Key Messages
The Environmental Wisdom Of The Potawatomi People: How Reciprocity Could Save Our Planet
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer shows us how the fate of humanity is interwoven with the fate of the environment.
She draws parallels between environmental crises today and those experienced throughout human history, including colonization in the Americas that risked both indigenous species and people.
We can learn valuable lessons from how Native Americans use reciprocity as a guiding principle to restore the environment.
For example, Potawatomi people view sweetgrass as a sacred plant representative of faith, while learning to give back could be key in saving our environment.
It’s important to understand our responsibility towards nature and how imperative it is to protect it, if we want our future generations to inherit a healthy planet.
Braiding Sweetgrass provides an inspiring reminder of this.
The Gift Economy: Embracing The Potawatomi Way Of Showing Gratitude For Nature’S Bountiful Gifts
Robin Wall Kimmerer’s upbringing was an interesting one.
As part of a Native American family, the author was raised in two very different worlds – one deeply rooted with the Potawatomi culture and traditions, and the other living a modern American lifestyle.
Kimmerer experienced first-hand what life was like during a time when American settlers were pushing deeply into areas inhabited by Potawatomi tribes.
Her grandmother was one of those granted citizenship and legal protections as a landowner in Oklahoma, which gave her a unique understanding of this difficult period.
During her childhood spent partly in New York, Kimmerer’s cultural differences between the Potawatomi world and the Westernized way of life become more distinct.
One example is how they interacted with nature: For those living in modern America something as simple as picking wild strawberries after school had to end with an exchange of money.
In contrast, within Potawatomi culture there was an expectation for showing gratitude for such “gifts” from nature with reciprocation – planting seedlings to prepare new plots for growing more strawberries next season.
It’s clear that Robin Wall Kimmerer grew up living two very different worlds – one bound by tradition, another with its feet firmly planted in modernity; both having their own sets of rules on how to interact with nature.
Rediscovering The Gifts Of Indigenous Knowledge: Sweetgrass And Beyond
The history of sweetgrass mirrors that of the native Potawatomi people.
It is a sacred plant, which has been seen as a gift from Skywoman, an angelic figure intheir mythology.
For generations, sweetgrass was used for spiritual rituals and for making baskets; thus honoring Skywoman and her work.
However, sweetgrass is now endangered due its struggle to compete with invasive European plants and weeds.
This is sadly very similar to what has happened to Native Americans across the land throughout history – they were displaced by Colonial settlers who forced them from their homes and denied them use of their language and practices.
Therefore it can be said that the decline of sweetgrass reflects the ongoing plight of Indigenous peoples across America today.
Reversing this damage means remembering our ancient connections to nature and acknowledging the presence of indigenous cultures in modern life.
The power of Sweetgrass reminds us that no one should ever forget the impact they have on their land, or those inhabiting it.
We Can Learn From Indigenous Cultures To Create A Reciprocal Relationship With Nature
When it comes to our relationship with nature, humanity should strive for a more reciprocal and grateful approach.
This is the attitude that Anita Kimmerer demonstrated when she discovered an ailing pond full of algae and took charge of it for over twelve years.
It’s this kind of loving care that has the potential to create its own cycle – a clean and clear environment for birds to thrive in, clean water for swimming and healthier waterways downstream.
It’s also in line with indigenous cultures, as they have long understood the importance of reciprocal relationships with the world around us.
Their societies are based on understanding how people must act reciprocally by caring for one another and the world at large.
An example of this can be found in the Way of Motherhood, where a woman passes on wisdom learned from her parents onto successive generations.
For those who wish to grow older and become teachers themselves, they can contribute by acting as role models whom people in their community look to for advice.
At its core, being appreciative and respectful towards nature fosters an environment wherein humanity is kinder toward our planet while still taking what we need from it sustainably.
By viewing nature as something to which we owe gratitude, rather than viewing it as something to exploit, we can make sure that we’re leaving the planet better off than when we started – ensuring both its health and ours into future generations.
Reciprocity And Sustainability: A Path Toward An Honorable Harvest
In order to maintain a successfully sustainable environment, we must act in harmony with nature.
The Potawatomi Nation attained this goal by practicing an honorable harvest: taking only what is needed to survive and leaving the rest as both a sign of gratitude and to ensure that their environment could regenerate itself.
This kind of appreciation and respect for nature is essential if we want our planet to remain healthy.
Unfortunately, this sustainable practice has not been widely adopted around the world.
In some states, regulations have only established rules about what cannot be done, for example fishing non-adult trout, with no real punitive measures for those who break them.
Therefore, instead of simply adhering to these restrictions on actions, it is necessary for people to embrace a mindset of commitment and reciprocity between humans and nature, one that respects the gifts given by Mother Earth without exploiting her resources too much.
When sustainability is implemented from an honorable harvest perspective instead of just following do’s and don’ts dictated by regulations or law makers, then we can create a lasting way of life that ensures both humanity can prosper while still respecting and protecting the environment.
To do this we must educate ourselves and others so that more informed decisions are made when it comes to interacting with nature in any way since it all affects how our world will fare in the future.
We should also actively participate in activities like local tree-planting programs which promote restoration in harmony with nature and further safeguard our planet’s future sustainability.
The Three Sisters Is An Ancient Sustainable Technique That Can Help Us Better Appreciate The Interconnectedness Of Nature
Kimberly T.
Kimmerer, author of Braiding Sweetgrass, demonstrates that we can achieve sustainability and reduce harmful practices by looking to traditional methods from Native American culture.
In her botany classes, Kimberly noticed that her students weren’t responding well to the traditional approach, so she integrated traditional teachings and it worked!
Specifically, she used the Three Sisters technique, which has its origins in a mythological tale of three sisters who provided a village with food.
The Three Sisters technique reveals an agricultural practice which involves inter-planting crops together in beneficial combinations.
The corn provides vertical support for the beans to wrap its leaves around; these leaves then help trap moisture and encourage the corn growth; while squash protects them both from harmful insects with its sharply pointed leaves.
This eco-friendly method not only helps to provide healthy nutrition but also helps to achieve sustainable goals without using toxic sprays and other unsustainable techniques like monocropping.
Braiding Sweetgrass teaches us that indigenous wisdom still holds great value even today – if we look to it we may be able to make great strides toward sustainability as well as decreased reliance on harmful modern methods.
A Simple Pledge Of Gratitude To Mother Nature Can Help Us Fight Climate Change
It’s imperative that we equip the next generation with a sense of gratitude and respect if we hope to protect our future.
We need to instill in them an attitude that will motivate them to take action and make positive changes instead of simply complaining about the world.
One way to do this is to have children recite a thanksgiving address every morning, thanking Mother Earth for providing us with food, water and shelter.
This can teach them the importance of being thankful for what we have in life, as well as show respect for nature and its resources.
In order to truly protect our future, we must also encourage people—especially those living in New England—to become politically active when it comes to global warming.
Higher carbon taxes can force businesses to start changing their ways, which is essential if we want to save the maple trees from rapid climate change in the next 50 years.
The lesson here is clear: If we want our future generations to really safeguard our planet, we need today’s generations to learn how to give back out of gratitude and respect.
Wrap Up
The bottom line of Braiding Sweetgrass is this: humanity should always treat nature as a family member and give back to her when she gives us gifts.
This will help create a sustainable environment for generations to come.
If you’re looking for an actionable advice than can help further appreciate the power of reciprocity between humans and nature, look no further than planting a garden!
It’s not just a cheap and easy way to grow your own food, but it’s also an effective way to understand how one can repay the gifts given by nature.
