A healing scent
By Travis Coleman, Journal staff writer | Posted: Sunday, September 09, 2007
Edith Casaday smells a braid of sweetgrass at the First Nations Center in Sioux City on Thursday. (Photo by Tim Hynds)
The scent from a batch of traditional American Indian plants brings one word to Edith Casaday's mind -- medicine.
"Boy, that smells good," said Casaday, who sells sweet grass, sage, cedar, bear root and bitter root at the First Nations Community Center in Sioux City.
"I want it here for the people who need it," she said.
Although she admits she is no plant expert, Casaday is bringing these plants to the people, as are those at Little Priest Tribal College in Winnebago, Neb. For those who can't gather or grow their own, Casaday provides a local stop to get traditional plants and herbs. In some cases, residents wanted to use them for religious purposes. Other times, they were used to help ease a worrisome mind or aching head.
Casaday sells the plants at prices ranging from $5 to $10. Plants and herbs can also be bought online at Websites like Allnative.com, which is based out of Winnebago. That's where Casaday purchases her supply.
Ethnobotany effort
On the Winnebago Indian Reservation, Little Priest officials are hoping to boost the use of traditional plants through an ethnobotany project that looks at how Winnebago tribal members use or eat the plants today and in the past. For example, herbs like bitter root are used to treat a sore throat while others are pain relievers.
"We got interested in what people are still using," said Natalie Davis, project director. "We feel it's something that's important to the culture of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska."
People want and are still using these plants, said Davis, of Rosalie, Neb. To that aim, Davis and other group members grow plants and then give them away to tribal members. They also seek to help tribal members grow the plants in their gardens.
Little Priest science department Chairman Al Martyn has teamed with four Little Priest students, including Davis, for the project funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The endeavor began in 2006 and the college soon joined students and staff from three Kansas universities to identify at least 157 plants used by the tribe, according to the group's abstract for the Society of Economic Botany.
They found 96 of those were used for medicine, 54 for food, 19 for fiber and eight for dye plants. The staff has located about half of the plants documented by the tribe. They're also interviewing tribal elders to expand their knowledge on more commonly used plants. This fall, students will begin planting with additional crops being sowed next spring in their as-yet-erected hoop house, or greenhouse.
This leads to selected plants being given to tribal members to promote the heritage of the Winnebago people and to expand the variety of plants they use in their lives, according to the abstract.
During her research, Davis was told how to best prepare milkweed to eat. The plant grows along the road and is known to be toxic, Davis said. With the help from Winnebago residents, though, she found it's best to pluck and use the plant while it's still green, before the petals show some color. The end result is a mild taste with a nice flavor.
"I'm going to have it again this spring," Davis said.
Nothing like this has ever been done before at Little Priest and the group has received some criticism from community members who say these plants were meant to be gathered, not gardened, Davis said.
In some cases, though, plants are found on the side of roads and don't have a good place to grow, Davis said. The group wants to be able to put these plants in places where they can thrive. They're set to run out of grant funds in May 2008, but want to keep the project going to continue their research for the community.
"We don't want to stop. We'd really like to keep talking to people. As time goes by and word gets around, two years isn't really long enough for people to get comfortable with us," Davis said.
"Boy, that smells good," said Casaday, who sells sweet grass, sage, cedar, bear root and bitter root at the First Nations Community Center in Sioux City.
"I want it here for the people who need it," she said.
Although she admits she is no plant expert, Casaday is bringing these plants to the people, as are those at Little Priest Tribal College in Winnebago, Neb. For those who can't gather or grow their own, Casaday provides a local stop to get traditional plants and herbs. In some cases, residents wanted to use them for religious purposes. Other times, they were used to help ease a worrisome mind or aching head.
Casaday sells the plants at prices ranging from $5 to $10. Plants and herbs can also be bought online at Websites like Allnative.com, which is based out of Winnebago. That's where Casaday purchases her supply.
Ethnobotany effort
On the Winnebago Indian Reservation, Little Priest officials are hoping to boost the use of traditional plants through an ethnobotany project that looks at how Winnebago tribal members use or eat the plants today and in the past. For example, herbs like bitter root are used to treat a sore throat while others are pain relievers.
"We got interested in what people are still using," said Natalie Davis, project director. "We feel it's something that's important to the culture of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska."
People want and are still using these plants, said Davis, of Rosalie, Neb. To that aim, Davis and other group members grow plants and then give them away to tribal members. They also seek to help tribal members grow the plants in their gardens.
Little Priest science department Chairman Al Martyn has teamed with four Little Priest students, including Davis, for the project funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The endeavor began in 2006 and the college soon joined students and staff from three Kansas universities to identify at least 157 plants used by the tribe, according to the group's abstract for the Society of Economic Botany.
They found 96 of those were used for medicine, 54 for food, 19 for fiber and eight for dye plants. The staff has located about half of the plants documented by the tribe. They're also interviewing tribal elders to expand their knowledge on more commonly used plants. This fall, students will begin planting with additional crops being sowed next spring in their as-yet-erected hoop house, or greenhouse.
This leads to selected plants being given to tribal members to promote the heritage of the Winnebago people and to expand the variety of plants they use in their lives, according to the abstract.
During her research, Davis was told how to best prepare milkweed to eat. The plant grows along the road and is known to be toxic, Davis said. With the help from Winnebago residents, though, she found it's best to pluck and use the plant while it's still green, before the petals show some color. The end result is a mild taste with a nice flavor.
"I'm going to have it again this spring," Davis said.
Nothing like this has ever been done before at Little Priest and the group has received some criticism from community members who say these plants were meant to be gathered, not gardened, Davis said.
In some cases, though, plants are found on the side of roads and don't have a good place to grow, Davis said. The group wants to be able to put these plants in places where they can thrive. They're set to run out of grant funds in May 2008, but want to keep the project going to continue their research for the community.
"We don't want to stop. We'd really like to keep talking to people. As time goes by and word gets around, two years isn't really long enough for people to get comfortable with us," Davis said.
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missprintt wrote on Sep 9, 2007 6:29 PM: