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Overview
Braiding Sweetgrass is a 2013 nonfiction book by Robin Wall Kimmerer, a Potawatomi botanist, author, and professor who champions the use of Indigenous knowledge hand in hand with science
. It blends Indigenous knowledge, science, and personal history to discuss humanity’s relationship with the Earth and how it can be healed. A word-of-mouth phenomenon, the book has soared in popularity in recent years as concerns about climate change and other environmental issues have grown within the public consciousness. In 2020 it began appearing on bestseller lists including those of the New York Times, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times, and has sold over 2 million copies as of late 2024. At heart, a journey of self-discovery, Braiding Sweetgrass—which is subtitled Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants—earned Kimmerer the 2014 Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award and was named a “Best Essay Collection of the Decade” by Literary Hub and a Book Riot “Favorite Summer Read of 2020.”In 2024, Kimmerer published, The Serviceberry, which is in many ways follows up on Braiding Sweetgress. Both books mix Kimmerer’s Indigenous knowledge with personal experience to help the reader easily digest and emotionally resonate with complex topics. But while Braiding Sweetgrass augments these explanations with discussions of scientific factors, The Serviceberry focuses more on economic concepts and ideas.
Explore a full book summary & analysis, a discussion of the main ideas, and explanations of important quotes in Braiding Sweetgrass.
