Learning from Earth’s First Teachers: Book & Resource Roundup
As the season of harvest and gratitude arrives, we’re invited to pause and look around at the abundance that sustains us, and to remember that this land has always been alive with wisdom. Long before we called this place “home,” Indigenous peoples lived in deep relationship with the earth, learning her rhythms, honoring her gifts, and teaching generations to walk gently as guests upon her soil.
This month’s Tips & Titles celebrates that legacy. Our theme, “Learning from Earth’s First Teachers,” gathers books and resources that remind us how to live with gratitude and reciprocity. These voices offer a powerful shift from ownership to stewardship, from taking to tending. Whether you explore these works on your own, share them around the Thanksgiving table, or read them with the young ones in your life, may they awaken a deeper sense of connection to the land that nourishes us all.
Featured Resources
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
A botanist and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Robin Wall Kimmerer weaves together the wisdom of both science and story to reveal the deep reciprocity between people and the natural world. Through her poetic reflections, we are reminded that every plant, river, and gust of wind is a teacher, offering lessons in generosity, patience, and gratitude. Braiding Sweetgrass invites us to see the earth not as a resource to be used, but as a relationship to be cherished. It’s a book that nourishes both the mind and the spirit, perfect for this season of thankfulness.
Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants adapted by Monique Gray Smith
This beautifully adapted edition opens Kimmerer’s teachings to a new generation, pairing her reflections with vivid artwork and thoughtful prompts for reflection. It encourages young readers to look closely at the world around them and notice the quiet intelligence of nature and to practice gratitude for the gifts that sustain life. Ideal for families, classrooms, or youth groups, this version plants seeds of curiosity, humility, and care for our shared home.
More to Explore
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The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature by David Suzuki
This thoughtful work invites us to remember that we are not separate from the natural world, but we are part of it. Blending science with spiritual insight and Indigenous wisdom, Suzuki explores how air, water, soil, and all living things sustain our very being. Rather than a call to activism, it is a call to reverence: to rediscover balance and gratitude for the elements that make life possible. A wonderful companion for reflection during this season of thanksgiving and renewal.
Podcast: All My Relations
Hosted by Matika Wilbur (Swinomish and Tulalip) and Dr. Adrienne Keene (Cherokee Nation), this award-winning podcast explores what it means to be in relationship — with one another, with community, and with the land.
Episode Highlight: Healing The Land IS Healing Ourselves (Season 2, May 26, 2020)
This episode explores the deep, reciprocal connection between people and the earth. Kim Smith (Diné) reflects on how healing the land is inseparable from healing ourselves, reminding us that we are guests on this earth and that gratitude and care are part of our daily practice.
Note: This is an older episode. The first 4 minutes include references to COVID‑19 that are no longer relevant, so you may wish to skip ahead to 4:00 to hear the heart of the conversation.
Listen to the podcast episode
Disclaimer: Some views expressed on the All My Relations podcast or its affiliated platforms do not reflect the opinions or values of WFWP USA. We share this episode for its educational and cultural insights into Indigenous perspectives on caring for the earth.
Short Video: Gifts of the Land | A Guided Nature Tour with Robin Wall Kimmerer
Join Robin Wall Kimmerer on a gentle guided tour of Clark Reservation State Park in Jamesville, NY, as Spring awakens migrating creatures and the rhythms of the land. Commissioned by The Commons at the University of Kansas, this video complements Dr. Kimmerer’s April 1, 2021 lecture and invites viewers to slow down, notice the gifts of the earth, and reflect on our relationship with the natural world. It’s a brief but deeply inspiring experience, perfect for this season of gratitude and harvest.
Watch on YouTube
We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom (Children’s Book)
Inspired by the Standing Rock movement, this beautifully illustrated picture book empowers young readers to protect the earth’s sacred waters. A perfect read for teaching environmental respect and activism rooted in love.
A Closing Thought
As we give thanks this month, for food, family, and the warmth of home, let us also extend our gratitude to the land beneath us. May these stories and teachings remind us that gratitude is not only a feeling, but a way of living: a promise to care for the earth as she has always cared for us.