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

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key ideas are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Part 1, Chapters 1-6

Reading Check

1. What does Skywoman bring with her from Skyworld?

2. In Chapter 3, where does Kimmerer say that strawberries and other revered plants are believed to have sprouted first?

4. In her discussion of camping with her family, what does Kimmerer say that the Algonquin word “Tahawus” refers to?

3. Roughly what percentage of Potawatomi words are verbs?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What does Kimmerer say is an important distinction between the messages about the natural world contained in the Skywoman story versus the Biblical story of Eden?

2. What peculiarity of pecan ripening does Kimmerer share, and what lesson does she draw from it?

3. What distinction does Kimmerer draw between gift-giving in the dominant culture and gift-giving among Indigenous peoples?

4. When Kimmerer began college, what did she initially find alienating about her study of botany?

Paired Resource

“How Indigenous ‘Traditional Ecological Knowledge’ Teaches Us to Live in Reciprocity with the Land”

• This 24-minute episode of the Life Examined podcast features a thoughtful interview with Seneca scholar Mishuana Goeman.