I saw an ad for an environmental course that uses practical knowledge from all areas and disciplines to help make us the best stewards to our earth. It was remote so I could do it, but the price was unaffordable. I was lamenting this to my sister when she gave me a look and said “you know I have so many books that you could learn this from”—she used many climate action and different types of activism for her PhD dissertation—and I joked that I would only do it for a certificate. And so she came home, handed me a book, and said “you are now enrolled in my course.” I was gleefully happy, especially when the book she handed me was Robin Wall Kimmerer’s “Braiding Sweetgrass”. I have been wanting to read this for ages, because my sister said it was so good, and I never got around to it. Now I wonder if it was just waiting for me to read it now. Books sometimes have the perfect timing. 

As the front of the book says Wall Kimmerer’s book braids together the stories of science, Indigenous wisdom, and the wisdom of plants. I have never read something that so perfectly encompasses the beauty of twined science and nature. I am struck by how personable Wall Kimmerer is even though she is a scientist (I’m not knocking scientists, I was one! But they can be very clinical and sterile). Wall Kimmerer opened my eyes to how we can use science to save the planet while still keeping our joy at the beauty of nature, something that is never taught in science classes. Wall Kimmerer describes a practice where the earth is not a thing to be observed but rather a being, Mother Earth, to be nourished and loved. Something that I believe many of us have lost sight of. 

The strand of the braid that I most enjoyed learning about is Indigenous wisdom of nature. It is so personable, and it seems so right. In a world where everything seems beyond our help, this way of being brings us closer and tells us that through community, relationships, and especially reciprocity, we can heal ourselves which in turn will heal Mother Earth. How beautiful is that? We give thanks and joy to Mother Earth because she is the greatest sustainer and gives of herself because she loves us. When someone loves us, we love them in return, and this is what Wall Kimmerer teaches us as a way forward: to be in right relationship with nature, to sustain it, protect it, be stewards of it, and to be in reciprocal relationship with all the beings of nature, because in this community of Mother Earth we are all related. 

I can continue to wax on profusely about this amazing book but let’s stop there for a second. Every being on this earth is related. And not just humans. There are countless non-human beings out there, waiting for us to return to relationship with them. In the book Wall Kimmerer talks of Maple, Eagle, Cedar, Spruce and so many more. Each of them contribute their unique gifts to the world, and so we should contribute ours. What is this gift? Gratitude. Gratitude for what Mother Earth continues to give us and as in all relationships showing gratitude through love and acts (such as stewardship). This concept may be way out there for some people, but to me it brought great comfort. I have always felt wonderful in nature, like I could breathe and be myself. I always felt like nature was coming home. Now in my disabled body that can keep me at home, I can be lonely and struggle to feel a sense of belonging. Where does a person with disabilities fit in this world? Especially in a world of productivity. Where does one find community when many abandon you when you don’t get better? And I found my answer. In the plants and the animals. In the numerous non-human beings that are in this world. And so I have started to develop relationships with the ones right outside my door. With Crabapple, Hare, Magpie, Northern Flicker, and even Basil that sits in my kitchen. As with all new relationships it can be awkward at first but I intend to persevere. It is wonderful to have found a sense of community without leaving my home. 

Wall Kimmerer talks often of the beauty of nature in her book, but also speaks frankly of the brutal consequences of human consumption and want. It equally sickens me and terrifies me what we have done to Mother Earth and that we may never be able to recover. I was reading the one chapter on Lake Onondaga and I was appalled at what has occurred there. I continued to read and saw Wall Kimmerer’s imaginings of a restored lake as well as that of the Onondaga Nation imaginings and I felt something blooming in my chest. I kept reading trying to ignore this feeling until I couldn’t. I stopped and prodded this feeling and realized it was something that I haven’t felt in a long time. It was hope. I was startled that it was in a chapter about this horrific misuse of human power that I found hope, but I did. And if I can feel hope in the face of climate disaster, then I can find hope for myself and others in the rest of my life. I still carry this hope in my heart, it feels new but I know it has been there before, and it feels right to be able to carry this with me again. 

Where should we look for relief for ourselves and the world? To the Elders of course, the Plants. These amazing beings have already shown us so many things and they are the leaders that will point us in the right direction to love and care for Mother Earth. 

And so I start with thanking Mother Earth and her love for us; to creating relationships with diverse beings; and I look to the oldest Elders, the Plants, for wisdom and teaching that only they can give. I bring on my journey gratitude and reciprocity. 

You need to read this book. It is life changing, eye opening, and hopeful in a world filled with fear. It gave me a sense of belonging, a new appreciation for nature, and community. Do yourself a favour, read this book with open eyes and be prepared to change for the better.

Let us take a lesson from the trees. Change is okay. Resting when we need is okay. So is planning rest. Isn’t this what trees do? Change with the seasons, change their colours, and plan to rest each winter. Thank the trees around you for their beauty and lessons.