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

challenging hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.75

It took a while to get through Braiding Sweetgrass. I just had too many thoughts running through my head while reading. Kimmerer draws attention to Indigenous knowledge and how it can coexist and complement science when we approach nature. Relatedly, she highlights the importance of gratitude and reciprocity in our relationship with the earth, that plants can be our teachers, as well as how intertwined everything is in nature. 

I found myself thinking the most about reciprocity during the months I (very slowly) made my way through this book. I reflected a lot about how much listening and giving back I’ve been doing in particular. This also grew to a broader question of whether I understand reciprocation in the spaces I exist in. It’s tough, and I sometimes feel defeated, not knowing where to begin. And, considering this, I really appreciated how Kimmerer guides us through oral tradition and her experiences to teach us how to care for the land we call “home” and ways we can give back to the earth. 

While I appreciated the book’s messages, it sometimes felt as though Kimmerer had on rose-tinted glasses. It’s possible I’m just a cynic (especially as of late), but I’m not sure if we (by which I mean us settlers) have a genuine grasp of gratitude, let alone reciprocity. It sometimes feels as though she assumes we have this starting point, when, in reality, we probably don’t. Do we actually know how to express thanks and give back to the earth in a way that’s just? Maybe in small ways (she suggests planting a garden, for example), but what about bigger matters such as land and sovereignty? What then? 

It’s important that we remember to listen to the earth and have love and joy for it. Really, Kimmerer expresses this so beautifully and with such kindness. However, I feel that we also need to keep in mind there are complicated layers of settlers’ relationship with land and our positionality that won’t be as gentle in approach, and the hardest part of that is swallowing that pill. I guess it’s here that you’re sort of seeing my thoughts going in all directions, which is why this “review” is a bit jumbled, haha. 

Overall, this was a wonderful book to read, and there’s a lot to reflect on. That being said, I do think it’s fair to say that it barely scratches the surface of what Indigenous people have been talking about when it comes to the relationship between humans and the land we live on.
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