By ROBIN STANTON GERROW
BG Independent News
The need to turn words into action was the catalyst behind the In The Round series at Bowling Green State University.
Faculty members Heidi Nees-Carver of the Department of Theatre and Film, and Jenn Stucker of the School of Art, were part of the creation of the land acknowledgment statement faculty across campus could use. But after that was done, it seemed it should be followed up with something more substantial.
“It’s one thing to say we acknowledge this land, but what more can we do,” Stucker said. “We honestly believe that the words should be put into action.”
“A statement in and of itself can only do so much,” Nees-Carver said. “The concern about action is one that is part of national conversations about land acknowledgements.”
In The Round launches its fourth season of events and lectures featuring Native American artists tonight (9/16), with a year-long examination of the Robin Wall Kimmerer book, “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants.”
“There is an arts coalition on campus representing creative writing, music, theater, film, dance, art and design,” Stucker said. “So, we reached out to academic units to find out who the notable people in those areas are, as well as community members. The name that kept coming up was Robin Wall Kimmerer. There’s already an excitement about her coming in the spring.”
The 2023 book by Kimmerer, professor and director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment at State University of New York in Syracuse, has been on the New York Times Bestseller List for 102 weeks. As a botanist and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she weaves together the scientific and traditional knowledge of plants and animals in a collection of short essays.
Leading up to Kimmerer’s lectures in March 2026, there will be a series of Community Reads gatherings led by BGSU faculty members at locations throughout Wood County.
“Each of the Community Reads sessions focuses on a particular essay in the book,” Nees-Carver said. “It’s more manageable for people who may want to participate but haven’t had a chance to read the entire book. We think “Braiding Sweetgrass” is a book that can teach us as a community a lot about our home, about where we live, how to care for it and how to care for each other.
“We wanted to not have just her discussions but also use it as a chance to build additional partnerships in the community and offer programming we can all participate in together to explore her teachings and think about how we apply them here,” she continued.
Tonight’s (9/16) Community Reads gathering features Kimmerer’s essay, “Skywoman Falling.” Tim Murnen, professor in the BGSU School of Inclusive Teacher Education, will introduce the essay at 6 p.m. in the Wood County District Public Library.
In addition to the Community Reads discussions, there will be “Outdoor Gathering Experiences” with hikes, artmaking and gardening, and “In the Roots: Ohio’s Native Plants,” an informational exhibit on the BGSU campus. A full list of activities and events can be found at In The Round.
