Braiding Sweetgrass Study Circle
The Braiding Sweetgrass study circle was created through an ECU Teaching Fellowship initiative. The fellowship encouraged the ECU community to experiment with alternative and innovative approaches to teaching and learning, especially those that respond to the needs of a diverse student body and a growing social consciousness.
The study circle became a space to read, reflect and imagine together, guided by Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants.
Teachings that Shaped the Circle
Kimmerer, a Potawatomi botanist, writes about Indigenous Anishinaabe worldviews, traditional plant knowledge and reciprocal relationships with our other-than-human relatives. Her work offered participants strategies for creating more sustainable and caring futures.
Each gathering was guided by these teachings but unfolded in a responsive and emergent way. Undergraduate and graduate students, staff, faculty and Indigenous community members came together as equals, sharing perspectives, listening carefully and reflecting on their lived experiences.
Through this process, conversations deepened into critiques of capitalism, colonialism and human exceptionalism. At the same time, participants put forward alternative possibilities for new ways of thinking, doing and making.
A Collective Model of Learning and Care
The study circle exemplified an Indigenous non-hierarchical model of learning. Each participant’s contribution built on the last, creating a dynamic dialogue where understanding grew collectively.
This practice nurtured a community of care, belonging and strength. It showed how learning together can generate not only knowledge, but also solidarity and responsibility. For many, it was a profoundly moving and enriching experience that pointed toward foundations for more just and liberated worlds.
From these conversations, a collection of resources emerged, later compiled by ECU librarian and group participant Hillary Webb.