Chris Aldrich’s Reviews > Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants > Status Update

Finished through Shkigan.

Listened through part of The Secret and the Superfund yesterday. Continuing through an additional part on this morning's commute.

read through end of Mishkos Kenomagwen: The Teachings of Grass
In addition to talking rocks, she's now describing talking to, listening to, and communicating with grass!! Another great data point for my expanding theory. Just a literacy is a tool (one we often ignore), orality is also a tool (even more ignored), expecially by the West.
Love the journal article structure of her story in this chapter!

Finished through Wisgaak Gokpenagen: A Black Ash Basket

Last night coming home and this morning I listened to:
Consolation of Water Lilies
Allegiance to Gratitude - The repeated phrase here has a mnemonic meaning and the whole thing touchstones of orality
Picking Sweetgrass
Epiphany in the beans
The Three Sisters (Corn, beans, squash), with a strong case against monocultures

Yesterday morning, I listened to the chapters on:
Maple Sugar Moon - tending maple trees and working with her children
Witch Hazel - story of older woman in Kansas, reminds me of Southern poverty
A Mother's Work - tending the pond by her home

These parts were interesting and the poetry of the story continues wonderfully, but not the material I was directly looking for in reading this.

Learning the grammar of animacy. What a sea change of perspective!! English speakers have trouble with other' humans' pronouns, wait until they need to pronoun animals and bodies of water.

Read "Skywoman Falling"
It's interesting to compare and contrast the origin stories of Skywoman and Eve (of Adam & Eve). Also interesting to see the cultural differences which arise from these philosophies.