Looking at mosses close up is, she insists, a comforting, mindful thing: "They're the most overlooked plants on the planet. Wall Kimmerer draws on her own life experiences and her half North American Indian and half white settler ancestry. If not, what obstacles do you face in feeling part of your land? Kimmerer imagines a kind of science in which people saw plants as teachers rather than as objects to be experimented on. Its not as big as a maple drop, not big enough to splash, but its popp ripples the surface and sends out concentric rings. Robin Wall Kimmerer from the her bookBraiding Sweetgrass. Read the Epilogue of Braiding Sweetgrass, Returning the Gift. The source of all that they needed, from cradleboards to coffins, it provided them with materials for boats and houses, for clothing and baskets, for bowls and hats, utensils and fishing rods, line and ropes. Did you find the outline structure of the chapter effective? I wish Robin Wall Kimmerer had written three short books instead of one long book. The actual practice of science often means doing this, but the more general scientific worldview of Western society ignores everything that happens in these experiences, aside from the data being collected. Do you have any acquaintances similar to Hazel? What are your thoughts regarding the democracy of species concept? She served as Gallery Director and Curator for the All My Relations Gallery in Minneapolis from 2011-2015. 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. Each raindrop will fall individually, its size and. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Science is a painfully tight pair of shoes. How do you feel community strength relates to our treatment of the environment? 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. 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.. White Hawk writes: "As a suite, these works speak to the importance of kinship roles and tribal structures that emphasize the necessity of extended family, tribal and communal ties as meaningful and significant relationships necessary for the rearing of healthy and happy individuals and communities. The Andrews Forest (AND) Program is part of the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network established by the National Science Foundation. In her talk, she references another scientist and naturalist weve covered before,Aldo Leopold. date the date you are citing the material. In the following chapter, Umbilicaria: The Belly Button of the World, Kimmerer sees the fungialgae relationship as a model for human survival as a species. If so, what makes you feel a deeper connection with the land and how did you arrive at that feeling? I appreciated Robin Wall Kimmerers perspective on giving back to the land considering how much the land gives to us. She relates the idea that the, 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. Last Updated on March 23, 2021, by eNotes Editorial. Then she listens. Exactly how they do this, we don't yet know. (including. Robin Wall Kimmerer is a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. In: Fleischner, Thomas L., ed. 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). Kimmerer also discusses her own journey to Kanatsiohareke, where she offered her own services at attempting to repopulate the area with native sweetgrass. everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of Braiding Sweetgrass. Why or why not? The author has a flowery, repetitive, overly polished writing style that simply did not appeal to me. "Witness to the Rain" is the final chapter of the "Braiding Sweetgrass" section of RWK's beautiful book. When we take from the land, she wants us to insist on an honourable harvest, whether were taking a single vegetable for sustenance or extracting minerals from the land. But Kimmerer's intention is not to hone a concept of obligation via theoretical discussions from a distance but rather to witness its inauguration close up and Kimmerer has often pointed out the importance of direct experience with the land and other living things. Kimmerer again affirms the importance of the entire experience, which builds a relationship and a sense of humility. Do you believe in land as a teacher? Next the gods make people out of pure sunlight, who are beautiful and powerful, but they too lack gratitude and think themselves equal to the gods, so the gods destroy them as well. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. She has participated in residencies in Australia and Russia and Germany. How many of you have ever grown anything from seed? Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass. They provide us with another model of how . However, there is one plant, the broadleaf plantain, sometimes known as the White Mans Footstep, that has assimilated and become somewhat indigenous to place, working with the native plants in symbiosis in order to propagate. As we work to heal the earth, the earth heals us.". Many of the pants have since become invasive species, choking or otherwise endangering native species to sustain their own pace of exponential growth. What have you overlooked or taken for granted? On his forty acres, where once cedars, hemlocks, and firs held sway in a multilayered sculpture of vertical complexity from the lowest moss on the forest floor to the wisps of lichen hanging high in the treetops, now there were only brambles, vine maples, and alders. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. 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. Is it possible that plants have domesticated us? When was the last time you experienced a meditative moment listening to the rain? 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. Hotchkiss All-School Read 2021 1 NOTA BENE: Kimmerer weaves together three major approaches to nature writing in this text: . How do we compensate the plants for what weve received? It has created powerful tools for ravaging the planets ecosystems, creating a hard path for our descendants. We've designed some prompts to help students, faculty, and all of the CU community to engage with the 2021 Buffs OneRead. Abstract. What was the last object you felt a responsibility to use well? 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. in the sand, but because joy. All rights reserved. What kind of nostalgia, if any, comes to mind when you hear the quote Gone, all gone with the wind?. Afterward they want to create a creature who can speak, and so they try to make humans. She highlights that at the beginning of his journey, Nanabozho was an immigrant, arriving at an earth already fully populated with plants and animals, but by the end of his journey, Nanabozho has found a sense of belonging on Turtle Island. The questionssampled here focus on. 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. If time is measured by the period between events, alder drip time is different from maple drip. 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. They make the first humans out of mud, but they are ugly and shapeless and soon melt away in the rain. Cheers! Kimmerer believes that the connections in the natural world are there for us to listen to if were ready to hear them. It teaches the reader so many things about plants and nature in general. I choose joy. Learn more about what Inspired Epicurean has to offer in theabout mesection. Can anyone relate to the fleeting African violet? What are your thoughts on the assertion of mutual taming between plants and humans? Kimmerer describes how the lichen unites the two main sources of nourishment: gathering and hunting. It also greatly touches upon how humans and nature impact one another and how we should appreciate the journey that food and nature have taken to get to our tables and backyards. (LogOut/ Oh my goodness, what an absolutely gorgeous book with possibly the best nature writing I've ever read. Just read it. 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. These people have no gratitude or love within them, however, and they disrespect the rest of creation. The citation above will include either 2 or 3 dates. eNotes.com, Inc. They are wise enough to be grateful. Out of all the gods experiments, only the corn people respect the world that sustains themand so they were the people who were sustained upon the earth.. We will discuss it more soon on their podcast and in the meantime I'll try to gather my thoughts! 4 Mar. A wonderfully written nonfiction exploring indigenous culture and diaspora, appreciating nature, and what we can do to help protect and honor the land we live upon. Do offering ceremonies or rituals exist in your life? 380 Words2 Pages Summary The article "Returning the Gift" that written by Robin Kimmerer has discussed the importance of having our appreciations for nature. Link to other LTER Network Site Profiles. Did this chapter change your view on the inner workings of forests? All rights reserved. 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. This quote from the chapter "Witness to the Rain", comes from a meditation during a walk in the rain through the forest. 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 . 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?. In this chapter, Kimmerer recounts the journey of Nanabozho as he walks across the earth for the first time. What fire within you has proven to be both good and bad? Dr. The chapters therein are Windigo Footprints, The Sacred and the Superfund, People of Corn, People of Light, Collateral Damage, Shkitagen: People of the Seventh Fire, Defeating Windigo, and Epilogue. These chapters paint an apocalyptic picture of the environmental destruction occurring around the world today and urge the reader to consider ways in which this damage can be stemmed. If so, how? In the Bible Eve is punished for eating forbidden fruit and God curses her to live as Adam's subordinate according to an article on The Collector. Parts of it are charming and insightful. Kimmerer describes the entire lifecycle of this intriguing creature to emphasize how tragic it is when their lives are ended so abruptly and randomly by passing cars. 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. At root, Kimmerer is seeking to follow an ancient model for new pathways to sustainability. Struggling with distance learning? Learn how your comment data is processed. "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. Kimmerer occupies two radically different thought worlds. She compares this healthy relationship to the scientific relationship she experienced as a young scholar, wherein she struggled to reconcile spirituality, biology, and aesthetics into one coherent way of thinking. Dr. Kimmerer invites us to view our surroundings through a new lens; perhaps a lens we should have been using all along. I would read a couple of essays, find my mind wandering, and then put the book down for a couple of weeks. Written from a native American point of view, Braiding Sweetgrass (2013) is one of the most unusual books Ive read. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. As a social scientist myself, I found her nuanced ideas about the relationship between western science and indigenous worldviews compelling. But I'm grateful for this book and I recommend it to every single person! [Illustration offered as an anonymous gift :-)]. Adapting Fearlessness, Nonviolence, Anarchy and Humility in the 21st century. Quote by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Visit the CU Art Museum to explore their many inspiring collections, including the artist we are highlighting in complement to the Buffs One Read Braiding Sweetgrass. Give them a name based on what you see. The motorists speeding by have no idea the unique and valuable life they are destroying for the sake of their own convenience. Water knows this, clouds know this.. Did you consider this a melancholy chapter? What creates a strong relationship between people and Earth? Why or why not? Her book draws not only on the inherited wisdom of Native Americans, but also on the knowledge Western science has accumulated about plants. If there is one book you would want the President to read this year, what would it be? What do you consider the power of ceremony? The author spends several hours in the rain one day. But just two stars for the repetitive themes, the disorganization of the book as a whole, the need for editing and shortening in many places. 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. Author: Kimmerer, Robin Wall Additional Titles: . So I stretch out, close my eyes, and listen to the rain. Robin Wall Kimmerer is a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. Witness to the rain. Traditional knowledge represents the outcome of long experimentation . 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. Did you find this chapter poetic? Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. Kimmerer occupies two radically different thought worlds. Robin Wall Kimmerer is an American author, scientist, mother, professor, and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. These questions may be posed to an entire class, to small groups, to online communities, or as personal reflective prompts. Ed. The address, she writes, is "a river of words as old as the people themselves, known more . Alder drops make a slow music. Its messagekeepsreaching new people, having been translated so far into nearly 20 languages. What did you think of the concept of the journey of plants relating to the journey of people? Instant PDF downloads. Kimmerer criticizes those who gatekeep science from the majority of people through the use of technical language, itself a further form of exclusion through the scientific assumption that humans are disconnected from and above other living things. The Andrews Forest Programprovides science on multiple themes and provides a broader foundation for regional studies. Consider the degree of attention you give to the natural world. Kimmerer is a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. The way of natural history. 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. OK, this book was a journey and not a precisely pleasant one. If there is meaning in the past and in the imagined future, it is captured in the moment. Next they make humans out of wood. Do you feel a connection to the Earth as reciprocal as the relationships outlined in this chapter? 5 minutes of reading. over despair. Do any specific plants bring you comfort and connection? The old forest, a result of thousands of years of ecological fine-tuning, and home to an incredible variety of life forms, does not grow back by itself; it has to be planted. She is the author of numerous scientific articles, and the book Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses. 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. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. "I close my eyes and listen to the voices of the rain. If you only read one science or nature book this year, this comes with my highest recommendations. Never thought I would rate my last three non-fiction reads 5 stars. Sshhhhh from rain, pitpitpit from hemlock, bloink from maple and lastly popp of falling alder water. "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. 2) Look back over the introductory pages for each section"Planting Sweetgrass", "Tending Sweetgrass", Picking Sweetgrass", "Braiding Sweetgrass"for each of these sections Kimmerer includes a short preface statement. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. Visualize an element of the natural world and write a letter of appreciation and observation. Without the knowledge of the guide, she'd have walked by these wonders and missed them completely. What concepts were the most difficult to grasp, if any? In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these two lenses of knowledge together to take us on "a journey that is every bit . What about the book resonated the most with you? Kimmerer reaches a place where shes in tune with nature. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Preface and Planting Sweetgrass Summary and Analysis. 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. As a Potawatomi woman, she learned from elders, family, and history that the Potawatomi, as well as a majority of other cultures indigenous to this land, consider plants and animals to be our oldest teachers. Prior to its arrival on the New York Times Bestseller List, Braiding Sweetgrass was on the best seller list of its publisher, Milkweed Editions. Hundreds of thousands of readers have turned to Kimmerer's words over the decades since the book's first publication, finding these tender, poetic, and respectful words, rooted in soil and tradition, intended to teach and celebrate. As an American, I don't think my countrypeople appreciate or understand enough about native culture, as a general rule and so I was very grateful for this sort of overview of modern day native life, as well as beautiful stories about the past. 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. know its power in many formswaterfalls and rain, mists and streams, rivers and oceans, snow and ice. From time to time, we like to collect our favourite quotes, sayings, and statistics about water and share them with readers. Will the language you use when referencing plants change? How has this book changed your view of the natural world and relationships? What are ways we can improve the relationship? A deep invisible river, known to roots and rocks, the water and the land intimate beyond our knowing. Robin Kimmerers relation to nature delighted and amazed me, and at the same time plunged me into envy and near despair. 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. Listening, standing witness, creates an openness to the world in which the boundaries between us can dissolve in a raindrop. By Robin Kimmerer ; 1,201 total words . I don't know how to talk about this book. Witness to the Rain. 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. PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. Note: When citing an online source, it is important to include all necessary dates. Her book of personal observations about nature and our relationship to it,Braiding Sweetgrass, Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teaching of Plants,has been on theNYTimes bestseller list as a paperback for an astounding 130 weeks. The gods send disasters to strike them, and they also give the rest of creation their own voices to speak out against their mistreatment. The reflecting surface of the pool is textured with their signatures, each one different in pace and resonance. Drew Lanhamrender possibilities for becoming better kin and invite us into the ways . Its not about wisdom. Finally, the gods make people out of ground corn meal. How would you describe the sensation when you did or did not? Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerers "Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants,". Kimmerer, Robin W. 2011. 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. The reflecting surface of the pool is textured with their signatures, each one different in pace and resonance. This passage also introduces the idea of ilbal, or a seeing instrument that is not a physical lens or device but a mythology. Instead, settler society should write its own story of relationship to the world, creating its own. Kimmerer closes by describing the Indigenous idea that each part of creation has its own unique gift, like a bird with its song. The following questions are divided by section and chapter, and can stand independently or as a group. Read it. At Kanatsiohareke, he and others have carved out a place where Indigenous people can gather to relearn and celebrate Haudenosaunee culture. She puts itwonderfully in this talk: Its not the land which is broken, but our relationship to the land.. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. Overall Summary. I think it has affected me more than anything else I've ever read. Robin Wall Kimmerer is a mother, scientist, professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. publication online or last modification online. eNotes Editorial. One thing Ive learned in the woods is that there is no such thing as random. Kimmerer also brings up how untouched land is now polluted and forgotten, how endangered species need to be protected, how we can take part in caring for nature, especially during the climate crisis that we are currently experiencing and have caused due to our carelessness and lack of concern for other species. This passage also introduces the idea of. Burning Sweetgrass and Epilogue Summary and Analysis, The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child. They all join together to destroy the wood people. How does Kimmerer use myths to illustrate her ideas in Braiding Sweetgrass? What can we offer the environment that supplies us with so much? 226 likes. Similarly, each moment in time is shaped by human experience, and a moment that might feel long for a butterfly might pass by in the blink of an eye for a human and might seem even shorter for a millennia-old river. In Oregon, on the West Coast of the United States, the hard shiny leaves of salal and Oregon grape make a gentle hiss of "ratatatat" (293). Observe them and work to see them beyond their scientific or everyday names. Burning Sweetgrass is the final section of this book. This nonfiction the power of language, especially learning the language of your ancestors to connect you to your culture as well as the heartbreaking fact that indigenous children who were banned from speaking anything from English in academic settings. Can you identify any ceremonies in which you participated, that were about the land, rather than family and culture? 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? please join the Buffs OneRead community course: In Witness to the Rain, Kimmerer gives uninterrupted attention to the natural world around her. In the Indigenous worldview, however, humans are seen as the younger brothers of Creation who must learn from those who were here before us: the plants and animals, who have their own kinds of intelligence and knowledge.
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