lilcoppertop's Book Journey

This idea that grammar defines our relationships is fascinating to me. Language I feel is the most overlooked part of culture. Because as we see exemplified here, the words and way refer to things due to the limitations of the language in which we speak shapes how we think. A common example: Ancient Greek doesn't have a word for blue exactly, so Homer ended up calling the sea "wine dark." Braiding Sweetgrass frames this in terms of our relationship with the natural world, which is fascinating, and something I'd never really thought of. Language is so engrained in our societies we hardly even notice it. Which can be a dangerous thing. I've thought about it a lot in terms of gender roles. The difference between an "actor," and an "actress," a "king" and a "queen," instead of just a "monarch." Why we don't have specific gender titles for certain occupations like "artist." Even beyond the actual words of our language, the sayings reveal so much. "You're such a big boy," "don't be a sissy," or "be a good little girl," are all examples of gender bias in language. (There was an amazing display about this at The National Women's Rights Historical Park in NY state, it also incorporated toys though.) The idea of referring to a bay not as "the bay," but as a verb "water that is currently being in a bay shape," is so beautiful to me. It indicates an entirely different perspective and relationship with the natural world, one which I cannot help but appreciate.

I’m enjoying reading this book when I want to feel grounded. However, I’m struggling a bit to finish it. For me it’s definitely a book I prefer to read only a chapter or two per sitting.

Ohhhh how the notion of items being gifts from the earth takes on a whole new meaning as I've become chronically ill. I find comfort in this philosophy still but how heavy it weighs on me. With capitalist confliction that I have been groomed into.

Is the earth okay with my weight of reduced input? I think because I care for the creatures as I can, yes. How complex

Ohhhh how the notion of items being gifts from the earth takes on a whole new meaning as I've become chronically ill. I find comfort in this philosophy still but how heavy it weighs on me. With capitalist confliction that I have been groomed into.

Is the earth okay with my weight of reduced input? I think because I care for the creatures as I can, yes. How complex

“too full for pudding” is not in my lexicon

About her pond, which took RWK 12 years to make swimmable, she says "in truth, I have not succeeded in turning back time"

One common thread I am seeing throughout these stories is that we need to slow down, be patient, and accept that sometimes the world you are cultivating will only be enjoyed by those who come after you. And that is hard, especially when we apply a framework of "every man for himself". There is no guarantee that future generations will appreciate the work that you did or continue to steward the environments you cared for.

But that doesn't mean it's not worth the effort. We can't turn back time on the environmental degradation we have already contributed to, but that doesn't mean all is lost. We can still enjoy and love the pond even if we find bits of algae when we finish swimming. Just because the pond isn't as crystal clear as she once was, it doesn't mean that we should give up on her.

The comparison between Eve and Skywoman really blew my mind.

In order to eat, she was instructed to subdue the wilderness into which she was cast

It’s amazing how some stories are so core to our cultural identity (i say as someone raised catholic) that we can become blind to the values that are embedded and passed down within those stories. Even the use of the term “wilderness” in the context of the story of Eve is telling - “wilderness” makes you think of a landscape that is hostile to human life and barren of any resources that we can use. This compared to Skywoman who was instructed to “use your gifts and dreams for good”.

"If all the world is a commodity, how poor we grow. When all the world is a gift in motion, how wealthy we become."

I'm already loving this book and appreciating how it is altering my perception of things.

A great friend of mine gifted this book to me a few years ago as a birthday present. I'm so glad I have finally gotten around to reading it.

I'm taking it slowly so I can savor the wisdom within its pages. It's been my morning companion each day, reading one new essay with my coffee, and then reflecting on it before the day really begins. It's been a wonderful new routine for me!

With the severe droughts happening everywhere right now, sometimes I get really frustrated at the governments for not acting, and also hopeless, when I look at my garden and all the suffering plants. I grieve when imagining the effects of the drought on the human and nonhuman environment and species and sometimes it feels like every action I've taken to combat climate change has been futile.

However, thinking about this book - with its many chapters on coexistence, restoration and ways to act - often gives me hope. Today I thought about the chapter on the Onondaga Lake and how even the most polluted and lifeless areas can be restored if the will and planning and connection to nature is there. RWK also shows us how we can coexist with 'nature' or nonhuman beings, how mutual flourishing is possible. It gives me hope about changing the way modern societies interact with nature. It makes me wanna act, and gets me out of my frustrated ruminations.

In the end, this is a book about hope, and I'm deeply grateful to have read it and to have some tools and knowledge that helps me - and hopefully some of you too - to make a positive change and not despair.

i’m drafting my review of this book after finishing it but i can’t fit my thoughts about this chapter into it. i just have to let it go into the void!

my language is similar to robin’s because i could understand everything she said in the audiobook 😅 i’m an absolute beginner, probably more so than robin at the time she wrote this because i can’t even fragment sentences like she and her sister could. i had really high expectations for this chapter because LANGUAGE IS LAND!!! this should have been a slam dunk! our languages come from the land, how we live on it, how we view it, how we smell it, taste it, dream it! every language teacher and learner is different, but many many many recommend land-based immersion camps to deepen understanding of language. i couldn’t believe she made such little reference to that. the chapter’s purpose instead focuses on how the natural world is animate in our languages. this is true and so so beautiful, im glad readers could learn this. but her story of how she learned it has me befuddled. she doesn’t realize it until she was deeper into her journey??? again, every teacher is different but most will start with animacy. you can’t learn colours without animacy. you can’t make a thought without it. maybe she didn’t fully register it (which she kind of admits to by her initial approach) or maybe she’s doing that thing elders do (especially when they’re speaking to zhaaganaashag) where they alter the story for impact, but i just need people to know it’s FOUNDATIONAL to our languages. this is clearly a maddening point for me 😅 on a positive note i really loved how she described her language like it could be heard in the wind and rustles ❤️ it was one of the many little gems of her brain