[Unedited] Robin Wall Kimmerer with Krista Tippett

In the '[Unedited] Robin Wall Kimmerer with Krista Tippett' episode of 'On Being with Krista Tippett,' Krista engages in a profound conversation with botanist and Citizen Potawatomi Nation member Robin Wall Kimmerer. The dialogue explores the intersection of Kimmerer's scientific expertise and her indigenous heritage, delving into themes of plant personhood, the grammar of animacy, and the concept of reciprocity with the natural world.

Kimmerer shares her personal journey, beginning with her childhood experiences in the woods, which fostered her deep connection to plants and led her to pursue botany. She contrasts the Western scientific approach to plants, which often treats them as objects, with her own perception of them as living subjects with their own agency and stories. Kimmerer discusses the challenges she faced reconciling these views and how she came to embrace both scientific and indigenous ways of understanding the natural world.

The conversation touches on the idea that language shapes our relationship with the environment. Kimmerer highlights the limitations of the English language, which often refers to living beings as 'it,' suggesting a detachment and lack of recognition of their personhood. She introduces the concept of using 'ki' and 'kin' as alternative pronouns to foster a sense of kinship and respect for non-human entities.

Kimmerer also emphasizes the importance of gratitude and reciprocity in indigenous cultures, particularly through the Potawatomi language and rituals. She describes how these practices can lead to a more sustainable and mutually beneficial relationship with the Earth. The episode examines the transformative potential of integrating these indigenous perspectives into environmental science and education, which Kimmerer actively promotes through her work at the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment.