Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants
Drawing on her life as an indigenous scientist, and as a woman, Kimmerer shows how other living beings―asters and goldenrod, strawberries and squash, salamanders, algae, and sweetgrass―offer us gifts and lessons, even if we've forgotten how to hear their voices. In reflections that range from the creation of Turtle Island to the forces that threaten its flourishing today, she circles toward a central argument: that the awakening of ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world.
BUY THE BOOK
These clubs recently read this book...
Community Reviews
The message of this book is beautiful and timely. I most enjoyed when the author was actively doing something - teaching her class, harvesting maple sap, weaving black ash baskets, rescuing salamanders, cleaning her pond. But much of what she wrote was repetitive and overly wordy. I would have preferred that she told the unfolding of her career and life experiences in chronological order - she skips around so much - from place to place and time frame to time frame. It was hard to get into a flow of reading this book.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book, which bridges the gap between science and indigenous wisdom. The author looks at the scientific processes of plants through a new lens, and brings light to the areas in which indigenous practices can enhance scientific knowledge and provide additional context in areas that science cannot fully explain.
I listened to this as an audiobook, and it had a very meditative feel to it. Very calming, very reflective. I love the bringing together of scientific information with indigenous wisdom and tradition. As someone who has recently moved to the same town as all three of my adult children, I found myself drawn to the idea of passing on traditions and experiences.
I really loved this book, I think that anyone who want to read about Indigenous wisdom and who wants a kind introduction will enjoy it. This book has a warm, fuzzy feeling to it when reading. It has really great insights into the similarities and differences offered by western science and indigenous teachings. If you read, enjoy!
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.