2023-2024 Common Read - Braiding Sweetgrass: The Sacred and the Superfund

Aboriginal: being the first or earliest known of its kind present in a region (MW)

Accretion: the process of growth or enlargement by a gradual buildup (MW)

Acquiesce: to accept, comply, or submit tacitly or passively (MW)

Arboretum: a place where trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants are cultivated for scientific and educational purposes (MW)

Brine: water saturated or strongly impregnated with common salt (MW)

Contravention (Controvene): to oppose in argument (MW)

Corrosive (Corrode): to eat away by degrees as if by gnawing (MW)

Degradation (Degrade): to impair in respect to some physical property (MW)

Directive: serving or intended to guide, govern, or influence (MW)

Deluged: Overwhelm, swamp (MW)

Demise: a cessation of existence or activity (MW)

Feasible: capable of being done or carried out (MW)

Incremental (Increment): the amount or degree by which something changes (MW)

Intrepid:  characterized by resolute fearlessness, fortitude, and endurance (MW)

Inverse: opposite in order, nature, or effect (MW)

Leachate: a solution or product obtained by leaching (MW)

Lineage: a group of individuals tracing descent from a common ancestor (MW)

Manifold: marked by diversity or variety (MW)

Matrilineal: relating to, based on, or tracing descent through the maternal line (MW)

Matrix: material in which something is enclosed or embedded (MW)

Nascent: Coming or having recently come into existence (MW)

Opaque: blocking the passage of radiant energy and especially light  (MW)

Paradigm: a philosophical or theoretical framework of any kind (MW)

Profaned:to treat (something sacred) with abuse, irreverence, or contempt (MW)

Proliferation: to increase in number (MW)

Reparations: the act of making amends, offering expiation, or giving satisfaction for a wrong or injury (MW)

Salinity: consisting of or containing salt (MW)

Sovereign: enjoying autonomy (MW)

Stanchion: an upright bar, post, or support (MW)

Subsistence: a source or means of obtaining the necessities of life (MW)

Tableau: a graphic description or representation (MW)

Tableaux: Plural of tableau (MW)

Topographic (Topography): the physical or natural features of an object or entity and their structural relationships (MW)

Transpire:  to give off vaporous material (MW)

Turbidity: thick or opaque with or as if with roiled sediment (MW)

Vitriol: bitterly harsh or caustic language or criticism (MW)