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Sweetgrass

Sweetgrass

A modern story of traditional Indigenous knowledge that follows a young boy and his Auntie as they gather and braid sweetgrass, one of the four sacred medicines.
 
It''s early July, and for Matthew and his Auntie that means one thing: time to go sweetgrass picking. This year, Matthew''s younger cousin Warren is coming along, and it will be his first time visiting the shoreline where the sweetgrass grows.
With Auntie''s traditional Mi''kmaw knowledge and Matthew''s gentle guidance, Warren learns about the many uses for sweetgrass—as traditional medicine, a sacred offering, a smudging ingredient—and the importance of not picking more than he needs. Once the trio is back at Auntie''s house, she shows the boys how to clean and braid the grass.
From the duo behind the bestsellers The Gathering and The Sharing Circle, this heartfelt story about the gifts we receive from Mother Earth and how to gather them respectfully offers thoughtful insight into a treasured Mi''kmaw tradition.
Sweetgrass grows in wet meadows, low prairies, and the edges of sloughs and marshes . It grows from Labrador to Alaska, south to New Jersey, Indiana, Iowa, New Mexico, and Arizona. Widely used by North American indigenous peoples from many different Nations, it is also considered one of the "four sacred medicines" by many Plains Indians.

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average rating is 4.5 out of 5, based on 2 votes, book lovers sharing their thoughts

100 % would recommend

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Hidayah Al-Kanz

Location:

Atlantic Canada

average rating is 4 out of 5

Time Published

A Sweet Picture Book

This picture book follows Matthew and his Auntie as they take cousin Warren on his first trip to collect sweetgrass, a traditional Mi’kmaw medicine and valued smudging ingredient. Along the way, Warren, as well as readers, learn about the many uses of sweetgrass, how to braid sweetgrass, and how to pick it respectfully. This modern story of a traditional Indigenous practice highlights important knowledge and offers thoughtful insight into a sacred Indigenous tradition.

This children’s book was engaging and explains the process of respectfully picking sweetgrass in a clever way. It is a wonderful way to teach children about this important Indigenous tradition. As an aspiring accomplice, I found that I also learned more through this book. This culturally-rich book centers around connection: connecting to family as well as connecting to the earth. I always love reading about sacred medicine offerings and the level of respect given to mother earth. This book did a great job of showcasing these practices in ways that children will be able to understand.

The illustrations in this book are gorgeous. The book’s gentle yet educational tone is beautifully complemented by the artwork and colours. Each page included relevant pictures and some even included references to Indigenous traditions that weren’t clearly mentioned in this book. For example, in one illustration, I was glad to notice Medicine Wheel colours incorporated; I hope to continue my learning journey and to be able to find more hidden gems of knowledge. I appreciated the blurb included at the end about Sweetgrass and the other sacred medicines: cedar, sage, and ceremonial tobacco. It also stated locations where Sweetgrass can be found and other information.

I believe that anyone can learn from and enjoy this read. I recommend this picture book to those looking for a short, heartfelt, and informative read.

I recommend this book.

Wild Willie

Location:

Nova Scotia

average rating is 5 out of 5

Time Published

SweetGrass

Hello everyone, this is my first review with Digitally Lit! Today I’m reviewing Sweetgrass by Theresa Meuse. I really enjoyed this book as I really liked the writing style of Theresa Meuse, her style is different than ones I’m used to but I found it really interesting and appealing. Another thing I really liked about this book was the art! It was done by a lady named Jessica Jerome and it was really well done! The story its self was about Matthew, his younger cousin Warren, and his Auntie. All three of them (Matthew, Warren, and Auntie) go out to pick sweetgrass in July. Auntie’s Indigenous traditional knowledge along with Matthew’s gentle guidance helps Warren learn about the uses of Sweetgrass. This book also taught me about the gifts we receive from Mother Earth and how to respect Mother Earth more! In trade for the sweetgrass Matthew, Warren, and Auntie leave cedar, sage, a little bit of sweet grass, and ceremonial tobacco. This book could give you a general knowledge of how to pick sweetgrass as it gives you tips! I rate this book 10/10 otherwise known as 5/5 stars! I would recommend it for ages 7 to 13/14 years old. This book was published by Nimbus Publishing as part of the Indigenous Knowledge Series and I’m super thankful I received this book from them!



I recommend this book.