- What is your favorite quote from this section of Tending Sweetgrass?
“If what we aspire to is justice for all, then let it be justice for all of Creation”. This quote is written on page 147 in the chapter Allegiance to Gratitude. This particular quote was impactful for me because it reminded me how we do not always look at the natural world as a part of us. Often, we view plants and animals as simple resources that can be used to fuel us as we further our expansion. Maybe it is because our modern lives are too busy for
us to dedicate any time to preserving nature. Maybe it is because we see ourselves as above the rest of “Creation” simply because of our advanced minds. Regardless, the natural world is something that we have continuously exploited for our own gain, when it should be treated as equally as people. - Kimmerer discusses maple sap and how much is required to make just a little syrup
and how much labor is involved not only for the people collecting and making it, but for the trees themselves to produce the sap. Think of an activity in your life that
represents an amount of time that is unusually abbreviated. What shortcuts/conveniences do you rely on to live your daily life as you do? What would
happen to your schedule if you could not count on these conveniences?
I believe that social media and online messaging is a crucial part in shortening modern communication. Nowadays, we do not need a person’s phone number or email to get in contact with them. All we have to do is look up a person’s name on a social media platform such as Instagram or Facebook and we can get a direct line to communicate with them. This has proven to be a huge convenience in our daily lives. First of all, we do not have to fear about never talking to an old friend or relative again because of a lack of contact
information. Along with that, social media platforms have made the messaging process across phone brands much easier, with sites like Instagram offering video calls and read receipts between different phone types. However, this type of communication can make interactions feel a lot less personal than real life. Online disputes happen all the time in our modern era because people are able to say whatever comes to mind and then hide behind a computer screen afterwards. This is a huge contrast to how life used to be before the internet, when the things you said truly had consequences. In my life, I know social media plays a huge role in the people I keep in contact with. Without the internet, I most likely would not have as many people to talk to or hear from on a daily basis. While this would make it difficult to keep in contact with old friends, I also think it would free up a lot of my time. - Kimmerer describes how Haudenosaunee children attending a school near her
home recite a Thanksgiving Address every day. Imagine a public-school day in a
typical public school in your area.
a. What might it be like if the children followed a practice similar to the one
Kimmerer describes in the school that the Haudenosaunee children attend? Is this
a realistic suggestion? Why or why not?
I feel like forcing kids to recite a Thanksgiving Address at school, not knowing
whether or not these practices are also instilled at home, will not have any major effects on the average student. Most public-school students are either barely awake for the morning announcements or disinterested in school entirely, which would make this practice simply another routine for them. Besides, with the history of the United States government and Native American communities, I do not believe a suggestion like this would even be considered.
b. Compare this to other common schoolroom practices, like reciting the “Pledge of
Allegiance.” In what ways is might this be similar? In what ways different?
In recent years, the Pledge of Allegiance has become a practice that most
Americans do not take seriously. Even in high school, many students do not stand for the Pledge of Allegiance just because of what it represents to them. It is often a reminder to people of the corrupt actions the federal government has taken against people of minorities in the country’s past. I believe, while many students may look at this practice differently, tons of others will find a reason to reject it. c. What does this bring up for you about the changes you are willing to work for in order to live in the type of culture in which you hope to live? I hope for a society that is able to unite, not just as a nation, but as a species. Practices like the Pledge of Allegiance primarily focus on uniting the country, when our real goal should be to unite the world. We divide ourselves into groups based on culture, language, and race, and we reject anyone who is not like us. Even nature is rejected and kicked to the curb as if it is an infinite resource that we can go back to whenever we need it. Maybe practices like reciting the Thanksgiving Address are not the solution, but they are one step closer to uniting the world for the ultimate goal of preserving all life.