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

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2013

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1, Chapters 1-6

Part 2, Chapters 7-11

Part 3, Chapters 12-17

Part 4, Chapters 18-25

Part 5, Chapters 26-32

Key Figures

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Book Club Questions

Themes

The Need for Reciprocity Between Humanity and Nature

Everywhere Kimmerer looks, she sees reciprocity—whether she is reading Indigenous folk tales, analyzing empirical data as a scientist, or forecasting new economic models that may save humanity from climate ruin. The concept of reciprocity is placed center stage for the reader as soon as they pick up the book; the act of “braiding sweetgrass” is itself an expression of reciprocity, as one individual braids while the other holds the sweetgrass in place. The author writes, “Linked by sweetgrass, there is reciprocity between you, linked by sweetgrass, the holder as vital as the braider” (ix).

The theme of reciprocity also serves as a bridge between the author’s two lifelong fascinations: Indigenous knowledge and scientific knowledge. In “The Council of Pecans,” the nut grows in abundance seemingly at the precise moment when Kimmerer’s ancestors need sustenance most: upon being forcibly removed from their Great Lakes home by the US government in what came to be known as the “trail of death.” To the author, the spiritual importance of the pecan to her Indigenous ancestors is in no way eroded by the scientific explanation behind the nut’s tendency to thrive at irregular intervals. Through the scientific phenomenon known as “mast fruiting,” pecan trees perpetuate their own survival by producing bounties to squirrels and humans. She writes, “The gift of abundance from pecans is also a gift to themselves. By sating squirrels and people, the trees are ensuring their own survival” (16). This, the author adds, is the essence of reciprocity and a model for humanity to follow as the threat of climate change increases. The pecan example also speaks to the author’s key mantra surrounding reciprocity: “All flourishing is mutual” (20).

This mantra finds a particularly poignant expression in the sweetgrass experiment conducted by Kimmerer’s student, Laurie. In an empirical conclusion contradicting decades of botany and agricultural science, Laurie finds that sweetgrass flourishes when it is harvested responsibly by humans, compared to control fields that go unharvested. As long as humans do not overharvest the sweetgrass, it will grow more plentiful to meet modest pickers’ demands. Another powerful example of reciprocity in nature is found in lichen, which are both “producers and decomposers, born from reciprocity” (274).

Finally, the Three Sisters—corn, squash, and beans—are important examples of reciprocity. When planted together, the crops thrive with far more success than if planted separately. The beans climb the corn stalks, giving them more access to sunlight and keeping them off the ground, out of reach of predators. Meanwhile, the beans stuck on the ground are shielded by the broad, sharp leaves of the squash. In return for this protection, the beans convert nitrogen into a usable form for the other two crops, stimulating growth. This too is a model for how Kimmerer hopes the species of planet earth—including and especially humans—can achieve a sustainable future by simply embracing the patterns of reciprocity already found in nature.

The Intersection of Science and Spirituality

One of the main themes of the novel focuses on how Indigenous history—and the spiritual and cultural framework that supports it—are interwoven with modern scientific understanding. The author is in a unique position, both a descendent of Indigenous peoples and a fully qualified botanist. This allows her to demonstrate the intersectional nature of science and spirituality; the book is a journey, the process by which she discovers how vital this intersection can be, which she then teaches to others.

As a result of this, many chapters follow a similar format. The author provides an example—whether it is a memory, an anecdote, a case study, or something similar—and points out the environmental issue at stake. This might be the plight of salamanders or the polluting of a lake. Then, she weaves in her knowledge of traditional Indigenous practices. For example, she discusses the way in which certain Indigenous peoples would plant the so-called three sisters—squash, corn, and beans—together. They found that this resulted in a balanced biosphere, but they had only a cultural and a spiritual framework with which to explain it. The author then reveals the scientific justification for their beliefs; she supplements Indigenous knowledge to explain on a chemical level why they were right and why modern techniques lack the sustainability of traditional practices. The repetition of this familiar formula feeds into the wider theme, demonstrating the importance and relevance of traditional knowledge in a modern age.

Not everyone is accepting of this premise. The intersection is brought up repeatedly by the author, but it is particularly relevant when she is discussing the matter with her own students. She encounters those who are dubious or skeptical about her theories, and she is gradually able to convince them of her beliefs. Thus, the way in which she passes on this knowledge to future generations helps to provide a justification for the book itself. Just as she teaches students in the text, she teaches readers in the same manner: pointing out how the science continuously justifies the traditional belief systems with evidence, examples, and anecdotes. The intersection between spirituality and science becomes so clear that, by the end of the book, they have practically become synonymous.

Overconsumption as a Consequence of Modern Capitalism

While the book features many positive themes, it also warns readers against many of the dangers facing society today. Chief among these is overconsumption. When people begin to take more than they need, they disrupt the delicate balance of nature. Of the countless examples the author provides in the text, many compare and contrast the attitudes of the settlers to the Indigenous people whom they met centuries ago. When the settlers saw the vast fields of rice, for instance, they wondered why the Indigenous people did not harvest everything or why they threw back a certain amount of rice as an offering. They did not understand the need for a delicate balance, and when they began to take more than they required for the purposes of commerce, this balance was interrupted. The tendency toward overconsumption becomes the fundamental issue for the author, one that feeds into every other problem she encounters.

Overconsumption, the author writes, is largely the result of market economies, which are distinct from the “gift economies” embraced by North American Indigenous cultures. She considers it ironic that the offensive term “Indian giver” is used as a pejorative, when it implies the concept that goods are meant to be exchanged from one person to the next, not owned in perpetuity as dictated by modern capitalist property rights. The author distinguishes market economies from gift economies by writing that the former involve a “bundle of rights” while the latter involve a “bundle of responsibilities” (28). Something that is given as opposed to purchased is treated as precious and with restraint, as individuals consume only what they need. For that reason, Kimmerer believes that an emergent world built on gift economies may be the antidote to climate change and other existential environmental issues that are exacerbated by overconsumption.

The idea of overconsumption as the root of the world’s problems is signified by the author’s belief in the tension between the material and the spiritual. This tension becomes the battleground for her concerns about overconsumption: The modern materialist society is one of overconsumption, in which people are so focused on materialism that they constantly take more than they need; traditional societies, on the other hand, were built on more spiritual beliefs and thus are able to ensure that the issue of overconsumption does not become out of control. They take what they need and exist as curators of nature, rather than holding dominion over the world.

Eventually, this theme of overconsumption manifests in the form of the Windigo. Under the author’s reinterpretation of Windigo mythology, the creature represents the modern tendency to consume and take more than is needed. The fear becomes so overbearing that the author eventually imagines the creature arriving at her door. Just as she has done in writing the book, the author decides to fight back. She uses traditional herbs and medicine before sitting down to listen to the cursed creature. Just as the book hopes to address overconsumption by carefully combining traditional practices with modern science and empathy, the author fights the Windigo and defeats the idea of overconsumption.