Now, I’m going to share the story of a wise rebel named Robin Wall Kimmerer. Robin is very important to me, because she is a scientist and teacher who celebrates all of nature. Robin is also an author and storyteller, and I’m so grateful she chose to write about me.

You see, I am one of those blades of grass swaying in the breeze. My roots stretch into the damp soil. My body reaches up to the sky. And my flowers bloom in delicate clusters, small and white.

Many people call me Sweetgrass, because I carry a sweet fragrance with me, wherever I go – it’s a mix of vanilla, evergreen, salt and earth. Some scientists call me by my Latin name, Hierochloe odorata <HIRE-cuh-LOW OH-dur-RAT-tah>, which means fragrant holy grass.

But my favorite name — the one Robin calls me — is Wiingaashk <WING-ushk>, which means the hair of our precious Mother Earth. Wiingaashk is a word used by Ojibwe <oh-GEEB-way> people, and Robin is a proud member of the Citizen Potawatomi <pah·tuh·wah·tuh·mee> Nation. Robin’s ancestors lived in North America long before it was ever called Canada or the United States. It was a wide open space full of lush fields and flowers, lakes and rivers. Robin’s ancestors appreciated the creatures of the Earth and told stories about the wisdom of us plants.

Robin was happiest when she was chasing frogs, climbing trees, or picking wild strawberries, plump and sweet. And every time she did, she thanked Mother Earth for her gifts. This was very important to Robin — to honor the wonders of Nature and show gratitude for every living thing, especially the magic of us plants.

Robin dreamed of becoming a botanist, which is a type of  scientist who studies plants. She also wanted to learn more about her ancestors and how they cared for the Earth. So she studied the Potawatomi <pah·tuh·wah·tuh·mee> language, and some of the stories that had been passed down. The more she learned about her history, the more she felt like something was missing from her lessons at school…

You see, some scientists learn about the Earth. But Robin’s ancestors learned from the Earth. They listened and watched carefully to discover all its mysteries. Robin wanted to combine these two ways of thinking…to weave together all the lessons of our past, our present, and our future…

This was a few years later, when Robin was starting college. She thought about her professor’s question for a moment — why was she here exactly?

Well, she wanted to learn things about plants that no one had been able to explain – like, why certain flowers bloom so beautifully together. She was mesmerized by the deep purple asters and bright yellow goldenrod growing side by side in the fields.

Robin’s teacher said maybe she should go to art school, since that question had very little to do with science. But Robin wasn’t so sure…

So she researched Asters and Goldenrod, and she learned something fascinating. Purple and Yellow are complementary colors, so when they are set side by side, they each make the other brighter – not just to the human eye, but to the eyes of bees. That means, bees will fly to a patch of purple and yellow flowers growing together more often than to a patch that’s just purple, or just yellow. And when there are more bees, there’s more pollen, and when there’s more pollen, there’s more chances for new flowers to grow!

The plants knew something that scientists had overlooked – that purple and yellow aren’t just nice to look at. These blooms grow together to help themselves survive and thrive.

Pretty brilliant, right?

Robin was so excited to explore this knowledge further. Her elders had already taught her that us plants are very wise beings. But now she had proof. Just because plants don’t speak the same language as humans, doesn’t mean we can’t communicate and share our wisdom with the world.

And Robin was ready to listen. But was it already too late?

Now, lots of people harvest our Sweetgrass and use it for wonderful things. Robin’s ancestors have been harvesting my blades for centuries. They pull me from the ground, taking only what they need, never more than half, and leaving a gift to the Earth in return. They use Wiingaashk <WING-ushk> to weave into braids and baskets. They also dry the grass in bundles, and light them on fire, waving my vanilla smoke into the air so it wafts toward the sky during holy ceremonies and prayers.

Some scientists claimed that Sweetgrass was being overharvested and that’s why we were dying out. While some people said we were being harvested the wrong way.

What if we listen to what the plants have to say? suggested Robin.

By this point, she’d finished school and was a scientist and teacher herself. She was determined to incorporate the lessons of her Indigenous ancestors into her work. So she and some of her students put together an experiment to see how they could save the Wiingaashk <WING-ushk> population.

The idea was simple enough: they visited some of the remaining fields of Sweetgrass and marked them into sections. In one section, they would harvest us slowly, one strand at a time. In another section, they’d harvest us in chunks, pulling us up, roots and all. In both of the harvests they would never take more than half – just as Robin’s ancestors had taught. And, because some scientists claimed I was being overharvested, in other sections, they would leave me alone, entirely.

For two years, Robin and her team practiced these methods, monitoring our fields and taking notes. For two years, Robin studied our leaves and talked to her elders. For two years, we grew, and fell, and grew again….until the answer was calm and clear: All we need is love.

Robin’s ancestors knew all along — humans have a gift that they can give us plants – love. You can’t ignore those that you love. You must tend to them, and show them you care.

Robin shows me she cares by listening to and learning from us plants. She also passes on our wisdom by writing and telling stories about the beauty, strength and intelligence of each and every being. She shares the words of her ancestors in the books she writes, the speeches she gives, and the classes she teaches. She reminds people that they can read and study bits of the Earth under a microscope, but none of that compares to spending time outdoors, paying attention to all that Nature has to give.

I hope one day soon, you and I get to meet in person. You might smell my sweet vanilla scent before seeing me. Or hear my stalks whispering in the breeze. When you do find me, I invite you to pull a few of my strands, and weave them together in a braid, just like Robin weaves together the knowledge of her people, with her knowledge of Science, and the Wisdom of our Great Mother Earth.

And remember Rebels, it doesn’t matter how you choose to love and respect this amazing planet, it only matters that you do.