Checking in
In this session, we’re going to discuss the opening of Braiding Sweetgrass, and the chapter on Skywoman Falling.
Before we start, we’re going to check in for five minutes. Just say hello to your fellow students, talk about how the course is going, and if there are any questions that you are facing.
This Week’s Reading
In the first reading, we’ll be looking at the preface of Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book, as well as the first two chapters. We’ll be exploring how the author moves between myth and science, and we’ll be thinking about myth, metaphor, scientific enquiry and knowledge — and how all these are braided together in the book.
We’ll start by weaving some myths of our own, and thinking about myth as a way of thinking.
Writing Our Myths
What creation myths are there in your culture? For this exercise either:
- Retell a creation myth in your own words
- Write your own creation myth that you feel reflects your view of the world.
Discussion
In breakout groups, share your myths and discuss the following question: in what ways does myth constitute a way of knowing?
Part 1: Preface
In the preface, Kimmerer talks about the braiding together of three strands. Here are a few questions to think about:
- What are the three strands that Kimmerer says she will braid together?
- Why does she use the braiding metaphor? How does it differ from other metaphors that we might use when talking about different kinds of knowledge?
- What is the relationship she sets out between knowledge, storytelling and healing?
Part 2: Skywoman Falling
In the first chapter, Kimmerer retells the Potawatomi myth of the Skywoman, the ancestor of humankind. She talks about an image of Skywoman that she has hanging on the wall of her lab. You can see the image online here. Again, here are some questions:
- What do you think Kimmerer means by “images of Skywoman speak not just of where we came from, but also of how we can go forward.”
- Kimmerer also tells another story with that of Skywoman — the story of Eve. How does she contrast these two different stories?
- At the end of the section, she talks about hierarchy, and the contrast between seeing human beings as “the pinnacle of evolution” or as “the younger brothers of Creation.” Which of these views do you think most accurately represents our true existential situation? And what are the implications of each?
Homework
For your homework, you’re going to be reading two more sections of Sweetgrass: The Council of Pecans, and The Three Sisters. It’s reading 10 on Canvas. Have fun!