Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants

I was lucky enough to be a student of Dr. Kimmerer's at SUNY ESF. While there, I took every class she offered. Dr. Kimmerer has the kind of quiet voice that everyone hushes to hear, not wanting to miss a word of her eloquence. Reading this book has reminded me to cultivate my love for the Earth in ways that my daughters can participate in, and to recognize the relationship between people and nature as a two-way street. We do not simply destroy or protect nature - we evolved in direct relationship with plants, and plants evolved in direct relationship with us. As an environmental scientist, I like to think that I look at the world through a lens of love and concern for the earth, but this book pushes me further in love and hope and urgency.

Disclosure, I listened to this audio book for about 2.5 hours, so that's about 20%. So at least I'm honest. Why only 2.5 hours? Because I don't consider her to be an unbiased authority on either history, nor Economics. There are constant criticism and implications of guilt to all non-indigenous people in this country and there are constant implications of the superiority of culturally coercive systems of redistribution. She also criticizes Christianity, negating the value of JudeoChristian values for all of those around the world who are lucky enough to live under their influence.

I would love a book where the author speaks to their expertise instead of peppering the book with ideological propaganda outside of their expertise. That isn't why I purchased the book, feeling like you're being indoctrinated isn't fun.

If you're a leftist who loves to hear your own country, the economic system under which you live and Judeochristian values criticized, then this is the book for you. Apparently there are a lot of you out there.

Sappy. Couldnt get past the tone set in the first chapter. Just adore good science writing. This missed the mark by a long shot for me. Really sorry too, the title held such promise....

Beautifully written, as evocative as a deep drought from a forest stream. Kimmer braids together the wisdom learned directly from trees with that learned from the books printed on them. Reading this book is like coming home to where we've always been--nestled in the heart of the Earth that cherishes us, even when we forget that.

I would give it 10 stars if I could.

This book goes beyond the need to stop climate change from heaping disasters on our planet and its inhabitants. It talks about the peaceful deep satisfaction of humans living in symbiosis with the land and its plants and animals and how the maker seems to have designed nature so that its components complement and serve each other. The author, an indigenous member of the Potawatome group of native Americans, has a PhD in botany, an area she chose because of her love for plants. She tries to balance her knowledge of Science with the legends of the Potawatome. These legends support a view of life that consists of gratitude for the land and its fruits as well as respect for how and how much they are used. They are almost as romantic as they are fanciful. The Potawatome believe that all parts of nature are close to sentient beings. In fact, plants gift their fruits to humans. Even fish are seen to gift their lives for food to humans.
At first, I thought the author provided these native beliefs in order to explain how the world view of the Potawatome’s relationship with nature came about. As I read, it seemed that the author holds these ideas as highly valuable if not Potawatome gospel truth. She actually continues the practice as asking plants if she may have some. She doesn’t say how they answer, but it always appears to be “yes.” (From my limited experience with fishing, the desperate flopping of captured fish to escape seems to indicate no desire to gift their lives to anyone.) The author makes her points over and over again with different examples. My favorites were her recounting trips with her students to experience plants and earth in their natural habitats, where she correctly observes that the plants have taught the students what they’re about. Still, less repetition and fewer details about such things as making baskets from tree bark would have been appreciated. In fact, I fear those who most need to heed her message will be turned off by her adherence to Potawatome legends and prescriptions unrelated to preserving nature. She skims over use of seal-a-meal bags to gift hand grown rice and the ingredients in pancakes that are likely store bought. It was almost refreshing, however, that she put her daughters’ desire for a swimmable pool over the lives of tadpoles.
I was disappointed that she quickly dismissed one effort at sustainability with no reason. Since, one of the Potawatome rules is that no one should ever gather more than half of the produce in an area in order that the site continues to provide, I expected more sympathy with the general idea. I also regret that there was not a word about evolution, and its role in the compatibility she sees between humans and nature before the world became industrialized. In fact, her book inspired me to conjecture that evolutions of varying life forms could be quite coordinated. We already know that species evolve when the climate changes so the same thing likely happens among different plant and animal species.
I couldn’t believe the work she did in providing for her family via the Potawatome way while teaching classes and raising her children. When did she find time to write this fascinating book?

If you enjoyed this book, you will enjoy the character Soledad in the book Inhabited. She is full blooded Lakota Sioux who uses sweetgrass in an unusual way, a way that rids a small Midwestern town of a menacing evil spirit.

Although I understand her motivation I just wonder if the message got lost in the end. If you want to feel bad about what we did to the Native Americans and hopeless about the future of our planet...this is the book for you. Beautifully written with vivid metaphors it is often a wonder to read. For myself it was just too dense and depressing.

I became attached to this book. After reading a chapter I would give myself the time to assimilate what I just read. It changed me. Deeply.

The last few years my husband and I have been raising Monarchs. This led to increasing the number of native pollinator plants in our urban yard....which eventually became a pocket prairie. I have become more and more interested in the life of insects, plants and trees. He has a degree in wildlife biology. So, these things aren’t new to me. But, reading ‘Braiding Sweetgrass’ have brought the concepts alive. I feel a very close relationship with these creatures of the wild. I also feel a sense of calm. Love it.

Its a great book! But there are far to many political beliefs hidden within the texts. Made reading the book all the way through a little off putting. Don't let this discourage you I would still recommend it to almost anyone.

What a lovely book this is! It’s clear though, when you read the book, that Miss Kimmerer is an educator, and a scientist. Her descriptions, though sometimes extremely lovely, can be long. If you don’t have a scientific turn of mind, the descriptions can be tedious. But keep digging, keep reading, because the information in this book is not only important it is beautiful.

I loved reading about the indigenous, creation, stories, and customs and people. I particularly enjoyed learning some of the prophecies concerning the earth and it’s future. The seventh fire, the time in which we live, is one of decision making. The author describes it as a Crossroads and I think it is. It is clear that we live in a time of climate change, though many people would deny that. In fact. they do. The weather in our world is becoming so extreme. What could be the cause other than climate change? It is time for us to decide: do we work to save the world and make it safe and healthy again or do we let our greed overcome our common sense and lose the world as we know it?

I hope the answer is that earth.we take care of this earth, and the many gifts that it continues to give us on a daily basis. Yet I am not sure that that is the choice will make. This book is a fascinating guide and prompts contemplation of how we can care for the earth.

When I was in high school, I dreamed of living the life that she Describes on her farm in Wisconsin. But my life turned out to be far different. I’ve spent my adult life traveling around the world working in other countries. I’ve loved it, but I don’t think it’s conducive to raising my own fruits, vegetables, and medicines. Still, reading this makes me hope that once I retire and return to one place with my friends, and loved ones, that I might be able to pursue those interests. I would love to have a garden again. I do appreciate all with which we’ve been blessed.

I’ve never had this experience before, but the kindle version is so full of missing words and typos it’s like the text has been translated by an ET. I just ordered the paperback, so I’m looking forward to a dramatically different experience!