I want my children to know our Indigenous plants used as medicine

At a time when doctors are trying to catch up on plants as nutritional medicine, my dad’s people have been using medicines since time immemorial. My father’s ancestors looked after these medicines. His elders are reluctant to share knowledge. They feel the newcomers have no idea how to care for all things sacred in the earth. Are you willing to prove them wrong? If so, here are some tips on how tocare for the natural world. 
Whether it is a hot spring, plants, cedar bark, or any other natural resource, keep these in mind while out enjoying our natural grocery/pharmaceutical stores: 
1. take ONLY what you need

2. tread lightly as to not disturb the flora/fauna underfoot

3. leave vehicles out — they bring in seeds of weeds/invasive plants — travel by foot, or horse

4. learn the life cycle of the plants so as not to over harvest or take before they have had a chance to seed

5. learn how to collect seeds, so you can harvest the seeds to take home. Not only will this prevent over harvest, in my opinion, but also help to save the species

6. If you are not sure how to harvest or protect the species, best to leave it alone for those that do

7. Don’t harvest to sell if the species is rare. This leads to over harvesting and puts the species at risk. Forage for personal use instead.

8. Local governments (inc. band councils) can penalize people caught selling species at risk. The heavier the penalty, the better.

I want to be able to continue to take my children out to dig roots, gather medicines and eat delicious, ripe berries off the bush. Following these steps hasn’t always been easy for me personally. I broke them many times myself. But I am older, more considerate to those coming behind me and anxiously aware of the rate of extinction of species on this planet.

My children may not decide for themselves to continue to go out to the mountains for gathering and foraging but I can say that if I keep taking them, they will at least know what is out there for us all. We are given these gifts adn it’s up to us to care for them. Once they are gone we can no longer get it back. So, let’s not mess it up.

Each weekend on the mountain is one less weekend in the mall; less money spent on materials that cannot dissapear. One day they may discover an effective way to rid the oceans and soils of our material garbage but for now, the only thing disappearing faster than my mom’s butter tarts are our medicines.

The memories you created in childhood can be revived by simply returning year after year to the land. In the beginning, if you are like me, you may feel out of sorts, in-equipped or even uninterested. But, as time goes by and visits increase your comfort and familiarity return.

This weekend, leave the comforts of the town parks, walkways and streets and head into the mountain with as little gear as you can. See what you discover, learn to love and decide to help protect. Knowledge is meant to be shared the feeling of discovery can be overshadowed by fear of others “finding out” your foraging area. Trust there is enough to go around — teach one, reach one — and the good knowledge of foraging for medicines may one day soon become common practice once again.