Author: Robin Wall Kimmerer
You may recognize Robin’s name, since she authored the wonderful books Gathering Moss (2003) and the best selling Braiding Sweetgrass (2013). Robin is an Indigenous woman, Distinguished Teaching Professor at the SUNY College of Environmental and Forest Biology and the founding Director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment.
As the book opens, she takes us berry picking for Saskatoons near her home in New York State. Amelanchier alnifolia is also known as Serviceberry, Juneberry, Shadbush, Shadblow, Sugarplum and Sarvis.
There are about 20 species of Amelanchier, all shrubs or small trees. Most are native to North America with two in Asia and one in Europe. Cultivated varieties are grown for larger, sweeter berries, especially in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. They bloom in early spring, providing nectar for early-emerging insects.
As Robin (along with the birds) gather the abundant purple fruit, she considers the ethic of reciprocity that lies at the heart of the gift economy.
In the natural economy, carbon dioxide, water and minerals cycle through the ecosystem. Birds and other animals eat the berries produced through photosynthesis and pollination. If a feather falls to the ground, it can become food for beetles, who are then eaten by voles. The death of the vole feeds the soil, which feeds the Serviceberry bush. The energy and the recycling, are gifts, given with no expectation of reward.
How, she asks, can we learn from Indigenous wisdom and ecological systems to reimagine our currencies of exchange? Can we focus on reciprocity, interconnectedness and gratitude, taking no more than we need?
Our economy is rooted in scarcity, competition and the hoarding of resources. Wealth is measured by the quantity of ‘stuff’ we own, not from the quality of our relationships. The natural world should be seen as a gift, not as a private resource to be exploited. Robin explains that climate catastrophe and biodiversity loss are the consequences of unrestrained greed. She gives examples of ways in which it’s possible to build economic systems that meet our needs while aligning with ecological principals.
The book is beautifully written with lovely illustrations by John Burgoyne. Robin is a great teacher who shares her love for the world in all her books. She reminds us that everything is connected and all flourishing is mutual.
Leslye Glover, Tri-County Master Gardener
