The Covenant of Reciprocity

Robin Wall Kimmerer shared a beautiful message about plants as persons at the joint Society for Economic Botany and Society of Ethnobiology meeting. I reflect on this concept.

I’m writing this week from the joint conference of the Society for Economic Botany and the Society of Ethnobiology. The conference's theme is “Human and Planetary Health: Everything is Connected.” A deeper appreciation of the human-nature interface has never been more important in a rapidly changing world. I’ve been thrilled to welcome experts speaking on the topics of Phytochemistry, Psychedelics, Traditional Medicine, Ethnopharmacology, Urban Ethnobiology, Community Based Conservation and Land Management, and Agroecology and the Future of Food to the Emory University campus. Throughout the conference, we have been examining the connection between human and planetary health, including sustainability and conservation, ethical engagement with indigenous communities, and the impact of natural products on human health and therapeutic development.

For our opening keynote, Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer was joined by Dr. Pamela Spalding, Dr. Lindsay Burrows, and Dr. Nancy Turner (by video). Here, I offer an introduction to the speakers and reflect on the topics of reciprocity addressed in their presentation.

About the speakers

Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer, New York Times bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants, is our opening keynote speaker. Dr. Kimmerer is a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and SUNY Distinguished Professor of Environmental Biology. She was recently recognized as a McArthur Fellow. Her work and writings on the restoration of ecological communities and restoration of human relationships to the land have been recognized with a John Burroughs Medal and an invitation to address the United Nations general assembly on the topic of healing our relationship with nature.

Dr. Pamela Spalding is an ethnobotanist and ethnoecologist who researches how Indigenous peoples’ relationships with native plants are associated with their laws and governance. She recently completed her doctorate titled: “Unsettling Landscapes: Applications of ethnobotanical research in defining aboriginal rights and re-affirming Indigenous laws in T’sou-ke Territory, Vancouver Island and Beyond.” Previously, she worked for the Government of the NWT as a Cultural Liaison Coordinator and for the Province of BC as a treaty negotiator. She is a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Victoria, where she continues to develop her dissertation research with T’Sou-ke Nation. She teaches ethnoecology and ethnobotany in the UVic School of Environmental Studies and the Indigenous Education Department. She has authored and co-authored several papers on the subject of Indigenous people's relationships to and co-management of native plants and ecosystems within BC.

Dr. Lindsay Borrows is an Assistant Professor at Queen’s University, Faculty of Law, where she teaches special topics in Indigenous law. Previously she worked as a lawyer at the Indigenous Law Research Unit and West Coast Environmental Law (Vancouver, Canada). In both positions, she provided legal support to Indigenous communities and organizations engaged in the revitalization of their own laws for application in contemporary contexts. Her book Otter’s Journey Through Indigenous Language and Law (UBC Press, 2018) explores the connections between language and law. Lindsay is Anishinaabe and a member of the Chippewas of Nawash First Nation in Ontario, Canada. 

Dr. Nancy Turner is a Distinguished Professor Emerita in Environmental Studies, University of Victoria. She is an ethnobotanist who has worked with Indigenous elders and cultural specialists in western Canada for over 50 years, learning about traditional knowledge of plants and environments. She has authored or co-authored/co-edited over 30 books and over 150 book chapters and papers and has received several awards for her work, including the Order of Canada, Order of British Columbia, and a fellowship in the Royal Society of Canada, as well as honorary degrees from four BC universities.

Panel Abstract

Here is the abstract of their collective keynote, provided by Dr. Kimmerer.

Many land-based cultures engage the philosophy and practice of reciprocity with the plant beings who sustain them through honorable harvest, tending, ceremony, language, and law. Respectful recognition of the inherent personhood of plant relatives can be expressed as seeking to create just relationships between plants and people. The covenant of reciprocity can be envisioned as a practice of inter-species justice. Co-creation of justice with the land has been profoundly disrupted by the legacies of colonialism. Human-caused climate change elevates the importance of recognizing and renewing this covenant of reciprocity. This talk explores how we might collectively expand our imagination of how ethnobiologists can advance ideas of justice for land, particularly in the face of the climate crisis.

My Reflections

This lecture gave me a lot to think about. Many people connect with animals and are sensitive to how animals are treated, but not many consider plants similarly. And yet, some plants can live thousands of years, experiencing the world at a scale we can scarcely fathom. I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to walk in the woods with Robin the day after this panel, where we spoke about how human and planetary health are interconnected. Here are some nuggets of wisdom I gleaned from the keynote panel and this conversation in the woods. 

Interspecies justice is important

Indigenous environmental philosophies often recognize that the well-being of nature and people depends on the continuous expression of reciprocity between the two. Many indigenous stories touch on these themes of a strong relationship between humans and nature, in which gifts are frequently exchanged. Humans hold the responsibility to reciprocate all of the gifts received from nature.

The question: Is the human relationship with nature reciprocal or exploitive?

Based on the current rates of biodiversity loss, degradation of our soils, environmental pollution, and many other issues arising from climate change, humans are exploiting, rather than partnering, with nature.

Plants as persons 

Walking with Robin, we shared stories about some of the plants we encountered. We spoke of the importance of elderberry in both European and Native American traditions, both as a source of food and medicine. In southern Italy, some communities recognize the elderberry tree as a godfather and recite a prayer promising not to cut it down and use it as firewood. This is an intriguing concept: plants as people. Robin and I both greeted plants by name as we encountered them. I’ve long felt a special connection with plants but hadn’t ever explicitly considered how they fit in the order of life.

While many indigenous philosophies integrate plants with people (recognized as relatives or kin), the Western mindset has instead placed humans on the top of the pyramid with dominion over all other creatures below. This model reinforces the exploitation of other species while returning very little in trade for their many gifts.

If plants and other creatures were recognized as our kin, their gifts appreciated, we could restore and support planetary and human health. Inter-species justice would be within our reach.

The Takeaway

Everything is connected. A covenant of reciprocity between humans and nature is the only way to ensure we can achieve human and planetary health.

Yours in health, Dr. Quave

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Cassandra L. Quave, Ph.D. is a scientist, author, speaker, podcast host, wife, mother, explorer, and professor at Emory University School of Medicine. She teaches college courses and leads a group of research scientists studying medicinal plants to find new life-saving drugs from nature. She hosts the Foodie Pharmacology podcast and writes the Nature’s Pharmacy newsletter to share the science behind natural medicines. To support her effort, consider a paid or founding subscription, with founding members receiving an autographed 1st edition hardcover copy of her book, The Plant Hunter.