We all grow up learning that plants, animals, fungi, and other organisms are living beings, just like us. However, many people still feel a major disconnect. In Western cultures, we are conditioned to see ourselves as above all other life forms, making us think we are separate from nature. Other cultures have known differently for quite some time. It is important that we begin to recognize the value of other beings because our view of them affects how we interact with them.
Nature consists of many individuals, each with their own individual physical and metaphysical attributes. When we begin seeing each individual organism as equals, we increase our empathy for each and every being we come in contact with, embracing the broad range of diverse life forms on this planet. In becoming more empathetic towards others, we also begin to see ourselves as a part of the larger ecosystem, recognizing our interdependence with those around us. Western culture often views humans as “apart from” nature as opposed to the reality of us being “part of” nature, which is a perspective many indigenous cultures hold (Bang, et al., 2017). When we change our views, we change our actions, creating a better world for all. Being aware of the different ways in which we view the world, we must also be aware of the different ways we communicate with other beings. To communicate with beings who don’t speak, we need to tune into other modes of communication.
An easy way to start shifting our perspectives is by changing our language. For example, instead of asking a question like “what plants, animals, and organisms are in this ecosystem?”, we might ask “who lives here?” or “who calls this place home?”. The simple shift in language from “what” to “who” changes the way we think about the being. In English, "what" is used for objects, and the simple switch to "who" allows us to see these beings through a different lens.
Similarly, Robin Wall Kimmerer, a poet and botanist from the Potawatomi tribe, illustrates just how important our language use is. Just by changing the words we use, we change our view of others around us. She writes about how the pronoun “it” robs beings of respect and kinship (Kimmerer, 2015). She suggests that we instead use “ki”, stemming from the word Bemaadiziiaaki, which is the Anishinaabe word for “beings of the living Earth”. Kimmerer goes on to suggest that we use the pronoun “kin” for the plural of “ki”. She ends by saying, “so we can now refer to birds and trees not as things, but as our earthly relatives… Words have power to shape our thoughts and our actions… let our words reaffirm our respect and kinship with the more-than-human world. Let us speak of the beings of Earth as the ‘kin’ they are”.
In order to truly begin transforming our relationships with more-than-human others in our area, we must get to know kin in the same way we get to know our human kin. Here are a few activities you can do with students to get to know more-than-human kin in your schools, parks, and neighborhoods.
Plant Attunement
I learned this practice in Chris Marano’s University of Massachusetts course, Topics in Herbalism. Though I was first introduced to plant attunement in my early twenties, people can begin the practice at any age.
Plant attunement can be done indoors with a houseplant or outdoors with anyone who calls to you. First, you’ll want to set an intention before your practice and come ready with a question to ask kin. In the spirit of reciprocity, it is common practice to bring an offering in exchange, though Chris (2017) says “best of all is to bring the best of yourself, and sincerely extend deep-felt respect and gratitude. And then allow yourself to quiet and become open to possibility”. Many people choose to sit or lay down during their practice - eyes closed or open, using any sense that feels right and even some senses you haven’t felt before. The attunement can be anywhere from a few minutes to hours, just make sure you allow yourself and your students as much time as needed.
Sit Spots
A sit spot can be done just about anywhere, though preferably somewhere outdoors with little human distraction. Students will start by choosing a quiet spot away from other people, where they can return over time to quiet their mind, observe the more-than-human kin around them, and reflect. It can be helpful to have a journal and writing and/or drawing utensils for students to jot down what they’re thinking, wondering about, or draw something they’ve observed. As students return to their sit spots, they will begin to notice the changes in the beings they’ve gotten to know over time.
Perspective Storytelling
This activity allows students to imagine what it might be like to live as a more-than-human kin. The first part of this activity is about getting to know the being they’ll be taking the perspective of. This might take form as a plant attunement, sit spot, or using this template created by Indigenous S.T.E.A.M. Once the students feel ready, they will write or draw a story from that being’s perspective. They might think about what ki needs to survive, how ki are in relation to other beings, or how does ki experience the world. This gives students the chance to put themselves in the (metaphorical) shoes of someone else.
Here are some books that are a great opener to the activity, recommended by my mentor, Dr. Dé:
- Dear Acorn (Love, Oak) written by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
- Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Beckie Prange
- Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Beth Krommes
Meet A Tree
This is an activity that gives students the opportunity to get to know a tree in our community a little better. A pair of students will take turns being blindfolded and are then guided by their partner to a tree, which they get to know by using their other senses, such as touch or smell. After a few moments, their partner will guide them on a short walk away from the tree and spin them around to disorient them. They’ll then remove the blindfold and try to guess which tree they had just met.
These are just a few ways to get to know the more-than-human kin around us. Getting to know kin in the same way we get to know the other humans around us changes not just our thoughts and mindset but also our actions. When we begin to see the value of each individual being, we engage with kin differently, and kin become a part of our living and learning communities.
References:
Bang, M. Brown, B., Calabrese Barton, A., Rosebery, A. and Warren, B. (2017). Toward More Equitable Learning in Science. In, C.V. Schwarz, C. Passmore, and B.J. Reiser (Eds) Helping Students Make Sense of the World using Next Generation Science and Engineering Practices, NSTA Press: Arlington.
Marano, C. (2017, April 21). Plant attunement: How-to instructions. Clearpath Herbals. https://clearpathherbals.com/herbalist-training/plant-attunement-how-to-instructions/
Plant-all-activities-and-overview.pdf. Indigenous S.T.E.A.M. (n.d.). https://indigenoussteam.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Plant-all-activities-and-overview.pdf
Wall Kimmerer, R. (2015, March 30). Nature needs a new pronoun: To stop the age of extinction, let’s start by ditching “it” - yes! magazine solutions journalism. YES! Magazine. https://www.yesmagazine.org/issue/together-earth/2015/03/30/alternative-grammar-a-new-language-of-kinship
We all grow up learning that plants, animals, fungi, and other organisms are living beings, just like us. However, many people still feel a major disconnect. In Western cultures, we are conditioned to see ourselves as above all other life forms, making us think we are separate from nature. Other cultures have known differently for quite some time. It is important that we begin to recognize the value of other beings because our view of them affects how we interact with them.
Nature consists of many individuals, each with their own individual physical and metaphysical attributes. When we begin seeing each individual organism as equals, we increase our empathy for each and every being we come in contact with, embracing the broad range of diverse life forms on this planet. In becoming more empathetic towards others, we also begin to see ourselves as a part of the larger ecosystem, recognizing our interdependence with those around us. Western culture often views humans as “apart from” nature as opposed to the reality of us being “part of” nature, which is a perspective many indigenous cultures hold (Bang, et al., 2017). When we change our views, we change our actions, creating a better world for all. Being aware of the different ways in which we view the world, we must also be aware of the different ways we communicate with other beings. To communicate with beings who don’t speak, we need to tune into other modes of communication.
An easy way to start shifting our perspectives is by changing our language. For example, instead of asking a question like “what plants, animals, and organisms are in this ecosystem?”, we might ask “who lives here?” or “who calls this place home?”. The simple shift in language from “what” to “who” changes the way we think about the being. In English, "what" is used for objects, and the simple switch to "who" allows us to see these beings through a different lens.
Similarly, Robin Wall Kimmerer, a poet and botanist from the Potawatomi tribe, illustrates just how important our language use is. Just by changing the words we use, we change our view of others around us. She writes about how the pronoun “it” robs beings of respect and kinship (Kimmerer, 2015). She suggests that we instead use “ki”, stemming from the word Bemaadiziiaaki, which is the Anishinaabe word for “beings of the living Earth”. Kimmerer goes on to suggest that we use the pronoun “kin” for the plural of “ki”. She ends by saying, “so we can now refer to birds and trees not as things, but as our earthly relatives… Words have power to shape our thoughts and our actions… let our words reaffirm our respect and kinship with the more-than-human world. Let us speak of the beings of Earth as the ‘kin’ they are”.
In order to truly begin transforming our relationships with more-than-human others in our area, we must get to know kin in the same way we get to know our human kin. Here are a few activities you can do with students to get to know more-than-human kin in your schools, parks, and neighborhoods.
Plant Attunement
I learned this practice in Chris Marano’s University of Massachusetts course, Topics in Herbalism. Though I was first introduced to plant attunement in my early twenties, people can begin the practice at any age.
Plant attunement can be done indoors with a houseplant or outdoors with anyone who calls to you. First, you’ll want to set an intention before your practice and come ready with a question to ask kin. In the spirit of reciprocity, it is common practice to bring an offering in exchange, though Chris (2017) says “best of all is to bring the best of yourself, and sincerely extend deep-felt respect and gratitude. And then allow yourself to quiet and become open to possibility”. Many people choose to sit or lay down during their practice - eyes closed or open, using any sense that feels right and even some senses you haven’t felt before. The attunement can be anywhere from a few minutes to hours, just make sure you allow yourself and your students as much time as needed.
Sit Spots
A sit spot can be done just about anywhere, though preferably somewhere outdoors with little human distraction. Students will start by choosing a quiet spot away from other people, where they can return over time to quiet their mind, observe the more-than-human kin around them, and reflect. It can be helpful to have a journal and writing and/or drawing utensils for students to jot down what they’re thinking, wondering about, or draw something they’ve observed. As students return to their sit spots, they will begin to notice the changes in the beings they’ve gotten to know over time.
Perspective Storytelling
This activity allows students to imagine what it might be like to live as a more-than-human kin. The first part of this activity is about getting to know the being they’ll be taking the perspective of. This might take form as a plant attunement, sit spot, or using this template created by Indigenous S.T.E.A.M. Once the students feel ready, they will write or draw a story from that being’s perspective. They might think about what ki needs to survive, how ki are in relation to other beings, or how does ki experience the world. This gives students the chance to put themselves in the (metaphorical) shoes of someone else.
Here are some books that are a great opener to the activity, recommended by my mentor, Dr. Dé:
- Dear Acorn (Love, Oak) written by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
- Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Beckie Prange
- Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Beth Krommes
Meet A Tree
This is an activity that gives students the opportunity to get to know a tree in our community a little better. A pair of students will take turns being blindfolded and are then guided by their partner to a tree, which they get to know by using their other senses, such as touch or smell. After a few moments, their partner will guide them on a short walk away from the tree and spin them around to disorient them. They’ll then remove the blindfold and try to guess which tree they had just met.
These are just a few ways to get to know the more-than-human kin around us. Getting to know kin in the same way we get to know the other humans around us changes not just our thoughts and mindset but also our actions. When we begin to see the value of each individual being, we engage with kin differently, and kin become a part of our living and learning communities.
References:
Bang, M. Brown, B., Calabrese Barton, A., Rosebery, A. and Warren, B. (2017). Toward More Equitable Learning in Science. In, C.V. Schwarz, C. Passmore, and B.J. Reiser (Eds) Helping Students Make Sense of the World using Next Generation Science and Engineering Practices, NSTA Press: Arlington.
Marano, C. (2017, April 21). Plant attunement: How-to instructions. Clearpath Herbals. https://clearpathherbals.com/herbalist-training/plant-attunement-how-to-instructions/
Plant-all-activities-and-overview.pdf. Indigenous S.T.E.A.M. (n.d.). https://indigenoussteam.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Plant-all-activities-and-overview.pdf
Wall Kimmerer, R. (2015, March 30). Nature needs a new pronoun: To stop the age of extinction, let’s start by ditching “it” - yes! magazine solutions journalism. YES! Magazine. https://www.yesmagazine.org/issue/together-earth/2015/03/30/alternative-grammar-a-new-language-of-kinship
