AP Lang: Summer Reading

T/F: Braiding Sweetgrass is a collection of personal essays rather thn a traditional novel.

True

Plot structure of Braiding Sweetgrass

It builds a central narrative about repairing humanity’s relationship with the natural world through a blend of indigenous heritage, botanical science, and personal reflection

Structure of Braiding Sweetgrass

5 distinct parts: mirroring the lifecycle/preparation of sweetgrass”

• Planting Sweetgrass

• Tending Sweetgrass

• Picking Sweetgrass

• Braiding Sweetgrass

• Burning Sweetgrass

Planting Sweetgrass part meaning

Introduces foundational Indigenous concepts like gratitude, gift economies, and seeing nature as a community of living beings rather than resources. It features the Haudenosaunee Creation story of Skywoman, which frames humans as the “younger brothers” of creation who must learn from nature

Tending Sweetgrass part meaning

Focuses on personal stories of caregiving, motherhood, and connection to place. Kimmerer writes about raising her daughters, clearing a pond, and harvesting maple sugar, emphasizing our duty to care for the land that sustains us.

Picking Sweetgrass part meaning

Examines the relationship between humans and plants through traditional practices. It includes stories about the “Three Sisters” (corn, beans, and squash) growing together in mutual support, showing how human harvest can actually help plants thrive when done respectfully

Brading Sweetgrass part meaning

Explores ecological restoration and what iyt means to “become indigenous” to a place—treating the land as home regardless of background. Kimmerer bridges her background as a botanist with Potawatomi traditions to show how science and traditional knowledge work best together.

Burning Sweetgrass part meaning

Addresses environmental destruction, climate change, and corporate greed. It invokes the Algonquin legend of the Windigo—a monster driven by insatiable consumption—and offers a message of healing, reciprocity, and hope.

Reciprocity

The belief that human relationships with nature should be a two-way street; we must give back to the Earth (through gratitude, protection, and care) for everything it gives us

Indigenous Wisdom & Science

Combining Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) with scientific methodology to understand the natural world more deeply

The Honorable Harvest

A set of Indigenous cultural guidelines for taking only what you need, using it well, taking never more than half, and giving thanks

Animacy of Nature

Treating non-human entities (plant, animals, rivers) as sentient beings with their own languages and rights, rather than “it” or object

The Windigo vs. Gratitude

Framing modern consumer culture as the destructive, greedy Windigo, and posing gratitude and gift-giving as the cure

The Creation Story of Skywoman (Skywoman Falling)

• Skywoman falls from the Skyworld carrying seeds from the Tree of LIfe

• Geese catch her and gently lower her to the water below

• Water animals gather in council to help her

• Turtle offers his shell as a place for her to rest

• Muskrat dives deep int the abyss, risking his life to bring up a handful of mud

• Skywoman dances in gratitude, spreading the mud on Turtle’s back to create “Turtle Island” (North America).

• She plants her seeds, and sweetgrass becomes the first plant to grow.

Skywoman

The ancestral first mother, representing gratitude, creation, and human co-creation with nature

The Original Man Walking on Earth (In the Footsteps of Nanabozho) story

• Nanabozho (Original Man) travels through the newly created world to learn its names, relationships, and lessons

• His task is not to dominate nature, but to observe as the “younger brother of creation,” learning from plants and animals who are his elder teachers.

The Geese

Symbols of community, care, and gentleness

Turtle

The steadfast benefactor who carries the world on his shell

Muskrat

The humble hero whose sacrifice and determination make land possible

Nanabozho (Original Man)

A centeral Anishinaabe culture hero and teacher who models curiosity, humility, and learning how to “become indigenous to place”

The Legend of Windigo (Windigo Footprints & Defeating Windigo) story

• The Windigo is a legendary monster of Algonquin folklore born from cold, starvation, and human desperation during harsh winters

• It has a heart of ice and an insatiable appetite; the more it eats, the hungrier it becomes

• Metaphor for modern consumerism, addiction, and environmental destruction

• The way to defeat the Windigo is not through violence, but through gratitude, community care, and reciprocity

What symbolizes endless consumption in Braiding Sweetgrass?

The Windigo

The Three Sisters story

• While frames around agriculture, Kimmerer recounts the traditional story of three distinct sisters who love each other and thrive only when planted together

• Corn provides a structure to climb

• Beans fix nitrogen into the soil to feed the others

• Squash spreads large leaves across the ground to suppress weeds and retain moisture

The Three Sisters (Corn, Beans, Squash)

Personified plant spirits that demonstrate cooperation, complementary gifts, and mutual support

Shkitagen: People of the Seventh Fire story

• A traditional Anishinaabe prophecy outlines seven distinct eras (“Fires”) of history

• The prophecy foretells the arrival of light-skinned visitors, loss of land and culture, and eventual destruction

• During the time of the Seventh Fire, a new generation (the “People of the Seventh Fie”) emerges to walk back along the red dirt road to pick up the sacred teachings that were left behind

• They are lighting the Eighth and Final Fie of peace and sustainability.

The Seventh Fire Generation

The modern people—both indigenous and non-indigenous—tasked with healing historical wounds and restoring ecological balance

The Council of Pecans (& The Tree Teachers) story

• Ancestral stories recount how trees communicate and act collectively

• When displaced Indigenous nations were forced onto new lands, pecan groves sustained them

• The trees teach that they only bear fruit when all trees work in unison (“masting”), serving as a lesson in collective unity over individual greed.

The Pecan Trees

Living relatives and teachers who model solidarity and communal care

The Thanksgiving Address (Ohenten Kariwatekwen)

A traditional Haudenosaunee greeting spoken before gatherings that gives formal thanks to every element of the natural world—from water and roots to stars and winds

A set of oral protocols passed down through generations dictating how to gather from nature respectfully (e. asking permission, never take the first one, take only what you need, always leave a gift of gratitude)

The Honorable Harvest

Robin Wall Kimmerer

• Narrator and author of Braiding sweetgrass

• Portrayed through her internal monologue as a reflective mother, professor, and botanist

• She switches between wearing a field biologist’s muddy boots and engaging in traditional Potawatomi practices:

  • Her Pond Reclamation: where she physically waded in water to clear weeds, but also offered tobacco and gratitude to water and its organisms, and clearing the pond to restore balance in nature

Kimmerer’s Daughters (Lark and Hazel)

• They represent Kimmerer’s personal journey through motherhood:

  • When Kimmerer scrapes away muck from the pond and invasive plants, this is out of maternal love as she wants her daughters to have a clean pond to reconnect with nature and help nature

• They help pass on their mother’s traditions:

  • Kimmerer teaches her growing daughters to recognize plants not just as natural objects, but as living beings that provide gifts through harvesting wild berries (wild strawberries like Kimmerer did as a kid AKA heart berries) and gathering maple sap for syrup

Kimmerer’s Ancestors

• They originally lived in the Great Lakes region, where they maintained a deep reciprocal relationship with the land, lakes, and forests

• Under Federal U.S. Indian Removal policies, her Potawatomi ancestors were forcibly removed from their sacred homelands in Indiana and forced to Kansas and Oklahoma (The Trail of Death/Tears) —> ruined physical connection to trad. plants, water

Kimmerer’s Grandfather

• Young boy in Oklahoma (member of the Vieux/Johnson family) was taken from his family by government agents

• Shipped away to Carlisle Indian Industrial School

• After leaving the school, her grandfather chose not to return to Oklahoma, instead settling in Upstate New York (family built a new life)

Carlisle Indian Industrial School

• Kimmerer’s grandfather was sent here in Pennsylvania to attend the infamous Carlisle Indian Industrial School

• The school’s explicit goal was to “kill the Indian and save the man” —> stripped native kids of their identities

• his hair was cut, his traditional clothing replaces, and he was punished—sometimes by having his mouth washed out with soap—for speaking the Potawatomi language

• fluency of the language, sacred songs, and traditional plant teachings were stripped away from him and lost of subsequent generations.

T/F: Though Kimmerer’s grandfather lost his heritage through Carlisle, her career as a botanist and her work to reclaim the Potawatomi language, plant knowledge, and traditions “braided back” her heritage.

True

Laurie

• A grad student whose thesis project focuses on sweetgrass harvesting

• Designs a field study to test the traditional belief that picking sweetgrass actually helps it thrive —→ she found when it is done respectfully, it stimulates healthier plant growth compared to leaving sweetgrass untouched

• Represents young scientists validating Native traditions through scientific rigor

Daniela Shebitz

• One of Kimmerer’s research students working alongside Native communities

• Collaborate with Mohawk communities on sweetgrass restoration projects —> shows how environmental restoration and cultural revitalization go hand-in-hand

General Field Botany Students (Sitting in a Circle, Old-Growth Children)

• Groups that are undergrad students that accompany Kimmerer on camping trips in the Adirondacks or ecology labs

• These young adults are learning how to step away from academic jargon and build a personal relationship with the land, serving as a collective voice for the future generation

Braiding Sweetgrass Main ideas

1. Humanity needs to repair it relationship with the earth before it can repair the earth —> when it is respected (salmon not taken), people might know it’s a living being (need balance and self-restraint)

2. The unique responsibility of humans is to show gratitude for the earth’s gifts —> use the earth’s gifts (water) to help others and take care of the land

3. Neither science nor Indigenous knowledge along is enough to understand the world fully —> people need logic/observation to train the mind, but we need an emotional/spiritual connection too

4. The relationship between humanity and nature should be a reciprocal one —> we have to be actively reciprocal so nature can follow in a circle

Every chapter in Braiding Sweetgrass touches on indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge, and the teachings of plants at one point or another, and often in that same order EXAMPLE

“The Council of Pecans,” begins with the story of displaced Indigenous peoples being forced to move to new territories, and their reliance on nuts such as pecans throughout their arduous journeys. It then continues to explain, in scientific terms, what mast fruiting is, and how the trees only bear fruit together, when all of them are flourishing. Finally, the chapter closes by explaining the lesson the pecan trees taught, that there is strength in unity.

T/F: Braiding Sweetgrass encompasses self-discovery of the author and reader (if true, provide an example).

True; “Umblicaria: The Belly Button of the World,” opens with lush descriptions of nature and Kimmerer’s personal experiences before explaining the science behind lichen, the subject of the chapter. This serves the dual purpose of easing a non-scientific reader into the more complex scientific topics and allowing the reader to appreciate the emotional and spiritual aspect of nature first and foremost.

Structure of Lincoln’s Greatest Speech

• Historical context: the War’s looming end, Lincoln’s Evolution (guilt tiredness) throughout the war, Inauguration Day

• Dissecting the speech: Paragraph 1 = refusing to gloat, paragraph 2 = shared responsibility, paragraph 3 = theological view of slavery (sinful), paragraph 4 = call to reconciliation of slavery/war

• Reception & legacy: many Northern politicians were confused but Frederick Douglas praised it as a sacred effort, 41 days after the speech Lincoln’s assassination, White argues that his speech succeeded because it provides a moral framework for national recognition

Refusal of Triumphalism

With the Civil War nearing its end, the Northern public expected a celebratory victory speech. Instead, Lincoln avoided gloating, boasting or declaring political conquest

Shared National Guilt (American Slavery)

Rather than blaming the South exclusively, Lincoln categorized human bondage as an “American sin” shared by both the North and the South. He framed the horrific bloodshed of the Civil War as divine retribution visited upon the entire nation

Theological and Biblical Framing

White notes that Lincoln drew heavily on Scripture (“Both read the same Bible, and pray to the same God…”). He shifted the perspective from political blame to divine providence, suggesting that God has His own higher purpose for the conflict.

Short, Simple Rhetoric

Lincoln utilized short sentences and single-syllable words (such as “And the war came”) to create a humble, solemn tone

A Call for Reconciliation

The closing paragraph (“With malice toward none; with charity for all…”) emphasizes forgiveness, healing, and compassion over vengeance

T/F: Lincoln thought his greatest speech was the Gettysburg Address.

False; he thought it was his Second Inaugural Address

Word count of the Second Inaugural Address

703 words across 25 sentences

T/F: Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Speech placed God at the center of his speech, using biblical allusions and theological reasoning to interpret the Civil War

True

T/F: Lincoln refused to use “Southern Slavery” and used “American Slavery” to signal to the public that the North and South were responsible for the institution of slavery

True

Why did Lincoln think that the north was also responsible for the institution of slavery

• Financial ties: The Northern shipping, banking, and manufacturing sectors profited heavily from the trade and processing of slave-grown Southern cotton.

• National prosperity: Lincoln recognized that the economic wealth of the entire United States was built on the back of unrequited slave labor.

Shift to God as the Primary Actor (Divine Providence) influence

Rev. James Smith originally introduced Lincoln to Old School Calvinist and Reformed theology, giving Lincoln a copy of his apologetic text, The Christian’s Defense. Rev. Phineas Gurley—pastor at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, where Lincoln regularly worshipped—deepened this through frequent conversations on divine sovereignty and God’s overarching purpose in human affairs

How Lincoln applies Divine Providence to his spech

White points out that Lincoln shifts from treating human political agents as primary drivers to framing God as the central actor of the Civil War. In lines like "The Almighty has His own purposes" and "And the war came," Lincoln presents the conflict as something beyond total human control, being directed by divine providence rather than mere human military plans.

The theology of “American Sin” and Divine Retribution influence

Both Smith and Gurley preached a Calvinist theology of divine judgement—that human history is subject to moral accountability and that suffering is often a divine response to systemic transgression

Application of Divine Retribution in the Second Inaugural

Lincoln calls human bondage this “American Slavery” so he frames it as a collective divine retribution upon the north and south. Lincoln's assertion that "if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk... so still it must be said 'the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether'" directly reflects this Old School Presbyterian view of divine judgment.

John Wilkes Booth

Present in the crowd during the delivery of the Second Inaugural on March 4, 1865, just 41 days before he assassinated Lincoln

Rev. James Smith

Earlier in his life, Lincoln was viewed as a religious skeptic. In 1849, after the tragic death of his three-year-old son Eddie, Lincoln met Rev. James Smith of First Presbyterian Church in Springfield.

The Christian’s Defense

Smith gave Lincoln a copy of his two-volume book, presenting an evidence-based argument for faith and providence rather than emotional revivalism (soulless). White notes that this shifted Lincoln away from fatalism towards a personal relationship with God

T/F: Smith provided Lincoln with early theological arguments that human bondage could not survive under biblical scrutiny, laying the groundwork for Lincoln viewing slavery through a moral/spiritual lens rather than a purely political one.

True

Rev. Phinas Densmore Gurley (Washington D.C.)

When Lincoln moved to Washington, he attended the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, pastored by Rev. Gurley. Following the death of his 11-year-old son Willie in 1862, Gurley spent extensive time offering pastoral counsel to Lincoln, emphasizing God’s ultimate sovereignty over human suffering

Gurley’s idea of a “divine will”

Gurley’s sermons frequently touched on the mysterious interplay between human free will and God's overarching purpose. This directly influenced Lincoln's private writings (such as his Meditation on the Divine Will) and led directly to his premise in the Second Inaugural that "The Almighty has His own purposes," which might not align with either the North's or South's desires.

T/F: White observes that the Second Inaugural functions structurally like a classic 19th-century Presbyterian sermon. It begins with a text/indicative statement (the state of the war), shifts to theological analysis (the sin of American slavery and divine judgment), and concludes with an ethical application ("With malice toward none...").

True

T/F: Rather than treating the Civil War as a simple military conflict with a winner and loser, Lincoln adopted the Calvinist/Presbyterian view taught by Smith and Gurley: that God was the primary actor in history, using the war as a divine judgment to purge the entire nation of slavery.

True

Abraham Lincoln

The central figure. White examines Lincoln's internal moral evolution, his personal theological reflections, and his deliberate choices as an orator.

Rev. James Smith

The Old School Presbyterian pastor from Springfield, Illinois, who met Lincoln in 1849 and introduced him to rational Christian theology and divine providence.

Rev. Phineas Densmore Gurley

The pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C., who offered pastoral counsel to Lincoln during the Civil War and influenced his view of God's overarching purpose in human suffering.

Frederick Douglass

The prominent abolitionist leader who attended the inauguration. He lauded the address, noting it sounded "more like a sermon than a state paper".

John Wilkes Booth

The actor and Confederate sympathizer who was present in the crowd during the speech—just 41 days before he assassinated Lincoln.

Andrew Johnson

Lincoln’s newly elected Vice President, who delivered an embarrassing, intoxicated speech just before Lincoln took the stage, providing a stark contrast to Lincoln’s solemn address.

Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase

The Supreme Court Chief Justice who administered the oath of office to Lincoln for his second term.

Alexander Gardner

The famous Civil War photographer who captured iconic photographs of Lincoln delivering the speech on the Capitol steps (shows age).

Mary Todd Lincoln

His wife, who attended the inauguration on March 4, 1865. White discusses her role as First Lady and notes her presence at public events during Lincoln's presidency.

Eddie Lincoln (Edward Baker Lincoln)

His second son, who died at age three in 1849. White highlights Eddie's tragic death as a pivotal moment that led Lincoln to seek spiritual counsel from Rev. James Smith, beginning Lincoln's deep engagement with Presbyterian theology.

Willie Lincoln (William Wallace Lincoln)

His third son, who died of typhoid fever in the White House in 1862 at age 11. White points to Willie's death as another profound personal tragedy that deepened Lincoln's spiritual reflections and brought him into close contact with his pastor, Rev. Phineas Gurley.

Robert Todd Lincoln

His eldest son, who served in the Union Army during the Civil War.

Tad Lincoln (Thomas Lincoln)

His youngest son, who lived with Abraham and Mary in the White House during his presidency.

John Pigeon

A traditional Potawatomi basket maker. He teaches a black ash basketry class. He emphasizes that the process requires intense patience and an innate respect for the wisgaak (black ash) tree.

Hazel Barnett

Kimmerer's elderly neighbor in Kentucky. She introduces herself during a walk and becomes a dear friend. She introduces Kimmerer to the medicinal and historical uses of witch hazel.

Franz Dolp

A visionary Oregon economist and poet. He buys a clear-cut, ruined piece of land in the Oregon Coast Range. He spends the later years of his life painstakingly replanting ancient old-growth trees like Douglas firs and western red cedars to restore the forest floor.

Laurie and Lena

Laurie is Kimmerer’s graduate student who designs a scientific experiment to test sweetgrass health. [Lena is] "an elder who harvests sweetgrass for basketmaking using traditional methods." -- [LitCharts]. Together, they prove that traditional harvesting actually helps the grass flourish.

Tom Porter (Sakokwenionkwas)

Tom Porter ... is the founder and spiritual leader of Kanatsiohareke, a small Mohawk community Kimmerer visits near Fonda, New York.” -- [SuperSummary]. He helps teach the importance of cultural restoration and the Mohawk language.

Lionel

A contemporary Métis nation fur trapper who deeply respects the animals he hunts, serving as a modern example of living within the guidelines of the Honorable Harvest.

Kanatsiohareke

A historic Mohawk homeland location situated near Fonda, New York. It serves as a modern community hub dedicated to reviving Mohawk traditions, language, and ecological stewardship.

Cascade Head

A rugged, windswept basalt headland on the Oregon coast. It serves as the setting where Kimmerer explores the ancient relationship between the coastal ecosystems, the Oregon silverspot butterfly, and controlled fires.

Onondaga Lake

Located near Syracuse, New York, it is the sacred birthplace of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Kimmerer highlights its current tragic state as a severely polluted Industrial Superfund site.

The Tapping of the Maples (Zizibaskewet giizis)

The annual early spring ritual of harvesting sap. Kimmerer and her daughters, Larkin and Linden, engage in the hard labor of boiling sap down into syrup under the "Maple Sugar Moon"

The Salmon Ceremony at Cascade Head

A traditional communal celebration honoring the return of the first salmon to the rivers. It highlights the Indigenous practice of waiting four days before fishing to ensure the species can pass and spawn successfully

The Great Tree Clearing at Franz Dolp’s Property

A slow, intentional event where Franz chooses to thin out crowded alder trees to give light to the struggling, long-term old-growth cedar saplings he planted.

The Carlisle Indian Industrial School

A historical boarding school in Pennsylvania. Kimmerer explores this setting through the history of her grandfather, Asa Wall, who was forcibly sent there as part of a government campaign to strip Indigenous children of their language and identity.

The Adirondack Cranberry Bogs

Remote, acidic peat bogs in northern New York where Kimmerer takes her ecology students to teach them about the Umbilicaria (rock tripe lichen) and the unique survival mechanics of bog plants.

Who is Nanabozho?

In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer describes Nanabozho as being born of the Creator, placed upon Turtle Island, and taught by the Creator to live according to the Original Instructions. He is tasked with naming all the parts of creation that Skywoman had danced into being, but he also learns from the plants and animals about how best to live on Turtle Island. Kimmerer uses the story of Nanabozho’s creation to show how one might become Indigenous to a place by treating the land with respect and walking so that “each step is a greeting to Mother Earth.”

Robin’s dad

Robin’s father (whose name is Robert Wall) appears mostly in Robin’s memories of her own childhood, particularly canoe camping in the Adirondacks during the summer. There he had a tradition of making an offering each morning, pouring some of the first coffee out onto the ground and toasting to a nearby mountain, lake, or river. Only then would he have coffee himself. This ritual plays an important role in shaping Kimmerer’s view of the land as something deserving daily respect and gratitude, and the importance of having a personal relationship with the land itself.

Robin’s mother

Robin’s mother (whose name is Patricia Wall) appears mostly in Robin’s memories of her own childhood, particularly canoe camping in the Adirondacks during the summer. There, Robin’s mother had a tradition of cleaning up their campsite when they left and gathering firewood for whoever might next arrive there. Kimmerer offers little description of her mother, but she is presented as a loving and supportive figure in Robin’s life.

Linden

Linden is Robin’s older daughter, who ends up going to college on the West Coast, and later gets married. Linden is close with her mother and shares her love of gardening and appreciation for the land. Several chapters of Braiding Sweetgrass focus on Kimmerer’s experiences as a mother, but she offers few personal details about her daughters

Larkin

Larkin is Robin’s younger daughter, who now goes to graduate school “studying food systems and working with urban gardeners.” Larkin is close with her mother and shares her love of gardening and appreciation for the land. Several chapters of Braiding Sweetgrass focus on Kimmerer’s experiences as a mother, but she offers few personal details about her daughters.

The Adviser

Kimmerer’s unnamed adviser in college is a negative figure in the book and in Robin’s development. When she first arrives as a freshman and tells him that she is excited to study botany because of her love for plants and the beauty of nature, the adviser is immediately dismissive and insists that she must stick strictly to science. The adviser represents how pure science can be limiting when it is divorced from other kinds of knowledge and experience.

Brad

one of Robin’s students on her five-week field work trip in ethnobotany. He is initially wary of living in the wilderness without technology, but over time he joins the other students in discovering the joy of connecting with the land itself. Brad’s experience illustrates how simply living closely with nature can make anyone learn to appreciate it.

Franz Dolp

Franz Dolp was an economics professor, philanthropist, and poet who moved to the Pacific Northwest and set about planting thousands of trees, attempting to lay the groundwork for a new old-growth forest to replace those that had been lost. Franz’s writings show how patient study and work can repair one’s relationship to the land, as well as help to heal the land itself.