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In Chapter 12, “Epiphany in the Beans,” Kimmerer explores the mutual love between the earth and people through the experience of gardening. Historically, people and plants have coevolved alongside each other and thrived under each other’s care, with the success of one species leading to the success of the other. When humans care for a plant, disperse its seed, and protect it, the plant gives back by providing nourishment, and the cycle begins anew. Planting a garden, Kimmerer argues, is often the beginning of mending the broken relationship between land and people, by entering into a partnership that both sides benefit from, provided they are fulfilling their duties.

Chapter 13, “The Three Sisters,” describes the mutually beneficial relationship of corn, beans, and squash when planted together. Corn grows first, providing height for the beans to wrap around, while the broad leaves of squash provide coverage from weeds and help retain moisture. Beans, in turn, provide nitrogen. They are complementary as well from a dietary and nutritional standpoint, with corn being rich in starch, beans in protein, and squash in vitamins. However, this growing pattern, long respected by Indigenous peoples, has been all but lost in the age of monoculture farms. On this type of farm, a single crop is grown, with humans trying to replace the mutual benefits of growing three plants together with fertilizers and herbicides.

Chapter 14, “Wisgaak Gokpenagen: A Black Ash Basket,” explores the reciprocal bond between trees and people through basket making. The Pigeon family, renowned for their black ash baskets, teaches others not only to make the baskets from harvest to completion, but also to consider the life of the tree and its sacrifice when it is felled for a basket. John Pigeon, who teaches Kimmerer how to make a basket, emphasizes that a tree must be asked for the gift of its wood, and that no part should be wasted. Black ashes benefit from this relationship as well, for harvesting mature trees clears space in the forest that allows light to reach the young saplings. In the weaving of the baskets themselves, this reciprocity is acknowledged. The first row of weave in a basket represents nature and its wellbeing, the second row represents human needs, and the third row represents reciprocity and respect.

Chapter 15, “Mishkos Kenomagwen: The Teachings of Grass,” describes another reciprocal relationship between humans and plants. Kimmerer tells the story of an experiment surrounding sweetgrass harvesting. She states the modern belief that harvesting a plant is always harmful, and contrasts it with the Indigenous wisdom of traditional sweetgrass harvesters, who always ensure that they respect the sweetgrass and take no more than half. Until proved scientifically, academia refused to acknowledge the wisdom that had been passed down for generations. Once again, reciprocity and respect are the keys to both plants and humans thriving. Sweetgrass flourishes when it is thinned and given more room to grow new shoots, all because of people gathering materials to weave their baskets.

Chapter 16, “Maple Nation: A Citizenship Guide,” further expands on the relationship between humanity and nature, focusing on the duties of both humans and plants. Kimmerer describes the ecosystem services that maples in her local town provide, in the form of wood, shade, habitats, and more. When the maples fulfill their duties to the land around them, it is up to people, in turn, to fulfill their duty to protect and respect the services rendered to them by trees and other ecological systems. Kimmerer questions whether we are doing enough to protect and give back to nature, given the rising severity of climate change and other man-made issues that are destroying natural habitats and thus depriving people of these ecosystem services.

Chapter 17, “The Honorable Harvest,” explores the ethics of taking the lives of others, whether plants or animals, in order to live, and how to honor their sacrifice for our survival. Kimmerer emphasizes the need to ask permission, take only what is given, and to take only what is needed, for humans alone are not the only ones being sustained by nature. Once again, gratitude and reciprocity are key. Everything taken must be celebrated, and humans, in turn, must give back to that which has sustained them and care for it. According to Kimmerer, this is a particularly pressing matter in today’s consumerist culture, which encourages mindless and excessive consumption that is the direct opposite of the Honorable Harvest.

Read an explanation of a key quote from Braiding Sweetgrass (#3) about the importance of reciprocity.

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