Braiding Sweetgrass: Natural Writing Overflowing with the Grammar of Life! Forge sacred relationships with all beings and create a regenerative gift economy.

★Consistently ranked #1 in Nature Writing/Botany/Ecology categories on Amazon since publication.

　　★Winner of the 2014 Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award, a leading award in American nature literature.

　　★A New York Times and Washington Post bestseller, with over ten thousand 5-star reviews on Amazon.

　　★Following "Gathering Moss," this is a monumental work by Indigenous botanist, poet, and writer Robin Wall Kimmerer, combining botany, ethnography, and nature writing.

 

　　Nature is a constantly flowing cycle, and the entire world is a bountiful exchange of gifts.

　　Interweaving spirituality, science, and Indigenous wisdom, this is the most thought-provoking ecological writing in the context of contemporary environmental crises! 

 

　　As a botanist trained in rigorous scientific methods, Kimmerer learned to understand nature with objective, rational systemic tools, but this knowledge did not allow her to empathize with nature. Later, she found that the heritage from her ancestors filled the gaps in science. Indigenous wisdom taught her the spirituality of the world, showed her the interconnectedness of all things, and led her to believe that plants and animals are human teachers, with whom she must engage in a reciprocal and grateful way.

 

　　In this book, Kimmerer integrates different epistemologies, using moving myths, rituals, and childhood experiences to demonstrate how Indigenous cultures perceive nature's gifts in all things and reveal important life lessons. She constantly asks: How can we find ways in the modern world to re-recognize the land as a gift, and thus restore our sacred relationship with the world?

 

　　Sweetgrass, also known as holy grass, is an important spiritual symbol for Native Americans. Wild sweetgrass is harvested at specific times each year, braided and given to relatives and friends, and burned before ceremonies to purify, bless, and gain strength. This book uses "sacred grass" as its central cultural metaphor, structuring the entire work around the rituals and steps of planting, harvesting, braiding, and burning. Each chapter explores diverse plant experiences, embodying the spirit of changing seasons and the cycle of all things.

 

　　With a sincere, almost memoir-like style, the author traces childhood memories and tribal family history, mourning lost cultures, languages, and land traditions. Through the creation myth of the "Skywoman," Potawatomi legends, and our daily experiences, she reveals a profound connection between humans and the land's flora, integrating the values behind seasonal ritual life.

 

　　Unlike English, where non-human living things like plants and animals are replaced by "it," Indigenous languages view all beings as sentient subjects, demonstrating a spirit of equality and inclusivity. Furthermore, 70% of Indigenous words are verbs and dynamic expressions: for example, the word Puhpowee means "the force that causes mushrooms to push up from the earth overnight," and wiikwegamaa means "to be a bay," all fully demonstrating a perspective and attitude that understands the world from a vibrant, living point of view.

 

　　Indigenous foraging follows the principle of "sacred harvesting": only take what is given, use it well, be grateful, and reciprocate. This creates a special relationship, responsibility, and obligation with all natural resources. They view everything from the land as a gift, not a "commodity," and through continuous exchange and movement, the world sustains itself.

　　

　　In this book, Kimmerer demonstrates the connections between various living things, including asters and goldenrod, strawberries and pumpkins, salamanders, algae, and sweetgrass, leading us to listen to the voices of all beings. The book contains countless touching and spiritually radiant passages:

 

　　"In our stories, sweetgrass was the very first plant to grow on the earth. Its fragrant scent reminds us of things long forgotten, yet unconsciously known. And to have a ceremony is to 'find a way to remember.' Sweetgrass curls like waves, long and soft and bright, like the hair of Mother Earth. Braiding the grass is an expression of care for Mother Earth, letting her know we care for her beauty and well-being, and showing gratitude for all she gives."

 

　　"Strawberries inspired my worldview, that gifts from heaven are right at our feet. Gifts have nothing to do with what an individual does; they come and go freely, unknowingly appearing around us. A gift is not a reward; you cannot earn it through effort, you may not even deserve it, but it simply appears. The only thing you need to do is keep your eyes open, stay in the present, in that humble moment when grace happens."

 

　　"Sweetgrass belongs to Mother Earth. We pick and braid it with respect, using it to care for our people. And the gift we give back to the land is to care for these sweetgrasses. Sweetgrass is always in motion, becoming richer in meaning with each respectful exchange. The essence of a gift is constant movement, and its value increases with it. This 'gift economy' creates a set of relationships that must flow in a reciprocal manner. Imagine how rich we would become if the world became a continuous flow of gifts!"

 

　　"When camping in the mountains in summer, we would pour the first cup of coffee brewed in the morning onto the earth, paying homage to the mountain gods, blessing the earth. Watching the brown liquid seep into the fractured brown humus in the rock crevices, it was like returning to its original state, merging with the soil. Even if we held confusion about this ritual, I found that the earth still drank it all, as if everything was right. Even if you feel lost, the earth still understands you. I think that's the power of ritual! Making visible things invisible, and uniting the mundane with the sacred."

 

　　Kimmerer's writing demonstrates a broad and inclusive ecological consciousness, fully elucidating the long-standing interdependent relationship deeply embedded between humans and all living things in the world. She constantly reminds us: only by listening to the language of all beings can we understand the generosity of the Earth and learn to reciprocate the gifts we possess appropriately.

 

　　※This book includes an exclusive "Immersive Listening Experience" audio file. By scanning the QR code on the book jacket or flap with your phone, you can access the book's spiritually reflective and profoundly poetic chapters, bringing a moment of tranquility and relaxation to your busy life.