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A review by catapocalypse
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
This is a beautiful, brilliant work and one of the most important I've read this year.
Braiding Sweetgrass is a number of things: it's partly a memoir of various experiences of Dr. Kimmerer's life, partly a comparison and contrast of the Western scientific approach to botany and the accumulated wisdom within indigenous oral traditions, partly fascinating information about various North American plants, and partly philosophy behind a more sustainable way of living in balance with the natural world.
Ultimately, Dr. Kimmerer seeks to shift our way of thinking about nature, not as a commodity but as the crucial, life-sustaining home that it is. She emphasizes approaching it with gratitude and reciprocity, rather than greed and exploitation. These teachings come from her own heritage as a member of the Citizen Potawatomi nation. They encourage healing of the self, of our relationships with other humans, and of our relationship with the natural world around us.
The book resonated strongly with me, especially as I've formed a more animistic personal spirituality over the years. I found a lot of the information about the various plants and ecosystems fascinating as well!
Braiding Sweetgrass is a number of things: it's partly a memoir of various experiences of Dr. Kimmerer's life, partly a comparison and contrast of the Western scientific approach to botany and the accumulated wisdom within indigenous oral traditions, partly fascinating information about various North American plants, and partly philosophy behind a more sustainable way of living in balance with the natural world.
Ultimately, Dr. Kimmerer seeks to shift our way of thinking about nature, not as a commodity but as the crucial, life-sustaining home that it is. She emphasizes approaching it with gratitude and reciprocity, rather than greed and exploitation. These teachings come from her own heritage as a member of the Citizen Potawatomi nation. They encourage healing of the self, of our relationships with other humans, and of our relationship with the natural world around us.
The book resonated strongly with me, especially as I've formed a more animistic personal spirituality over the years. I found a lot of the information about the various plants and ecosystems fascinating as well!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Genocide, and Colonisation