resources to date in Braiding Sweetgrass, and leaves us with a sense of hope rather than paralyzing fear. eNotes.com Just read it. 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 solution? These people are compassionate and loving, and they can dance in gratitude for the rest of creation. When people are in the presence of nature, often no other lesson is needed to move them to awe. Its not as big as a maple drop, not big enough to splash, but its popp ripples the surface and sends out concentric rings. 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.