A Healer Named Linwood
Hello, this is Anna. Yesterday evening, a man named Linwood came to the lodge. He teaches ethnobotany at the local college, and has spent his whole life tracing the roots of his people, the Cheyenne. After dinner, we all sat around the table and Linwood talked about his experiences in Alaska, told stories from his childhood, as well as from various Cheyenne legends. Then he took out his plant press, which was filled with different flowers and herbs with medicinal purposes. Some have roots that numb your mouth when chewed, some are used as dyes, and some can be used to make strong cord. He also told us about how, in tracing the roots of the Cheyenne people, he looked at the Bible, and saw many similarities in the stories. In addition, he has found many ties between Mongolian culture and the Cheyenne culture, such as the significance of the number five, blue cloth symbolizing the heavens, and the Mongolian spot that many Cheyenne children are born with. I have a lot of interest in plants as well as their purposes, so to hear about all of the different ways that plants can be used was a really cool experience that I will definitely remember as one of my favorite moments of the trip.
