Reviews tagging 'Cultural appropriation'

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

17 reviews

dontwritedown's review against another edition

challenging hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

2.75

I have really mixed feelings about "Braiding Sweetgrass". It is quickly becoming the new "Teachings of Little Tree" minus the fact that the author's actually Native. You see it on every Native American Heritage Month reading list and if you're a voracious reader that happens to be Native, people either ask your opinion about it or just straight up tell you your opinion.

I had only read sections of the book in college, as this particular field doesn't interest me, like I care about the Earth, but I don't care so much that I'd be sharing closed tribal secrets to make you care unless I was dating you. Now this may also come from the fact that I am Haudenosaunee and she is Anishnaabe, but I do have a problem with her sharing so much more of Haud culture that Nish, especially without directly citing which elder told her what and gave her permission to include in her book, a problem that many before me have spoken up about. Like I never really understood why other Natives had an issue with the book from the excerpts I read, until I really got into it and was like.....yeah I see why it's a problem and I see why so many people want more diversity on these book reading lists.

Which brings me to the topic I had an issue with: the w*nd*go chapters and references. It's clear Robin is a Native woman of science who probably does not view that entity with as much respect as she should, but I personally felt very violated reading that chapter as you are NEVER supposed to use their name. And she used it SEVERAL times and it was an audiobook that I was listening to. There needs to be a censored version, in my opinion, for those of us who want to follow the traditional way of not naming these entities. I am not sure if she actually ran into one or just used one as a metaphor but bro that ain't cool (like I'm not trying to doubt her run in but as someone who has experience with scary, ancient supernatural entities this was the wrong way to address her experience in my opinion). And the way she used the entity in the epilogue just.....look I get it you want nonNatives to care about the Earth the way we care for the Earth but come on there had to be a better way than THAT!

Overall, if this book is at the top of your list for NAHM, please find a Native who will give you better book reccs. They're out there. Can we retire this one for a bit? Please I'm begging you.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Religious bigotry, Cultural appropriation, and Colonisation

maregred's review against another edition

hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation

Minor: Genocide, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Cultural appropriation

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Colonisation

Moderate: Animal death, Death, Genocide, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Classism

Minor: Animal cruelty, Child death, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Excrement, Vomit, Cannibalism, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Climate change, habitat destruction, pollution.

susannaobrien's review against another edition

challenging hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

4.0

A beautiful meditation on the philosophy of reciprocity and power of gratitude. I enjoyed the interwoven details from the perspective of indigenous culture, academic science and personal history, and the way each has enhanced her commitment to protection and respect for the earth.

She writes poetically, which was often a joy, but sometimes felt like a slog. I really did find it too long, and sadly caught myself rushing through to finish the audiobook before my loan expire (Perhaps one to have a copy of and dip into). It definitely could have been edited as some chapters felt repetitive or dull. Or split into two, as I did appreciate the richness of the topics covered.

Overall, it exposed my to new ways of thinking and I know I'll be trying to take these ideas forward with me. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Genocide, Forced institutionalization, and Colonisation

Minor: Addiction, Grief, and Cultural appropriation

erica_palmisano's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

5.0

So rich, so beautifully written, so full of challenging but graciously articulated ideas. The audiobook is narrated by the author, whose warm tone and style is delightful, and I'm so glad I heard it. I think I'll get the physical book for future reference since I used my library card for this. There's just too much to think about to hear it only once. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide and Colonisation

Moderate: Animal death and Cannibalism

Minor: Cultural appropriation

maddox22's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, and War

Minor: Alcoholism and Animal cruelty

eligru's review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.0

I enjoyed listening to Robin Wall Kimmerer's soothing voice and learnt a lot from her stories: about ecology, foraging, indigineous culture & history and many other things, that I feel will stay with me for a long time, like the gift economy and thanksgiving rituals.

My favourite quote is from Chapter 28 “Witness to Rain”: “If there is meaning in the past and in the imagined future, it is captured in the moment. When you have all the time in the world, you can spend it, not on going somewhere, but on being where you are. So I stretch out, close my eyes, and listen to the rain.” – Robin Wall Kimmerer

I listened to this book over the course many months. The chapters felt to me like essays; some I liked more and some less. My 5 favourites where:
- The Council of Pecans
- The Gift of Strawberries
- Learning the Grammar of Animacy
- Epiphany in the Beans
- Maple Nation: A Citizenship Guide

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Cultural appropriation