Background
Who is the author?
Robin Wall Kimmerer
What is unity?
Togetherness
What food group are the pecans a part of? (Dairy, Carbs, Protein, Fats etc)
Protein, calls the nuts "A poor mans meat"
What two types of knolwedge does Kimmerer blend in her writing?
Scientific and cultural
What does Kimmerer mean by "All flourishing is mutual"
The trees thrive or starve together, like her people
What indegenous nation/community is the author a part of?
Potowatomi
What is mutual?
Feelings, actions, or interests shared equally by two or more people or groups toward each other
What is mast fruiting?
Mast seeding is the synchronized, massive production of fruits, nuts, and seeds (known as mast) by an entire population of trees at irregular intervals
A story about her grandfather and his brothers collecting pecans for dinner
How does Kimmerer view the land?
With respect, appreciation for the value it brings her family
What is the Trail of Death?
The path the indigenous people took when they were forcibly removed from their homelands at gunpoint
What is synchrounous?
Synchronous means happening, existing, or moving at precisely the same time or speed
What is the predator prey satiation hypothesis in relation to the pecan trees?
A mast years ensures some seeds survive to grow, there are too many nuts for the predators
What is the honorable harvest?
To take what is given, to use it well and responsibly, to be grateful, and to reciprocate the gift
What do the pecans symbolize?
Survival and nutrition
What is the Potowatomi Gathering of Nations?
Where the Potowatomi people come together and reunite to celebrate their culture
What is reciprocity?
Reciprocity is a mutual exchange, cooperation, or give-and-take relationship
Mycorrhizal Network
The network on fungi under the trees that allow them to communicate
What lesson can we learn from the pecan trees?
Unity, Survival as a group rather than as an individual
How did the settlers view the land compared to the indigenous people?
The settlers saw it as a possesion, compared to seeing it as something sacred without ownership
What is the Indian Removal Act?
What is a personal essay?
A form of creative nonfiction using an author's lived experiences to explore a larger topic
Why do pecans have tough shells?
The shells are tough for animals get through to eat, they are likely to be left someone where they can grow into trees
What is the ending of the chapter?
Meeting at the pecan grove for the gathering of nation and remebering her grandpa's story
What is Kimmerer's message?
To respect the Earth, giving as much as we take, to appreciate familial and cultural bonds, to come together during difficult times, sustainability