Medicine Wheel for the Planet: A Journey Toward Personal and Ecological Healing by Dr. Jennifer Grenz
Medicine Wheel for the Planet blends ecological science with Indigenous knowledge systems to explore new ways of thinking about environmental healing. Dr. Jennifer Grenz, a restoration ecologist and a woman of mixed Indigenous and European ancestry, offers a deeply personal and insightful reflection on how healing the Earth is interconnected with healing ourselves.
The book is structured around the Indigenous medicine wheel, an important cultural framework that symbolizes balance and interconnectedness. Each of the four directions—North, East, South, and West—represents a stage in both ecological and personal transformation:
North – Learning from ancestral and cultural wisdom.
East – Gaining clarity and new perspectives about humanity’s role in nature.
South – Applying insights to envision a healthier, more cooperative future.
West – Embracing a relationship-based approach to caring for the land.
Key Themes
Connection to Land: Rather than seeing nature as separate from humans, the book encourages a more relational view—where people are a part of ecosystems, not apart from them.
Integrating Knowledge Systems: Grenz advocates for blending Western science with Indigenous worldviews, not as a rejection of one for the other, but as a way to broaden understanding and improve environmental restoration practices.
Personal and Planetary Healing: The journey toward environmental sustainability is also one of inner reflection, cultural awareness, and mutual respect.