Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmer

Downloaded 16 May 2023

To start out; some stats- it took me 10 hours and 30 min to read/audio listen to the book. I’m not the sharpest item in the tool kit: what does reciprocity mean? Reciprocity is the practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit, especially privileges granted by one country or organization to another1. In social psychology, reciprocity is a social norm of responding to a positive action with another positive action, rewarding kind actions2. The norm of reciprocity is a social norm where, if someone does something for you, you then feel obligated to return the favor. I would have liked the book better if it was channeled around the theme of honorable provider. As usual, I give the book a 😊😊😊😊 rating. It was just a little too long for “their” topic! Initial response: Wow, quite a book. (+): I like data, that there was plenty (thumbs up). Was especially humored when the author went into this hayride field. Also good data on the oldest rock on the planet, water, sludge, mercury, plants, little critters (good info…. but was it too much (for me)) I’m intrigued by indigo? (-): what’s the book really focusing on? Do we want to be “the honorable provider?” Bullet summary:  On the beginning there was a sky world  Sky women danced on a turtle back  Sweetgrass was the first plant to grow on earth  It makes great baskets  Braiding sweet grass is working with the hair of the earth  Humans and are a bad mix  Talk about sky women a garden for all.  Creation tells us where we are.  Sky woman had a handful of seeds. Sky woman was pregnant so her children’s life matters idea of for the future  Grasshoppers were used as bait, son= they ended up collecting Pecans  Talk about the trail of death as the indigenous people used  Nuts are k-like the protein of nature.  Government Indian people removal  Our land was a gift  Constitution did not protect indigenous people  Trees talk to each other, and plans will be made  Using pheromones to talk with each other P. 19  Tree sends out a signal of danger, tree warns each other  Talk about signal through the ground  A gift creates long lasting relationship  Sweet grass is from Mother earth  A gift creates relationships P. 28  Feel self-restraint when talking about a gift, market economy P. 2  Tending sweetgrass  40 gal of sap to make a gallon of syrup. P. 63  Which hazel  5 long pedals  Be like sky women!  Talk about frozen duck turds p.84  Pond can grow into a forest P.85  Author had boating experience is her red Kayak  Pass the gift along and maybe it will come back  Talk of pledge of allegiance (cycles of life)  Minds are one with the fish and plants  A tree is a symbol of peace P. 110  Gratitude is a major part of thanksgiving p. 111  Gratitude=wellness P.111  Leadership is service and wisdom P.112  Need to be grateful for all we have  Humans are the only ones who have gratitude P. 116  Sweet grass is grown in midsummer P. 121  Does the earth love you back?  Plant a garden good for you and the earth. P. 127  Story of the 3 sisters. Corn, beans. Bring your gift to one another and everyone will be taken care of.  Most planta can’t use nitrogen in the air  Gardens today are from the supermarket  Talk of the 3 sisters  Beans, corn, squash  Need diversity of garden growing  Take are of each other***  Take car of trees (like in fall with energy moving towards the earth)  Need to find balance when you are a human  Making basket sells for good money need splints and weaving  You owe the tree= to respect as you harvest p. 148  Talk of the emerald ash bore from China  You can’t take something without giving something back P. 150  Remember a trees life…..pay it respect  Ask permission to take a plant P. 156  Give plants respect P. 157  Hypothesis for harvesting sweetgrass p. 157  Sweetglass2 is leaving by it’s picking  The grass will love you. Two harvesting  Plants will react to ant changes  Experiments is all about listening P. 158  If we ignore a [plant it will go away p. 158  Sweet grass was sent to basket makers. 159  Grasses recover from chutes being cut or pulled  Need balance between plants and humans NEEDS 166  Give a gift for what you had taken P. 183  The honorable provider will give their lives for us? P. 184  THINK OF HONORABLE HARVEST  NEEDS VS. WANTS  Don’t abandon gratitude!  Keep the honorable harvest so respect for everything  Reciprocity should be given  GOOD FOR THE LAND IS ALSO GOOD FOR THE PEOPLE  Sweetgrass is given in the act of kindness  Is America like the land of second chances?  We are all so lonely  Land of the Potawatomi  Come up with the circle of healing  Humans are more lonely than ever before  We are all related (in the beginning  Indigents comes from the land.  Plants are our oldest teacher. P. 213  Teaching in the Bible belt. Why do plants grow in certain places P. 217  Lab coat was a fixture for the college the author worked at. P, 218  Talk about the ecology of spirit  They were referring to sky woman  Mindfulness, the land isn’t the teacher  The woods are almost the safest place on earth.  Cat tail are also soil builders  Let plants teach us  Gathering root bring a relation to mother earth and the roots P.235  Tobacco is a spirituals gift  You need to give something back P.238  Love the land is also like loving the people.p.249  We focus on ourselves/the community (hope for the future. Helps confidence  Salmon vs. a graduation ceremony  Invader of companies came ion an destroyed the property of “the valley”  Languages helps you see the world p.258  Plant connect with people, p.258  The choice is always there for life. Like the sky women gambling  Sweetgrass like sun and wet soil  Major reason is development  Need good relationship between p[lants and people p.263  Sweetgrass brings out kindness P.265  Creation on earth  Anorthosite is among the oldest rock on earth  In Navajo land plants get like married  Marriage brings baskets of plant (for food) or animals (for food)  Some plants take more take their fair sharre (like lichens)  Talk about the tees that were planted before Columbus sailed (biggest trees in the world) greatest forest on earth  Trees Cedars provides medication uses. P.279  Logging in the 1880’s tons of trees!!!  After taking trees, the additions hurt the soil. Working hard wood trees  With scarcity we can’t waste P.284  In restoring the land you also restore yourself!  Sweetgrass burn is to spread kindness P.302  Talk about the windigo p. 304 (heart made of ice) beast  Windigo won’t go into spiritual world. It relates to people. Caring for your own survival Why we should recoil! An evil spirit (thinking of only themselves). It’s origin is in northwest.  Windigo is everywhere in Ontario and the gulf of Mexico  It all goes back to the market. Don’t be banished from the community. Y more things that will please us…..over consumption P.308  We need to sustain natural needs laws p.308  Water is life. p.311  The water has been tricked P.315 lots of mercury in lakes p.315  Salt mining created muddy creeks P.317  Indian people: Humans have the stewardship of the land. Lot’s of grief!  Supreme court say grabbing land was WRONG.  The sediments also are part of the food chain.  Earth gives us joy, so we should do the same for the earth. P.328  Respiration is like a partnership p.334  The earth will also heal us p.340  Note only do you have to know, you need to care.  We all need to have humility to learn from others  Gratitude is not always the best. Humans have language.  Creator gave people the fire stick to help care for the land P.363  We all carry a fire within us (spiritual fire) p.365  Fire has force of creation and can also destroy. P.365  Talk of green path and the eight fire. 372  Gratitude helps free the earth and help free and save the world p> 377  Do we have so much stuff that we won’t do the dance?  Don’t dishonor a gift or returning thew gift.  Earth gives away man resources for free. Sent from Mail for Windows