Indigenous botanist Robin Kimmerer offers a vision of reciprocal relationships with the earth in her book Braiding Sweetgrass. In this passage, she describes how at a powwow she attends, some of the oldest teachings from her culture are practiced through a tradition called minidewak, during which gifts are freely given to all and received in gratitude. About this exchange, she writes:
"Generosity is simultaneously a moral and material imperative, especially among people who live close to the land and know its waves of plenty and scarcity. Where the well-being of one is linked to the well being of all. Wealth among traditional people is measured by having enough to give away. Hoarding the gift, we become constipated with wealth, bloated with possessions, too heavy to join the dance.
Sometimes there's someone, maybe even a whole family, who doesn't understand and takes too much. They heap up their acquisitions beside their lawn chairs. Maybe they need it. Maybe they don't. They don't dance, but sit alone, guarding their stuff.
In a culture of gratitude, everyone knows that gifts will follow the cycle of reciprocity and flow back to you again. This time you give and next time you receive. Both the honor of giving and the humility of receiving are necessary halves of the equation...We dance in a circle, not in a line" (p. 381).
Braiding Sweetgrass teaches ways to apply indigenous wisdom and scientific knowledge to create peaceful and sustainable relationships with the natural world. The author also explains ways she has found to transcend despair and find relief from eco-grief.
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You can find this and a wide variety of useful books related to wellness, religion, and spirituality in the library at MORSL, located in our lounge at 3610 Rue McTavish, 36-2. We're currently open Monday-Friday 10am-4pm and drop-ins at the lounge are welcome. This is not just a place to read but also to chat and connect with other students and our staff.
The photo above is of a trail on Mount Royal just a short walk away from MORSL.
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