Cherokee Ethnobotany - Pat Gwin Speaking Inwards Muskogee
Pat Gwin speaking“Cherokee Ethnobiology: Cherokee Native Agricultural Practices as well as Plants”
Nov 20, 9:30 am to 11 Muskogee Garden Club
Kiwanis Senior Center 119 Spaulding AV Muskogee
Information: Susan Asquith 918.682.3688
Nov 20, 9:30 am to 11 Muskogee Garden Club
Kiwanis Senior Center 119 Spaulding AV Muskogee
Information: Susan Asquith 918.682.3688
Cherokee plants as well as their role inward the life of native Cherokee sustainable agricultural practices is a topic that Pat Gwin has spoken on for a decade at diverse conferences, native constitute walks as well as events. Nove twenty he volition percentage that wisdom at Muskogee Garden Club’s monthly meeting.
“Ethnobotany is strictly almost the native plants as well as Ethnobiology includes animals,” said Gwin. “My speak volition live 95% almost plants. Part One of the speak is gardening alongside heirlooms as well as Part Two is almost ethnoforestry which is unremarkably the to a greater extent than pop role of the talk.”
Gwin is the managing director of the Cherokee Nation Seed Bank as well as Native Plant Center at Cherokee Nation Natural Resources inward Tahlequah where he helps coordinate the heirloom seed telephone substitution program. He too helps constitute as well as oversee the Don Guy Memorial Garden on the grounds of the Cherokee Nation complex where they grow heirloom plants inward a display garden.
“One matter that people don’t cry upwards almost is the fact that inward the past times gardening was done to ensure survival inward the wintertime months as well as today most gardeners grow summertime produce,” Gwin said.
Cherokee Ethnobotany refers to the many roles plants bring played inward traditional Cherokee social club every bit food, shelter, weapons as well as medicine. One role of the Natural Resources Department is to increase as well as preserve environmental cognition of Cherokee wild herbs, vegetables, trees as well as fruit.
Gwin pointed out that most people don’t realize the chemical-free nature of livingwith native plants, utilizing them for nutrient as well as growing them for medicine.
“Western medicine has its roots inward medicinal plants,” said Gwin.”Traditional plants played a role inward that.”
A link at the Cherokee Nation website (http://hort.li/1C4n) lists plants as well as animals alongside links to articles almost them. For example, Gray Squirrels are described every bit an historically of import nutrient source, alongside skins used for hats as well as pouches.
The Cherokee Natural Resources Board donated 5 copies of the English linguistic communication version as well as 5 copies of the Cherokee linguistic communication version of their recent mass to live given away every bit doorprizes at the meeting.
Here are approximately examples from the Cherokee Nation’s 2014 book, “Wild Plants of the Cherokee Nation” –
Sweet Everlasting, Gosdudv or Pseudognaphalium obstifolium is a fellow member of the Aster family. The Cherokee advert way ash-like as well as is named that because the flowers as well as stems hold off ashy. Grows 1-2 feet tall inward disturbed, opened upwards areas. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 tea is made of the aerial constitute parts as well as drunkard to forestall or cure colds as well as respiratory ailments.
Rattlesnake Master, Selugwoy, Eryngium yuccifolium, Corn Leaves Weed, Button Snakeroot is a fellow member of the Apiaceae or Parsley constitute family. It is known past times Cherokees every bit a warrior’s constitute every bit good every bit a survival kit. The push of the source is carried every bit protection, consumed for energy, snakebite remedy as well as cancer inhibitor.
It is a perennial constitute that matures at iii feet tall alongside white flowers. Rattlesnake Master thrives inward prairies, wooded areas as well as along roadsides simply has cash inward one's chips rare due to urban clearing as well as spraying.
The Cherokee Nation’s heirloom native seedbank (http://hort.li/1C4k) will opened upwards for requests inward Feb. 201, as well as those who attend today volition uncovering out how to obtain seeds for their gardens. The let out of seed packets distributed each yr has ranged from ane to 5 thousand, depending on the weather condition as well as growing conditions.
The seeds were collected over a 20-year menstruum from traditional Cherokee areas, grown locally, saved as well as grown ane time again to ensure a adept furnish of seeds that are straight descendants of traditional crops. They began giving away seeds inward 2007.
“This was a bumper crop yr for the seedbank,” said Gwin. “We’ll bring enough to share.”
You tin sentry the October, 2013, Oklahoma Gardening segment on the Cherokee Nation’s Don Guy Memorial Garden at http://hort.li/1BT3.