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

Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Anishinaabe heritage shapes her writing and worldview. In what ways does Braiding Sweetgrass function as a memoir about her relationship with her Indigenous roots? What does it mean to be Indigenous in the modern world, according to Kimmerer?

Explore the use of stories and myths in Braiding Sweetgrass. How does Kimmerer use storytelling to support her scientific arguments? What relationship does Kimmerer imply should exist between Indigenous stories and “scientific” knowledge?

What is Kimmerer’s vision of what the practice of botany should involve? How did the book transform your understanding of what constitutes knowledge about the nonhuman world?