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/u/Junior-Order-5815
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So I'm reading this book for a college class and it's clear that we're supposed to see it as some sort of revelatory piece of philosophy about living in harmony with Nature. The frustrating part is I *do agree with the ideals Kimmerer presents, having been raised with them myself, and I *do think she has a great way of weaving her knowledge of botany into wider concepts of life. Her manner of writing, however, just comes across to me as holier-than-thou and judgemental.
I may just be biased because I feel like I've known people like her who walk around more priveleged than most of us could ever hope, while condescending to dole out knowledge to the unwashed masses that if only we were better people, perhaps life wouldn't be so hard? This whole idea that none of us value nature because we work in "western" jobs instead of taking a winter off to harvest maple syrup on our giant New York estate is the height of pretention. The thing is, I know Native Americans who honor their traditions and still struggle to feed their families and the priveleged attitude presented in the book is condescending to them as much as any of us who don't own a property with a lake on it.
I'm trying to see another perspective because it's clearly a beloved author and book, but I've been scowling while reading for the last hour and I just can't make myself like Braiding Sweetgrass.
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I may just be biased because I feel like I've known people like her who walk around more priveleged than most of us could ever hope, while condescending to dole out knowledge to the unwashed masses that if only we were better people, perhaps life wouldn't be so hard? This whole idea that none of us value nature because we work in "western" jobs instead of taking a winter off to harvest maple syrup on our giant New York estate is the height of pretention. The thing is, I know Native Americans who honor their traditions and still struggle to feed their families and the priveleged attitude presented in the book is condescending to them as much as any of us who don't own a property with a lake on it.
I'm trying to see another perspective because it's clearly a beloved author and book, but I've been scowling while reading for the last hour and I just can't make myself like Braiding Sweetgrass.
submitted by /u/Junior-Order-5815
[link] [comments]
Continue reading...