Monday was Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and many of us enjoyed this federal holiday outdoors, especially now that the weather has cooled after Earth’s record-hot summer. It’s also a good holiday to reflect on how our favorite outdoor spaces have been conserved and protected by Indigenous peoples for centuries prior. While Indigenous peoples comprise roughly only 6% of the global population–largely due to colonial disruption and displacement–more than 30 percent of global land remains conserved thanks to “Indigenous peoples and local communities.” So, how can we learn from them? And how can non-Natives, like myself, use that learning in a respectful manner?
Books are a great start. There’s no shortage of amazing books to learn about plants and trees, and most tree geeks have a favorite identification guide or well-thumbed gardening book. However, Indigenous peoples have successfully practiced plant and ecological education for thousands of years in North America and continue to do so, and there are many beautiful books written and shared by Indigenous educators, scientists, activists, and leaders about plants, land, history, and more. As we collectively wrestle with modern disruptions to human-land relationships amidst climate change and urban developments, it’s critical to learn from those who have survived ongoing disruptions over the years and learned to adapt. The recommended books below contain joy, wisdom, revisions, and sometimes warnings – while encouraging us to reorient our perspectives through meaningful relationships with plants (and trees) in our shared communities.
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer (Potawatomi)
Sometimes, people ask me if I could recommend one book for all humans to read, what would it be? Braiding Sweetgrass tops the list. Dr. Robin Wall Kimmer blends science, Indigenous knowledge, memoir, and beautiful writing in this seminal book that asks its readers to think of plants as teachers. Attention to nature’s details are at the heart of this book. She makes several arguments for why that attention matters—and how “plants are integral to reweaving the connection between land and people.” While she firmly states that being Native is a birthright, she generously suggests non-Natives can naturalize to place by developing more mature, reciprocal relationships to land. “Can Americans, as a nation of immigrants, learn to live as if we’re staying?” She writes. It’s a heavy question. But attention to plants and trees might help us answer.
Already read Braiding Sweetgrass? Check out Kimmerer’s first book, Gathering Moss, her upcoming book, The Serviceberry, or the young adult version of Braiding Sweetgrass!
Iwígara: American Indian Ethnobotanical Traditions and Science by Enrique Salmón (Rarámuri / Tarahumara)
Dr. Enrique Salmón admits that ethnobotanical texts are often “written by and for academics.” His book, Iwígara, attempts to open the field up while reclaiming plants as kin instead of colonial objects of pharmaceutical study. Named after a Rarámuri concept of interconnection, Salmón reinforces that “humans are no more important to the natural world than any other form of life.” The book profiles almost 100 plants and trees, including identification, harvest, use, health benefits, stories, and specific tribal connections. In addition to its practical use, it emphasizes seasonality and local knowledge while empowering readers to (respectfully) connect with the native plant kin in their communities.
Banana Leaves: Healing Indigenous Landscapes through Indigenous Science by Dr. Jessica Hernandez (Binnizá & Maya Ch’orti’)
(recommended by our new Youth Programs Manager, Madeline Carreño Karp!)
In Fresh Banana Leaves, Dr. Jessica Hernandez centers Indigenous voices and wisdom, creating a compelling case for centering Indigenous science at the heart of environmental and climate justice movements. Indigenous land practices have often been undervalued, ignored, and, at worst, co-opted by others through appropriation, and Fresh Banana Leaves asks the reader to examine the value of practices that don’t align with Western science, research, and conservation. Hernandez’s direct writing, academic background, and personal anecdotes make this a compelling read.
As Long as the Grass Grows: The Indigenous Fight for Environmental Justice, from Colonization to Standing Rock by Dina Gilio-Whitaker (Colville Confederated Tribes)
While most of the books on this list detail plants and science, Gilio-Whitaker’s book takes a more critical look at Indigenous history through the examination of ongoing issues of environmental injustice. While we love to talk about plants and trees, it’s important to remember that environmental justice is intersectional. Understanding history is key to navigating the intersections. Gilio-Whitaker affirms that in “Indigenous worldviews, there is no separation between people and land.” She details the ways in which that “sacred connection” has been disrupted by myriad colonial forces, attitudes, and views. As Long as the Grass Grows is a powerful read for those open to hearing a too-often-muted perspective on the complex human-land history of North America and why it matters for environmentalists today.
For Kids!
Can You Hear the Plants Speak? by Nicholas Hummingbird (Cahuilla / Apache), Julia Wasson, and illustrator Madelyn Goodnight (Chickasaw Nation)
This gorgeous picture book follows a young boy and his grandparents as they teach him to cultivate interdependence with nature, animals, plants, and land. But how does a child learn from nature instead of about nature? Listening! This book emphasizes intergenerational lessons from land as the narrator learns to listen to plants and animals in addition to humans. In a society that asks us to speed up, Hummingbird and Wasson encourage children to slow down and listen to nature in detail.
Other recommended children’s picture books about nature by Indigenous writers include the gorgeous Birdsong for seasonal art, and We Are the Water Protectors for young activists. Braiding Sweetgrass and Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States are also now available for young adults.
For Educators
School curricula often focus on Indigenous history in the past tense or study tribes as cultural groups, but these practices mislead students. About 10 million Indigenous people live in the United States today. Tribes are not cultural groups; they are organized sovereign nations with significant political differences and histories across tribes. If you’re a non-Native educator and want to learn more about how to respectfully integrate diverse Indigenous content in the classroom, check out Native Knowledge 360, an education initiative and resource developed by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. NK360 includes curricula, resources, and also events like teach-ins.
More Books!
Want even more books? Check out Birchbark Books, founded by author Louise Erdich (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians). This online store features diverse contemporary books for all ages
Do you have a favorite tree or plant book by an Indigenous writer? Tell us about it! And happy reading.
