Before reading thoughts
I chose this book for a few reasons
- I don’t have an interest in hockey
- One of the other books was following the life of a hockey player which disinterests me
- Plants are cool
- Some of the artwork looks pretty cool, I specifically liked the moon on pg 146
- I like the simplicity of it and it’s carrying sizing. It pops out and catches
I think I’ll like it as the art style is pretty cool, I find plants interesting and it’s scientific (from a first glance) which aligns more to my interests than any of the other options
During reading
| Section | Date | 1 Connection OR 1 Question OR 1 Inference OR 1 Prediction (Give background, details,and evidence |
|---|---|---|
| -1-23 | 2024-10-30 | One interesting aspect is how the book mentions how the English language depersonalizes items such as plant life, animals and non human entities. (I.e. not capitalizing biology, calling animals “it”). So my question is why did the early english…writers? decide to format the language this way? |
| 23-30 | 2024-11-01 | One connection I made was between the pecan trees and cicadas. Both use the “overwhelm the predators” strategy which I find very interesting. I find it to be a sign of Darwin’s theory of evolution where both had (separate) ancestors which developed this trait and were wildly more successful. |
| 30-48 | 2024-11-04 | Kimmerer talks about how Indigenous people see land as something to care for, not own. This connects to today’s environmental movements, which focus on sustainability and protecting the earth. Just like Indigenous cultures, modern conservation efforts aim to keep the land healthy for future generations. |
| 49-62 | 2024-11-05 | Question: The book says that science can’t answer all of hour questions and it also says that culture and religion cant answer them all too. Given that, what is the gap? what and why are the unanswerable questions? |
| 63-79 | 2024-11-06 | Inference: I feel that some event will cause the Scientist to try and strike a balance between the indigenous ways of the land and her scientific ways. After she saw the untrained elder speak about her valley for hours, she surely has to rethink |
| 79-80 | 2024-11-08 | I didn’t read enough today to make a proper reading log as I was talking to ms wallace about my essay and we had a short reading period. |
| 80-85 | 2024-11-12 | Is Hazel neglected? Given that “Cleaning out Hazel’s fridge rivaled a microbiology project” you would assume that either she isn’t on top of her life, or that her parents are simply neglecting her. It doesn’t appear to be, so given that why was her fridge such a mess? |
| 85-93 | 2024-11-13 | Inference: I find it quite interesting how the Haudenosaunee thanksgiving address is a pledge instead of what western society would use: a prayer. They talk about the water’s “duty” and personify the elements/foundations of life, but also hold them accountable for their actions. Compare this to western expectations where the water couldn’t be held accountable, but instead the water-man, or the dam. We don’t view these low level…fundamentals as anything besides what science deems them to be. It also focuses on what you have, which is (in that view) everything you need. Compare this to many western views which often look at what you don’t have. |
| 93-99 | 2024-11-14 | Inference: In Braiding Sweetgrass, the author says that everything—humans, plants, animals—is a “person.” Meaning everything has its own role, and we’re all connected, helping each other out. It’s not just about taking from nature; it’s about giving back too. So, if we think of nature as “people,” we’ll treat it with more respect. (This was taken from the quote “Each person, human or not, is bound to every other in a reciprocal relation.) |
| 99-105 | 2024-11-20 | Question: It’s interesting, the notion of “love can’t be bought”. In the context used in the book, love is the gift of food to humans from the earth. Yet, when the farmer digs up the love, packages it in plastic and yet, when it gets shipped off, the love is dead/gone? I just find it inquisitive on where the actual border between “love” and “death” lies. |
| 105-117 | 2024-11-21 | While the Three Sisters can grow together symbiotically, it’s the farmer who initiates and nurtures this relationship. They provide the initial conditions, selecting the seeds, preparing the soil, and ensuring the plants thrive. This mirrors the Indigenous understanding of humans as active participants in the ecosystem, not just observers. |
| 118-128 | 2024-11-22 | Connection: Kimmerer uses the Pigeon family’s Potawatomi baskets to illustrate the true cost of craftsmanship. While the 200 price tag may seem steep, it reflects the intimate process of finding the right black ash tree, harvesting the bark, and hand-processing it into splints. This dedicated approach, where the makers are deeply connected to the materials and every step of the creation process, stands in stark contrast to the fragmented and often exploitative systems of modern manufacturing, where “materials and labor” often obscures a complex reality. |