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Reflections on Robin Wall Kimmerer's "What Does the Earth Ask of Us?" Keynote Presentation

  • Rheanna Gilbert
  • Nov 14, 2020
  • 3 min read

When my friend and classmate Fiona shared the details of a keynote presentation titled “What Does the Earth Ask of Us?” with Robin Wall Kimmerer, I registered immediately and I’m so glad I did. The event was presented by the annual Nocturne art festival in K'jipuktuk/Halifax, which (like everything this year) took place online this October.

Fig. 1 Robin Wall Kimmerer

Robin Wall Kimmerer is a scientist, professor, mother, author, and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. She is most well-known to many as the author of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants. Although I’ve yet to read the book, it’s been on my list for some time and after this amazing talk it’s right at the top!

Fig. 2 Braiding Sweetgrass Book Cover

Kimmerer’s presentation and the subsequent Q & A was jam-packed with valuable information and I furiously took four pages of notes over the two hours. One subject that Kimmerer referred to throughout the presentation was the use and significance of language (both English and Potawatomi). She referenced many words and phrases in the presentation, but one that resonated deeply with me was the English use of “it” as the pronoun for non-human beings. It would be disrespectful to refer to a human being this way, yet we use “it” to refer to living beings such as plants and animals. This language objectifies them, morally excludes them, and gives us a sense of permission to exploit them. This use of language has felt wrong to me for a long time. I’ve tried to avoid using pronouns for nature (as much as possible) in my capstone writing and speaking, but am contemplating possibilities of a more graceful solution. Many indigenous languages use different grammar when referring to animate and non-animate subject. Kimmerer’s solution for the English language is to use “ki” as a pronoun for animate beings, and “kin” when plural. Using this pronoun or creating an alternative grammatical convention is definitely something I will be exploring further in my capstone writing and verbal communication.

In response to the title question “What Does the Earth Ask of Us?”, the presentation was structured around four main answers; gratitude, attention, respect, and restoration. I really appreciated that all of these principles were actionable on both an individual and legislative level. As individual people, we often feel powerless to create meaningful change in the world, but I sincerely believe that repairing and deepening personal relationships with our more-than-human kin (and encouraging others to do the same) can facilitate powerful healing and wellbeing for all involved. Of course, public policy and political activism are also crucial to large-scale societal change, and Kimmerer made it clear that the same principles can be scaled up to create impactful policy. For example, on the subject of respect, we can individually show respect by altering the language we typically use to describe non-human beings. Legislatively, the granting of legal personhood to the Whanganui River in New Zealand offers respect, while activist groups like the Rights of Nature Movement continue to fight for such legal respect.

Fig. 3 Whanganui River in New Zealand

It was an absolute honour to attend this keynote and I have so much gratitude for Robin Wall Kimmerer’s generosity of knowledge. What I’ve shared here is just a small sample of the profound insights Kimmerer offered at this talk, all of which relate so perfectly to my capstone concepts. I’m definitely a devoted fan now and can’t wait to dive into Braiding Sweetgrass!

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