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

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer draws you into a world where plants are teachers and our connection to them is deeply reciprocal.

Kimmerer, blending her heritage as a Potawatomi woman with her scientific expertise as a botanist, reveals the profound interconnectedness of plants and humans. Her writing, a beautiful tapestry of personal narrative and ecological insight, illuminates the wisdom of indigenous stewardship and the importance of reciprocity with the natural world. She unveils the history of our "wild" spaces, revealing the millennia of careful tending by indigenous peoples, and does so with a profound sense of gratitude and reverence.

The book's structure, with each chapter functioning as a distinct story, allows for moments of focused reflection, and I find myself returning to specific chapters for inspiration and guidance. Braiding Sweetgrass ignited my passion for permaculture and a commitment to living by the permaculture principles of earth care, people care, and fair share – principles rooted in the very indigenous traditions Kimmerer celebrates.

-Beth