ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I owe a debt of gratitude for the lap of my Sitka Spruce grandma,
the shelter of White Willow, the Balsam Fir beneath my sleeping
bag, and that patch of Blueberry in Katherine’s Bay. For the White
Pine that sings me to sleep, and the one that woke me up, for the
Goldthread tea, for June Strawberries and the Bird on the Wing
Orchids, to the Maples that frame my door, for the last Raspberries
of fall and the first Leeks of spring, for Cattail, Paper Birch, Spruce
root who care for me body and soul and Black Ash who holds my
thoughts, for Daffodils and dewy Violets and for Goldenrod and
Asters who still leave me breathless.
For the best people I know: my parents Robert Wasay ankwat
and Patricia Wawaskonesen Wall, who have given me lifelong love
and encouragement, who carried the spark and fanned the flames,
and my daughters Larkin Lee Kimmerer and Linden Lee Lane, for
the inspiration of their beings and for their gracious permission to
weave their stories into mine. There are not thanks enough for the
love with which I have been showered, in which all things are
possible. Megwech kine gego.
I have been blessed with the guidance of wise and generous
teachers who have contributed much to these stories, whether they
know it or not. I say Chi Megwech to those to whom I have been
listening and learning through their teachings and their lived