Lesson 20: Braiding Sweetgrass, “People of Corn, People of Light” and “Shkitagen: The People of the Seventh Fire”

Think-Pair-Share

Instruct students to take out their Homework Journals and copies of Braiding Sweetgrass.

In their Lesson 19 Homework, students were instructed to read the “People of Corn, People of Light” and “Shkitagen: The People of the Seventh Fire” chapters in Braiding Sweetgrass (pp. 257–282) and annotate by marking two to three moments where they see examples of prosperity and stability or their absence in human relationships with nature.

Instruct students to engage in a Think-Pair-Share with a partner, discussing the annotations they wrote for homework.

• Say these Directions: Turn to your partner and share one of the annotations you wrote for homework: What moment did you mark where you saw prosperity and stability? What did that moment show about the relationship between people and nature?

  • I marked the Mayan creation story that talks about the people of corn. The people of corn achieved prosperity and stability through respect and gratitude. The story represents the Mayan people’s reciprocal relationship with the earth as we are “joined in an obligate symbiosis” to grow corn (p. 260).

Facilitate a whole-class discussion in which a few partners share their annotations with the larger class.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: Today, we’re going to reread specific excerpts from the “People of Corn, People of Light” and “Shkitagen: The People of the Seventh Fire” chapters of Braiding Sweetgrass and talk about how Kimmerer solidifies her central ideas about human relationships with the earth.

Using Context Clues

Say these Directions: Today, we are going to use context clues to figure out two important words from the text: catastrophes and demise. The words around an unfamiliar word can help us make a strong first guess about its meaning, and then we can verify that guess with a dictionary.

Display the target words.

Target Words: catastrophes, demise

Display the key sentences from the text with the target word highlighted and read each sentence aloud.

• “The gods wished to end this failed experiment in humanity and sent great catastrophes to the world.” (p. 259)

• “The divine beings understood the danger posed by these people made of light and once more arranged for their demise.” (p. 259)

Display or reread the sentence before and/or after each key sentence from the same section of the text so students can use the surrounding context during student exploration.

Say these Directions: Reread the key sentence and the sentence before or after it. As you read, look for words or ideas that hint at what catastrophes and demise might mean.

• Ask: What words or ideas in the first sentence help you figure out the meaning of catastrophes?

  • The clues are “end this failed experiment in humanity” and “sent great catastrophes to the world.” Those words make it sound like catastrophes are terrible events that destroy or damage things.

• Ask: What words or ideas in the second sentence help you figure out the meaning of demise?

  • The clues are “understood the danger posed” and “arranged for their demise.” That makes it sound like demise means the people’s end or death.

• Ask: Based on the context clues, what does catastrophes probably mean?

  • It probably means huge disasters or destructive events.

• Ask: Based on the context clues, what does demise probably mean?

  • It probably means death or an ending.

• Ask: If we replace catastrophes with “terrible disasters,” does the sentence still make sense? Why?

  • Yes, it still makes sense because the sentence says the gods wanted to end the failed experiment, so sending terrible disasters matches that idea.

• Ask: If we replace demise with “death” or “downfall,” does the sentence still make sense? Why?

  • Yes, because the sentence says the divine beings saw danger and arranged for the people’s end, so “death” or “downfall” fits the situation.

Say these Directions: Check your inferred definitions using a dictionary or other reference material. If your definition is a little different, revise it so it matches both the dictionary and the way the word is used in the text.

• Ask: How close was your inferred definition to the verified definition?

  • My definition for catastrophes was close because I wrote “terrible disasters,” and the dictionary said something like a great disaster. My definition for demise was also close because I wrote “an ending or death,” and the dictionary confirmed that meaning.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: Now that we have unpacked words that describe harmful consequences and endings, we can better understand how Kimmerer uses stories and prophecies to show what happens when people either honor or ignore their relationship with the earth.

Part A: Analyzing “People of Corn, People of Light” and “Shkitagen: The People of the Seventh Fire” (RI.8.2, RI.8.3) (15 minutes)

Students revisit key excerpts from the chapters “People of Corn, People of Light” and “Shkitagen: The People of the Seventh Fire” in Braiding Sweetgrass to analyze how Kimmerer develops her central idea.

Transition students into pairs, and display the questions shown below. Explain to students that they will work with a partner to reread specific excerpts from the chapters “People of Corn, People of Light” and “Shkitagen: The People of the Seventh Fire” and discuss their responses to the questions.

Say these Directions: Reread the selected excerpts from the “People of Corn, People of Light” and “Shkitagen: The People of the Seventh Fire” chapters with your partner. As you read, discuss the following questions.

Display the following to indicate the text excerpts students should read.

• Excerpt 1: In the Chapter “People of Corn, People of Light,” reread the sections “People of Corn,” and “Ilbal” (pp. 260–263)

• Excerpt 2: In the chapter “Shkitagen: The People of the Seventh Fire,” reread the paragraph starting on p. 277, that begins “Forbidden to speak their languages, a universe of knowing vanished in a generation,” and ending with the paragraph on p. 281 that ends “Against all odds, they have carried the ember forward, waiting to be breathed into life.”

Circulate through the room as students work, asking pairs to briefly share their answers to the TDQs.

• How does Kimmerer use the Mayan story of the “People of Corn” to suggest how humans should live in relation to the earth?

  • In the Mayan creation story, Kimmerer contrasts the “people of light,” who were powerful but lacked gratitude, with the “people of corn,” who lived with respect and appreciation for the world that sustained them (pp. 259–260). The people of light became dangerous because they “did not know thanks or caring,” while the people of corn were “respectful and grateful for the world that sustained them.” Through this contrast, Kimmerer suggests that humans should live with gratitude and responsibility toward the earth. She reinforces this idea by asking, “Have we already become people of corn? Or are we still people made of wood?” (p. 261), prompting readers to reflect on whether they live in a way that sustains or harms the natural world.

• What does Kimmerer believe about an “ilbal” for the “Western world,” and how does this interpretation further develop a central idea in this excerpt? (p. 263)

  • Kimmerer explains that for the “Western world,” science can function as an ilbal, or a way of seeing and understanding relationships in the world. However, she suggests that science alone is not enough, because while it provides knowledge, it does not always foster care or responsibility. She emphasizes that “science can give us knowing, but caring comes from somewhere else” (p. 263). Kimmerer imagines an ilbal that draws on scientific understanding while also being guided by Indigenous ways of knowing that emphasize respect, reciprocity, and relationship. This develops the central idea that understanding the natural world requires both knowledge and a sense of responsibility and care for the earth.

• How does Kimmerer describe the prophecy of the Seventh Fire, and what happens depending on which path people choose?

  • Kimmerer explains that the prophecy of the Seventh Fire describes the present as a time when people are called to “pick up all that was dropped along the way” (p. 277). The prophecy presents a crossroads with two possible paths: one that leads to restoring a respectful and balanced relationship with the earth, and one that leads to continued harm and destruction (pp. 278–279). It teaches that if people choose the path of humility—listening to the land and relearning what has been lost—they can help restore balance. However, if people continue on a path of disconnection, described as “travelers speed[ing] ahead with engines roaring,” the result will be further damage to the earth and its systems (p. 279). This shows that the future depends on the choices people make and whether they act with responsibility toward the natural world.

Part B: Drawing Connections Between Point of View and Central Ideas (RI.8.2, RI.8.6) (15 minutes)

Transition students from pairs into small groups to discuss the following questions.

Gallery Walk

Provide students with chart paper or a digital board. Instruct student groups to collaborate and determine Kimmerer’s point of view and how her point of view further develops central ideas in the text.

Say these Directions: You will now work with your small groups to determine Kimmerer’s point of view in these excerpts and how her point of view further develops central ideas. Remember that Kimmerer may present several points of view, and that may develop several central ideas.

Provide students with the following sentence frames to help guide their collaborative analysis:

• Kimmerer’s point of view in these chapters is _______. She supports her point of view by explaining ________. This point of view further develops the central idea of ______ by _________.

Provide students with time to collaborate and write their ideas on chart paper or their digital board. After student groups have had time to work, engage students in a gallery walk in which they can view each other’s ideas.

After students have engaged in the gallery walk, ask students the following questions:

• Ask: What are Kimmerer’s points of view in these chapters, and how does her point of view further develop a central idea in the text?

  • One of Kimmerer’s points of view is that people are at a “crossroads” (p. 278), where their choices will shape the future of the earth. She suggests that continuing on a path of disconnection and overuse will lead to further harm, while choosing “wisdom, respect, and reciprocity” (p. 280) can help restore balance. This point of view develops the central idea that humans must live in a responsible and respectful relationship with the natural world. She develops this idea through examples such as the story of the people of corn and the prophecy of the Seventh Fire, which both show that the way people choose to live affects the health of the earth.

  • Another point of view Kimmerer presents is that stories can “give us guidance” and shape how people understand their relationship with the land (pp. 264–265). She emphasizes that language carries responsibility and can be used to express care and reciprocity. This develops the central idea that people can learn from stories, the land, and past teachings to build relationships based on respect and mutual care.

Check for Understanding

Provide students with a confidence continuum (i.e., 1–5). As needed, model how to demonstrate a level of confidence using the continuum.

Quick Write

Instruct students to complete a Quick Write to synthesize their learning for the lesson by responding to the following prompt.

• Say these Directions: What central idea about how people live in relation to the earth does Kimmerer develop in these chapters? In your response:

  • Explain the central idea in your own words

  • Include specific evidence from the excerpts

    • Kimmerer’s central idea is that people must live with gratitude and reciprocity and recognize their symbiotic relationship with the natural world. She shows that when people choose to live this way, they can build a balanced and sustainable relationship with the earth. However, when people ignore these values, their actions can harm the environment, like “warming oceans” (p. 279).

Instruct students to read the “Defeating Windigo" chapter and the Author's Note in Braiding Sweetgrass (pp. 283–293) and take notes in their Journal on the following prompt:

• How does Kimmerer describe how to defeat the Windigo?