Blog #2

In this week's reading of braiding sweetgrass what stuck with me the most was when Andy says “English somehow gives us permission to disrespect nature? By denying everyone else the right to be person“(pg57). The chapter talks alot about how we should be referring to every other living thing as a person rather than a “it’. Kimmerer talks about how when we are younger we refer to plants and animals as people but stop when we are taught otherwise. She creates this mindset that the english language is selfish.

Thinking about myself personally I would always refer to my cat by her name but when it came to other animals I would call them “it”. I do this without recognition. I know a tree for instants is living but because we don't give tee’s genders is why I feel is the reason why we refer to the tree as “it “. In addition for example when a baby is born we have balloons that say “ it’s a boy” or “ its a girl” same idea of not know the gender they get the label of “it”until releveled. This concept is fascinating to me because we never question language we just accept it and play by the rules. English is a popular language and for me the only one I know. Why is it that this real concept of denying life to other living thing never crossed me in my educational life time? We talk about the flaws in other languages what makes english exceptional.

The reading this week made me think a lot about what we are taught vs how we naturally grow. Are we taught certain things for a reason? Maybe for it not to be questioned. In comparison to the creation stories they are told to give answers to the common question for satitfaction. We are taught to know what makes something living or not. Why does it make sense that we refer to them different as humans if we are all living.