Lesson 8: Braiding Sweetgrass, “Allegiance to Gratitude”

Have students take out their Homework Journals and copies of Braiding Sweetgrass and turn to the chapter “Allegiance to Gratitude” on p. 83.

• Lesson 7 Homework: Students were instructed to read the chapter “Allegiance to Gratitude” in Braiding Sweetgrass (pp. 83–99) and to annotate by marking two or three moments when Kimmerer connects scientific observation with Indigenous knowledge or traditional teachings.

Quick Write

Instruct students to complete a short Quick Write based on their annotations.

Say these directions: In your homework reading, you marked moments where Kimmerer connects scientific observation with Indigenous knowledge. Choose one of your annotations, and write two or three sentences explaining:

• What ideas is Kimmerer blending

• Why is this connection meaningful

Encourage students to briefly reference the passage they selected.

• One example I marked is when Kimmerer explains that the Thanksgiving Address names each element of the ecosystem and recognizes its role. She describes this as “a lesson in Native science” (p. 89). In this moment, she blends Indigenous teachings about gratitude and respect for the natural world with a scientific understanding of how different parts of an ecosystem depend on one another. This connection matters because it shows that Indigenous knowledge and scientific knowledge can complement each other and deepen our understanding of nature.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: Today, we will examine how Kimmerer describes the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address and how its language, structure, and repeated phrases help express ideas about gratitude, interdependence, and responsibility toward the natural world.

Using Context Clues

• Say: Today, we are going to use context clues to figure out two words from the chapter: oratory and sovereignty. Context clues are the nearby words, sentences, or ideas that help us make a smart guess about a word before we check its meaning. As we read the context surrounding the sentences, pay attention to what is happening, who is involved, and what the author connects the word to.

Display and read aloud the following sentences from the chapter.

Target Sentences

• “All the classes stand together in the atrium, and one grade each week has responsibility for the oratory.” (p. 85)

• “Starting the day with the Thanksgiving Address is a statement of identity and an exercise of sovereignty, both political and cultural.” (p. 88)

Explain to students that to determine the meanings of these two words, we need to read the surrounding context of these sentences. Instruct students to turn to p. 85 in Braiding Sweetgrass to read the paragraph starting, “Here the school week begins and ends not with the Pledge of Allegiance but…” and end at the sentence, “In their own language they say the words they’ve heard nearly every day of their lives.”

Say these directions: Follow along as we reread page 85 to infer the meaning of oratory through the context of what is happening in this part of the text.

• Ask: What is happening in this part of the text? What are the students doing?

  • The students are standing up and are reciting or speaking aloud the Thanksgiving Address, similar to how students might stand when reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

• Ask: What clues in these three paragraphs help you infer the meaning of oratory?

  • The text says all the “classes stand together,” and one grade has responsibility for the oratory each week. That makes it sound like oratory is something students lead or say aloud, like a formal address or speech, especially because one grade has to lead and they “start together” and they glance at their “teacher for prompts.”

Instruct students to turn to p. 88 in Braiding Sweetgrass to read the context surrounding the target word sovereignty. Instruct students to reread the paragraph, “The pledge has no place here.”

Say these Directions: Follow along as we reread the paragraph on page 88 containing the word sovereignty to infer its meaning.

• Ask: Why does the Pledge of Allegiance “have no place here”? What is unique about Onondaga?

  • Onondaga is not technically a part of the United States because it is outside the “jurisdiction” of the U.S. The text says it is a “territory” and is surrounded by the US, but is not governed by the US. Also, the text says the Thanksgiving Address “is a statement of identity” because it represents the Onondaga more than the Pledge of Allegiance does.

• Ask: What clues help you infer the meaning of sovereignty?

  • The phrase “statement of identity” and the words “political and cultural” show that sovereignty is about a people having the right to express who they are and govern themselves. Also, it says that “Onondaga is a sovereign territory” because it is “outside the jurisdiction of the United States,” which leads me to believe that sovereign means to lead yourself or have power over yourself.

Substitute the inferred meaning back into the key sentences.

• Ask: If we replace the word with our meaning, does the sentence still make sense?

Prompt students to confirm their inferred meanings using a dictionary. Have students confirm or revise their inferred meanings as a result.

• Say: Check your inferred definition using a dictionary or other reference material.

Check for Understanding

List the words oratory and sovereignty in your Personal Dictionary. Write your definition of each word.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: We will be thinking about why these words matter as we delve deeper into the Thanksgiving Address.

Part A: Partner Read and Discussion: “Allegiance to Gratitude” (RI.8.4, RI.8.5) (15 minutes)

Transition students into pairs for this part of the lesson.

Turn and Talk

Instruct students to take out their copies of Braiding Sweetgrass. Display the text-dependent questions (TDQs) below.

Explain that students will reread key parts of “Allegiance to Gratitude” and discuss the questions with their partner.

Say these directions: With your partner, focus your rereading on pp. 84–92, where Kimmerer describes the Thanksgiving Address, and pp. 93–95, where she compares it to the Pledge of Allegiance. Skim these sections to locate passages that help answer the questions, and discuss them together.

1. What are the main parts or sections of the Thanksgiving Address that Kimmerer describes? What does each part of the address give thanks for?

2. How does Kimmerer describe the structure and rhythm of the Thanksgiving Address? Find specific language she uses to explain its roots in oral tradition.

3. Kimmerer contrasts the Thanksgiving Address with the Pledge of Allegiance. What differences does she identify in the language, focus, and purpose of each?

4. On p. 99, Kimmerer calls the Thanksgiving Address “a pledge of interdependence.” What does the word interdependence mean in this context, and why does Kimmerer choose this word instead of simply saying connection or relationship?

Encourage students to underline key phrases or repeated language that help answer the questions.

Circulate through the room while students work. Listen to conversations, and ask pairs to briefly explain their ideas. After students have read and discussed with their partners, bring the class back together for a whole-class discussion of the questions.

• Ask: What are the main parts or sections of the Thanksgiving Address that Kimmerer describes? What does each part give thanks for?

  • Kimmerer explains that the Thanksgiving Address gives thanks to different parts of the natural world in sequence. It begins with the earth and then turns to water, fish, plants, food plants such as corn and beans, animals, trees, birds, winds, the sun, the moon, the stars, and finally the Creator. Each section recognizes how that part of the world supports life and expresses gratitude for the role it plays. For example, the address mentions “the edible plants we harvest” to feed ourselves (p. 86).

• Ask: How does Kimmerer describe the structure and rhythm of the Thanksgiving Address? Find specific language she uses to explain its oral tradition roots.

  • Kimmerer explains that the Thanksgiving Address follows a repeated pattern in which each section turns attention to another part of the living world and gives thanks. Many lines begin with phrases such as “We give thanks . . .” or “We turn our thoughts to . . . ,” which creates a steady rhythm with the repetition. After each section, the listeners respond with “Now our minds are one.” This repetition reflects its roots in oral tradition because the rhythm and repeated phrases help listeners remember the words and participate orally together in the ceremony (pp. 90–91).

• Ask: Kimmerer contrasts the Thanksgiving Address with the Pledge of Allegiance. What differences does she identify in the language, focus, and purpose of each?

  • Kimmerer explains that the Pledge of Allegiance focuses on loyalty to a nation and its symbol, “a flag” (p. 94). The Thanksgiving Address, however, focuses on gratitude and responsibility toward the natural world and toward one another. She questions why the Pledge of Allegiance promises loyalty to a flag but does not include promises “to the land” itself. In contrast, the Thanksgiving Address reminds listeners that humans depend on the earth and must show respect and gratitude for everything that sustains life. She further differentiates the two by explaining that in the Thanksgiving Address, she hears “respect toward all our nonhuman relatives,” not just “one political entity” (p. 94).

• Ask: On p. 94, Kimmerer calls the Thanksgiving Address “a pledge of interdependence.” What does the word interdependence mean in this context, and why does Kimmerer choose this word instead of simply saying connection or relationship?

  • Interdependence means that living things depend on each other—not just one depending on another, but both needing each other equally. Kimmerer chooses this word instead of connection because it emphasizes mutual responsibility and “respect.” A connection can be one-sided, but interdependence means both sides need each other. This connects to her argument that “cultures of gratitude must also be cultures of reciprocity” (p. 97).

Part B: Analyzing the Thanksgiving Address in Writing (RI.8.5, W.8.2.a, W.8.2.b, W.8.4) (15 minutes)

Transition students out of their pairs, and explain that they will now write an individual response based on the discussion they just completed.

Say these directions: Work independently to write a response using the prompt below.

• Which repeated phrases and details in “Allegiance to Gratitude” show that giving thanks is not just an emotion but a daily responsibility for living in reciprocity with the earth?

In your response:

• Identify two or three repeated phrases or structural patterns from the Thanksgiving Address (use evidence from your discussions with your partner).

• Explain what each repetition emphasizes or teaches about gratitude as responsibility.

• Use at least one vocabulary word from today’s review.

  • One repeated phrase in the Thanksgiving Address is “Now our minds are one.” This line comes after each section and reminds the listeners that they share a responsibility to think and act together. It emphasizes unity and shows that caring for the world is something the whole community must do collectively. Another pattern is that many sections begin with phrases such as “We give thanks to . . .” or “We turn our thoughts to . . .” These repeated openings show that gratitude is something people practice again and again as they recognize the importance of water, plants, animals, and other parts of the natural world. The address also repeats ideas about gathering minds together and recognizing how everything in nature supports life. This repetition builds consciousness of “interdependence,” reminding listeners that humans depend on the land and on other living beings (p. 94). Together, these repeated phrases show that gratitude is not only a feeling but a way of guiding how people live and make decisions about the earth. Kimmerer suggests that this awareness can shape governance because recognizing our interdependence encourages people to act mindfully and responsibly toward the earth and toward one another.

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

Turn and Talk

Instruct students to turn and talk with a partner about their learning from today’s lesson.

Say these directions: Quickly compare the Pledge of Allegiance and Thanksgiving Address by filling in the blanks in the sentences below with your partner.

Display the following sentence frames.

• The Pledge of Allegiance focuses on ____, while the Thanksgiving Address focuses on ____. This difference matters because ____.

  • The Pledge of Allegiance focuses on loyalty and allegiance to a nation and its flag, while the Thanksgiving Address focuses on gratitude and responsibility toward the land and the living world. This difference matters because the Thanksgiving Address emphasizes that humans are part of an interconnected system and have responsibilities to care for the earth and one another.

Instruct students to complete the following homework for the next lesson.

• Read the chapters “Epiphany in the Beans” and “The Three Sisters” in Braiding Sweetgrass (pp. 103–117) and take notes in their Journal on the following prompt:

  • How does Kimmerer describe the relationship of the Three Sisters?