‘Weaving together different ways of knowing’
Sweetgrass is seen as a connector due to its cultural significance for many Indigenous Peoples. supplied
Hierochloe, the Latin name for sweetgrass, literally translates as sacred (hieros) and grass (chloe), reflecting the species’ cultural significance for the many Indigenous Peoples on whose traditional territories it once grew in abundance.
Used for smudging, among other things, sweetgrass retains its fragrance long after being cut and is often braided. For Laura S. Lynes, president and CEO of the Resilience Institute, the braid symbolizes “the weaving together of different ways of knowing, including Indigenous and local knowledge and science and technology” to gain much-needed strength in the face of a changing climate.
“The challenges we face with climate change and biodiversity loss are beyond any one way of knowing to solve,” she says. “It is critical to life on Earth that we start looking at these issues in an interconnected way – and that’s what we can learn when we work with Indigenous Peoples and other partners in small and rural communities.”
It’s the goal of the Resilience Institute, a national charity based in Canada, to not only tap into this knowledge but “create pathways where it can influence actions and decision-making,” says Ms. Lynes, who regards the collaborative Sweetgrass project as a “shining example that we’re on the right path.”
A long-standing relationship between the Resilience Institute and the Piikani Nation, which was established to strengthen the community’s resilience to climate change, provided fertile ground for the project. When the loss of traditional plants and food insecurity were identified as key concerns, this inspired the creation of a transdisciplinary team of local Piikani knowledge holders and scientists.
The team and the work were given the name “sūṗii.ṗo’omaaksin” (meaning “in the spirit of planting seeds”) by Elder William Big Bull, who also said, “There are tobacco, mint and sweetgrass, but I think we need to start with sweetgrass. As a culturally significant plant not just in southern Alberta but to many Indigenous Peoples around the world, it is a connector.”
Ms. Lynes sees sweetgrass as a powerful connector – “that is really about reconciliation and healthy landscapes” – because in addition to its cultural significance, it can help enhance resilience in grasslands and mitigate the impacts of climate change by increasing biodiversity and sequestering carbon.
The Sweetgrass project was chosen as one of only a few recipients across Canada, the U.S. and Mexico for a Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) EJ4 grant, which Ms. Lynes regards “as a big deal since the competition was very tough.”
She also sees interest from partners like Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and communities like Pincher Creek as a welcome shift. “Many of these traditional plants haven’t been researched since colonialization. While we’ve long known about their cultural significance, now they’re being considered as potential climate solutions,” explains Ms. Lynes.
“When we see the powerful impact that comes from bringing together Indigenous, local and scientific knowledge – and working together to build local capacity and improve resilience to climate change – this inspires us to scale up our efforts.”
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