Lessons from Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer’s The Serviceberry
This week we are offering a reflection on The Serviceberry, courtesy of Karen Moore, our Food Sovereignty Director!
The serviceberry tree, with its early white blossoms and sweet purple fruit, has long been cherished by Indigenous peoples across North America. Known for ripening in early summer, the berries were often among the first fresh foods available after a long winter, making them a symbol of renewal and survival.
While the serviceberry (also called Juneberry or Saskatoon berry) does not have as strong a place in Lakota stories as the beloved chokecherry, it holds a similar role as a food that nourishes both body and spirit. Both the chokecherry and serviceberry remind us of the deep connections between people, place, and food—a theme that continues to guide our work today.
Without further ado, here’s Karen!
As I’m sure my fellow foragers can attest, we all have those spots that we check throughout the year. Some are frequently visited by others, or they may still be a secret and only you know how to get there.
I have a few harvest spots that I check throughout the seasons and have managed to explore a little further each year, exercising and strengthening the foraging skills taught to me by others. Each season I am able to learn more about how our plant relatives continue to support us through the best and the worst of times.
It’s already been a year since Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer announced her third book, “The Serviceberry” and it could not have been released at a better time. If you look around our world, from the local to international level, it’s easy to see that there are forces larger than you and me at work, upsetting what we’ve come to accept as societal norms. This current upheaval only adds to the stress and trauma experienced by the millions of people who have been removed from their ancestral homes.
However, instead of focusing on the negative, Dr. Wall Kimmerer brings our attention to the abundance of the natural world. She reminds us that all living beings in the world have a responsibility to care for each other and live in a reciprocal way.
In Lakota, we say “Mitakuye oyasin” which conveys the idea that we are all related. But who and what does that “all” cover? Does it mean your immediate inner circle of friends and relatives? Do we just say it to bless those in our community?
What about when things aren’t going your way and the Universe is working against you — do you still say it (and mean it)? Or do you use it to provide comfort in hard times, knowing that you’re surrounded by relatives who want to support you?
For us — and for Dr. Wall Kimmerer — “Mitakuye oyasin” doesn’t just apply to our family, or our community, or even the human race. It means that we are related to the rocks, the wind, the rain, and all living creatures. Because of that, we are never truly alone, and we have a responsibility to care for each other: two-legged, four-legged, winged, plant, water, air, the list really goes on.
In “Serviceberry,” Dr. Wall Kimmerer writes that there are plenty of natural resources to care for all living beings in the world, but we should treat them in a respectful way, so they continue to be around for us. She refers to this as the “Honorable Harvest,” which are instructions that have been passed down from generation to generation. The following list can be found in both “Serviceberry” and this article.
Know the ways of the ones who take care of you, so that you can take care of them.
Introduce yourself. Be accountable as the one who comes asking for a life.
Ask permission before taking. Abide by the answer.
This and the one above were the ones that I felt the most awkward about. I still remember standing with some stinging nettles once and asking if they were interested in helping me share their medical and culinary properties to others I would be teaching. This patch shared the most beautiful leaves with me, not yellowed or eaten up by bugs. My group and I made the most delicious pesto with these leaves.
Never take the first one. Never take the last.
Take only what you need.
Take only that which is given.
Never take more than half. Leave some for others.
Harvest in a way that minimizes harm.
This is repeated every summer: don’t pull the sage out by the root! Cut it so that it grows back.
Use it respectfully. Never waste what you have taken.
Share.
A personal rule I have for myself is that I never sell medicines I harvest or make, I will trade you for something. One example is that some friends and I made a huge batch of kimchi last month and a friend of theirs asked how much they would sell it for. I suggested instead of selling it, their friend provide the jar to put a smaller serving of our kimchi in there.
Give thanks for what you have been given.
Again, something that can feel awkward at first. I will hold some tobacco or cansasa (red willow bark) and say thank you to the plant after I ask for permission.
Give a gift in reciprocity for what you have taken.
Leave some tobacco or cansasa, if it’s a hot day- water the plant you harvested from, or pick up trash that may be in the area you’re in.
Sustain the ones who sustain you and the Earth will last forever.
I encourage you all to take the time and get used to the awkwardness you may experience while practicing a more honorable way of harvesting. Our current society is focused on having our own personal abundance and not sharing with others. Living by the practice of an Honorable Harvest is a great way to stay present for our relatives as we continue to navigate a changing world.
Kimchi from a recent demonstration led by the author, Karen Moore, and stinging nettle pesto! (Who knew?!?)
