Robin Wall Kimmerer’s beautiful book, “Braiding Sweetgrass”, was the topic of discussion at this month’s meeting of the Environmentalism Book Club. A moving meditation on humanity’s relationship with the Earth, the book gave us a lot to talk about. During our conversation, we reflected on what words stood out to us most while reading, and I’d like to share the list below.

I’d also like to share just a couple of quotes from the book that shone brightly and will stay with me long after I’ve read the book:

“All thriving is mutual”

“Respect one another, support one another, bring your gift to the world and receive the gifts of others, and there will be enough for all.”

“If all the world is a commodity, how poor we grow. When all the world is a gift in motion, how wealthy we become.”

“What is the duty of humans? If gifts and responsibilities are one, then asking ‘What is our responsibility?’ is the same as asking ‘What is our gift?’ It is said that only humans have the capacity for gratitude. This is among our gifts.”

I truly cannot recommend this book enough; A lushly written call to reconnect with the land that is our home, Kimmerer asks us to consider what it would be like if we loved the Earth just as much as the Earth loves us.

Next month, we will be reading “Regeneration” by Paul Hawken. Copies are available now at the Circulation Desk – click the button below to learn more and register.

Now, on to the resources inspired by the reading and submitted by the Book Club’s members during discussion.

Resources

Watch & Listen

The Arachne Project: Robin Wall Kimmerer (8 min.)

From video description: “This short film is part of the Arachne Project, a gathering convened in May 2024 by the Spring Creek Project at Oregon State University, with support by the Shotpouch Foundation. A diverse thinking community of writers, conservation biologists, Indigenous leaders, philosophers and others came together to consider what emerging visions and values should guide conservation practices as the world enters a radically uncertain future.”

Gifts of the Land: A Guided Nature Tour with Robin Wall Kimmerer (20 min.)

From video description: Robin Wall Kimmerer takes us on a guided nature tour of Clark Reservation State Park in Jamesville, NY as Spring welcomes back migrating creatures and sends a message to wake up those who have taken a Winter rest.

Black Ash Basketry: A Story of Cultural Resilience (57 min.)

A collaborative project of Great Lakes Lifeways Institute, Grand Rapids Community College, and Goodwille Environmental School, this documentary explores the traditional Anishinabe art of making baskets from the black ash tree.

10% Happier with Dan Harris: The Antidote to Not-Enoughness (1 hr. 9min.)

Podcast host Dan Harris talks with Kimmerer about such topics as:

• Nature as a model for the economy
• The science of biomimicry
• Plants as persons, and the study of plant cognition
• How to reclaim our stolen attention
• The importance of recognizing both Western science and the indigenous worldview

Read & Learn

The Edible Schoolyard Project

Founded in 1995 by chef, author, and activist Alice Waters, the Edible Schoolyard Project is “a nonprofit organization dedicated to the transformation of public education by using organic school gardens, kitchens, and cafeterias to teach both academic subjects and the values of nourishment, stewardship, and community.”

Check it out – we have several of Alice’s books in our collection!

The Nature Conservancy

“Dedicated staff, scientists and members advancing effective, lasting conservation in more than 80 countries and territories” by “developing breakthrough ideas, amplifying local leaders and influencing policy.”

This organization has an interactive map to find a nature preserve near you – with more than 800 preserves across the United States, “nature is closer than you think”!

Shelf Awareness Blog: Read with…Robin Wall Kimmerer

A quick interview with Kimmerer about her literary inspirations, favorite books and authors, and shares her favorite line from any book: “Mary Oliver, of course: ‘My work is loving the world.'”

Ducks Unlimited

This organization got a shoutout in the pages of “Braiding Sweetgrass”, and it turns out they have an Ohio chapter! With news, resources, and events across the state, I’d encourage you to poke around and learn more about Ohio’s waterfowl and the conservation work Ducks Unlimited is doing in our fair state.

from the “About” page: “Ducks Unlimited conserves, restores, and manages wetlands and associated habitats for North America’s waterfowl. These habitats also benefit other wildlife and people.

Waterfowl conservation is facing important challenges as wetlands and other habitats are being degraded and destroyed across the continent. Ducks Unlimited has a vision to reverse this trend.”

Article: An Interview with Black Ash Basket Makers Kelly Church and Reneé Wasson Dillard

If, like me, your curiosity about the Pigeon family and their Black Ash baskets after reading about them in “Braiding Sweetgrass”, then you should check out this fascinating interview with a duo of basket makers and how teaching is integral to their creative processes. The interview discusses how they became basket makers and teachers, how their approach to teaching varies by audience, and how cultural appropriation has affected their pedagogy.

Turtle Island Decolonized: Mapping Indigenous Names across “North America”

A “collaborative endeavor involving hundreds of Indigenous elders and language-keepers across the continent to accurately document place names for major cities and historical sites”, this map seeks to reclaim “these names [as] part of a movement to revitalize endangered languages, undo centuries of suppression and widespread misinformation, and acknowledge unextinguished Indigenous land tenure.”

Through looking at this map, I learned that the Seneca name for the Cleveland area is  “Gayáha’geh“, meaning “On the stream”. Referring to the Cuyahoga River, Cleveland is also called “Kahiónhwakon”, meaning “In the stream”, in Mohawk.

Recommended Reading

Below is a short collection of further reading, either written or recommended by Robin Wall Kimmerer. All titles listed are in WPPL’s catalog available for checkout or hold. Happy browsing!

If you, like me, are craving a re-connection to the Earth and all her gifts and treasures, I would highly suggest giving “Braiding Sweetgrass” a read. Kimmerer’s words are woven with poetry, scientific knowledge, and indigenous wisdom that will change the way you think about and interact with the world around you. And if you’re not ready to read it quite yet, I would instead suggest you take a walk in whatever nature is nearest you and try thinking about the plants, trees, and creatures not as “whats” but as living, breathing “whos”, each with their own unique gifts; What better gifts to give in return than kindness, respect, and gratitude?

Thank you for reading!

I hope we’ll see you next time — Wednesday, June 11, 7-8:30 p.m. — to discuss “Regeneration: ending the climate crisis in one generation” by Paul Hawken.