Robin Wall Kimmerer is a botanist, author, and distinguished professor at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. As an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she integrates indigenous wisdom and Western scientific knowledge in her work on traditional ecological knowledge and restoration ecology.
Kimmerer’s approach bridges empirical science with the holistic worldview of indigenous peoples. She advocates for what she terms “the grammar of animacy” - recognizing the personhood of the more-than-human world. Her work examines how indigenous protocols for relating to land can inform contemporary environmental practice while respecting indigenous sovereignty and wisdom.
Her book Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants (2013) presents indigenous perspectives on reciprocity with the natural world. She founded the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment at SUNY-ESF, focusing on traditional plant knowledge preservation and indigenous science education.
Kimmerer’s writing examines concepts including reciprocity with nature, gift economies in natural systems, and indigenous creation stories as ecological teaching. Her work on moss ecology received the John Burroughs Medal for Gathering Moss (2003).
Key Concepts
- Reciprocity with Nature: Giving back to the land rather than only extracting
- Grammar of Animacy: Language recognizing the personhood of all beings
- Indigenous Science: Traditional ecological knowledge as sophisticated science
- Gift Economy: Natural systems based on generosity
Essential Works
- “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants” (Milkweed Editions, 2013) - ISBN 978-1-57131-335-5
- “Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses” (Oregon State University Press, 2003) - ISBN 978-0-87071-499-7
Quotes from Robin Wall Kimmerer
Further Reading
Biographical Sources
Key Books
- Braiding Sweetgrass (Milkweed Editions, 2013) - ISBN 978-1-57131-335-5
- Gathering Moss (Oregon State University Press, 2003) - ISBN 978-0-87071-499-7
Related Resources
- Center for Native Peoples and the Environment
- Scientific papers on restoration ecology and traditional ecological knowledge