I am now just past the halfway point in my reading of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer, so it’s time for a quick update.
I am amazed by this book because it continues to confirm for me that I know so little about the Indigenous way of knowing the world and existing in the world. As a white settler, my Eurocentric worldview is constantly being called into question by this book. Now that I’m aware of my worldview, I am fascinated whenever I can find examples of how my schema bumps up against other ways of seeing things.
Because this book is about being Indigenous and the Indigenous connection to the natural world, this book is jammed full of this kind of learning. I wish I had started taking notes when I first started reading this because I’m going to have to reread it to remember everything!
Here’s an example…
I don’t want to give away too much to potential readers, but did you know that the process of making maple syrup was taught to settlers by Indigenous people? There’s even an ancient Indigenous story that is told over and over again and explains why the process is so time consuming and labour intensive. That story is full of significant life lessons that go beyond boiling sap into syrup. It never occurred to me that we owe the Indigenous community a debt of gratitude for this yummy treat.
I will hold my tongue for now, but rest assured that there is a longer post coming when I finish this amazing book.
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