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

I. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• How did Braiding Sweetgrass prompt you to rethink your relationship to the world around you? 
• Compare this book to other nonfiction books about humanity’s environmental impact. You might consider Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac or Amitav Ghosh’s The Great Derangement. How does Braiding Sweetgrass contribute to this genre? How does it shift the genre in a new direction? 

II. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• Which aspects of Braiding Sweetgrass give you hope for the future? Which aspects, if any, increase your worry about climate and environment? 
• Think of things you’ve done to reduce your personal impact on the environment. What obstacles did you have to overcome? How did your daily life change? 
• Which of the book’s ideas could you integrate into your own life? How would you do so? Would these ideas need to be modified to fit your specific circumstances? 

III. Societal and Cultural Context

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

• How does Braiding Sweetgrass offer an alternative way to think about natural resources? How does it critique dominant forms of agriculture and consumption? 
• How does Kimmerer draw lessons from history and apply them to present-day problems? 
• What makes this book especially timely in the early 21st century? What specific contemporary challenges does it respond to? 
• How does Braiding Sweetgrass find commonality between Indigenous and scientific knowledge? How does Kimmerer suggest that these ways of knowing can work together? 

IV. Literary Analysis

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

• How does Kimmerer weave together elements of scientific and explanatory nonfiction with elements of memoir? 
• How would you characterize the book’s tone? Is it conversational? Contemplative? Humorous? Mournful? How does Kimmerer use tone to convey theme and persuade her audience? 
• How does Kimmerer derive lessons about modern life from Indigenous folklore? Consider, for example, the story of the Windigo. 
• How does Kimmerer use nature as a source of metaphors or analogies to describe human behavior? 

V. Creative Engagement

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

• Think of a folktale or other traditional story from your own cultural background. How would you reimagine this story to address contemporary problems, as Kimmerer does with the story of the Windigo? 
• Create a collection of recipes that captures the book’s spirit of economy and ecology. What local foods would you use? how would you take advantage of seasonal abundance? How would your “cookbook” reflect the unique ecology and culture of your region?