Subject: Women's Berry Plants; Katsi Cook, Mohawk JoAnn Guest

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Women's Berry Plants; Katsi Cook, Mohawk JoAnn Guest May 03, 2005

21:05 PDT

 

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ld-berries.womens-

 

 

From Volume One, No. IV of INDIGENOUS WOMEN; the official publication of the

Indigenous Women's Network. [see End of Article]

 

Using the Berry Plants for Women's Nutrition and Medicine

by Katsi Cook, Mohawk

 

" The wild strawberry is the first berry food to appear in the

spring and this sacred plant is gathered at that time and eaten as

a blood purifier... "

 

Wildberries remind us of our childhood. Indeed, they are a

special gift of Creation to the children and to women. Over

250 species or berries and fruits--strawberry, red raspberry,

currant, elderberry, juniper berry, cranberry, bearberry, to name a

few - in Native America are gathered and utilized for their

nutritional and medicinal value. Berries are delicious when eaten

raw, crushed and mixed with water and maple syrup or honey for

drinks; mixed with soups, bread, puddings and meats, and dried for

winter storage. The berries, leaves and roots can be collected and

used together or separately and drunk as a medicine tea. Among the

Haudenosaunee (Six Nations Iroquois), the wild strawberry is

regarded as the " leader " of the berries. It is the first berry food

to appear in the spring and this sacred plant is gathered at that

time and eaten as a blood purifier. The iron and minerals in the

berries and leaves of the wild strawberry make this favorite berry

plant a valuable blood remedy. Elderberries, red raspberry and

tender sumacberry sprouts are also used for their alterative, or

blood-building, properties.

Wild berries are extremely rich in vitamin C. Vitamin C is a

water-soluble nutrient which detoxifies the body, promotes healing,

strengthens connective tissue, helps to absorb iron, and cooperates

with the B complex in maintaining the endocrine system. A severe

deficiency of Vitamin C leads to scurvy, a disease that was common

in Europe at one time and which was attributed then to " bad air. "

Native peoples of Turtle Island had already recognized the dietary

basis of the disease and they knew how to prevent and cure it with

a variety of medicines from natural sources. Cranberries are

antiscorbutic, meaning that they are effective in preventing and

treating scurvy. They can be used alone or in combination with

other berries like sumacberry and other natural sources high in

vitamin C like the fresh, new tips of evergreens.

Berries are also of great benefit to the urinary tract. They

act as diuretics (promotes the flow of urine) and they acidify the

urine to create a hostile environment for bacteria. Cranberry and

bearberry have long been used in the treatment of cystitis (urinary

bladder infection).

Berries also have astringent properties, meaning that they

cause contraction of tissue and they arrest bleeding and discharge.

In this capacity, they are proven remedies for diarrhea and

leukorrhea.

Blackberry root, in combination with wild strawberry leaves has

long been known as an effective remedy of diarrhea. Blackberry root

has also been used as a treatment for dysentery, a disease

characterized by extreme diarrhea and passage of mucus, blood, pus

and fluid.

Kneeling upon soft mosses or standing at a bramble of thorny

harvest; their quick fingers dancing across bushes heavy with their

succulent fruit, our grandmothers gathered berries of many colors

with joy and grateful recognition. They used the berry plant as a

woman's medicine throughout their reproductive years for a variety

of purposes. Some berry plants help to stimulate and promote normal

menstrual function, others help to ease childbearing and

childbirth; still others alleviate menopausal symptoms or are useful

in the treatment of gynecologic complaints.

Still today, Indian woman and children prize the various wild

berries that grow in our territories and we will travel long

distances and make camp and harvest those berries which aren't

quite as near to home. We join our elders in their lament that

gravel pits and concrete are causing the berry and other plants to

" turn their faces from the people and disappear. "

Using the berry plants for both nutrition and medicine is one

way that traditionally-minded woman can continue to keep their

strength and health within the cycles of the creation. Begin by

using those berries you were familiar with as a child, and seek the

guidance of someone who is knowledgeable about the berries in your

area to find the safest and most effective way to use them. If you

are on your moon, or still bleeding from childbirth, do not gather

the berries or any other plants. Have your grandmother, midwife or

someone else you trust do it for you. If you are pregnant, there

are some berry plants you shouldn't use, like elderberry roots.

Although its okay to eat the cooked berries, the roots contain a

toxic principle. Remember, too that although berry plants have much

nutritional value, they are only meant to supplement and enhance a

well-balanced diet. Like anything else, don't overdo it. More does

not mean better.

Above all, as whenever you harvest the Creation's gift, give

thanks and acknowledgement to the Creator and to the plant, and

return something to the Earth so that her cycles may continue.

 

 

BERRIES FOR WOMEN'S NUTRITION AND MEDICINE

WILD STRAWBERRY: noon tak tek hah kwa

growing where the ground is burned

 

 

Springtime is traditionally a time of cleansing the body from

impurities which accumulate in the system over the relative

inactivity of winter. Just as every menstrual cycle includes the

purification of the woman through her menses, it is also important

that she cleanse her body in harmony with the earth's cycles

through fasting or the use of bioactive plants.

 

The whole strawberry plant; berries, leaves and roots - can be

used as they appear in your area in the spring for purposes of

cleansing the system. Both a blood purifier and blood builder, the

wild strawberry is a laxative, diuretic and astringent. The leaves

and berries are rich in iron and contain the minerals magnesium,

potassium and sodium.

 

It is a teaching of many native peoples that during

menstruation and pregnancy the woman's body becomes highly toxic.

At menses and childbirth, it is important for a woman to rest. She

may also observe dietary restrictions such as not eating meat or

salt. Wild strawberry leaves and berries can be used alone or in

combination with other medicines to cleanse the woman's body during

her moon time and following childbirth.

 

Also, if you eat too many strawberries during pregnancy, the

old women say, your baby will be born with a strawberry mark!

 

 

RED RASPBERRY: oo na joo kwa

 

Of all the berries, this is among the most useful for women

throughout the reproductive years. The berries and leaves are rich

in iron and they also contain minerals-phosphorus, potassium,

magnesium- which help build the blood by carrying iron from stores

in the liver, spleen, and bone marrow to needy tissues, the

reproductive organs in particular. In pregnancy, tea made from the

leaves is good for nausea. Its action on the uterus assists

contractions and checks hemorrhage during labor and delivery. After

delivery, it strengthens and cleanses the system and enriches the

mother's milk supply. Raspberry leaf tea helps stimulate and

promote normal menstrual function.

Steep 1 tablespoon fresh or dried leaves to one cup boiled

water, or 1 cut leaf to 1 quart boiled water for at least 5

minutes. Drink liberally throughout pregnancy, lactation and the

menstrual cycle. Raspberry leaves can be mixed with other berry

plants or with mint or honey to improve the taste and medicinal

action.

The lukewarm tea in combination with slippery elm can be used

as a douche for leukorrhea (whitish discharge) of vaginitis or

menopause.

 

PARTRIDGEBERRY: noon kie oo nah yeah

noisy foot

 

This berry was not generally used for food by humans, but was

used by the women as an excellent tonic for the female reproductive

area. Partridgeberry is a uniquely native american plant. It was

called " Squawvine " by colonists who saw Indian women using it, and

it continues to be called that by people who don't know the meaning

of the derogatory word " squaw. "

An in fusion, or tea, of the entire plant is used several weeks

before childbirth (do not use during the 1st or 2nd trimesters),

and can be used after delivery during breastfeeding. It is a female

regulator and tonic and can be used for all uterine complaints.

Partridgeberry contains resin, mucilage, dextrin and saponin in

birthing medicine, but it cannot be used liberally and must be

prepared only by a knowledgeable person. Partridgeberry salve for

sore or cracked nipples:

 

1. Cover 1 ounce whole plant with 1 pint oil (wheatgerm or olive

oil)

2. Bake at 350 degrees for 2-4 hours.

3. Remove plant parts from oil.

4. Melt beeswax in the remaining oil and plant mixture and mix.

5. Put in container and allow to cool.

 

It should be a creamy ointment. If it is too stiff, heat again and

add oil; if it is too thin, reheat and add beeswax.

 

 

JUNIPER BERRY: Gad

 

The Navajo name is given for this evergreen shrub because it is

widely used in the southwest mountain areas as a stimulant and

emetic. The needles are boiled and used for diarrhea and as a

postpartum stimulant. Juniper berries can be dried and used for tea

which has a laxative effect. Traditional Navajos use juniper

as an emetic (causes vomiting) to purify the system of both adults

and newborns. For adults, they say to put the leaves in warm water

when you get up in the morning, before you have breakfast. Then go

and run, and when you return, drink the liquid. It will make you

throw up and purify your body.

Curly Mustache, a Navajo medicine man, in his account of the

First Navajo Birth in Ruth Roessel's book " Women in Navajo

Society " , tells of the instructions given by the Holy people to the

Dine in childbearing. In the traditional way, a newborn baby is

given the juice of the inner white skin of the juniper bark.

Usually, a woman goes out and peels the bark off the juniper trees.

The white inside bark is peeled off and put into warm water until

it turns reddish. A teaspoon of this juice is given to the baby to

drink. This makes the child vomit the mucus and birthwaters it may

have swallowed and cleanses its insides. (N.B. I mention this

information for ethnographic purposes only.)

Matilda Coxe Stevenson, a sensitive female anthropologist who

attended several births among the Zuni in the late 1800's, reports

that juniper twigs and berries were steeped in boiled water by the

Zuni and drunk by the expectant mother as a tea throughout labor

and delivery and afterwards to relax her system and cleanse the

uterus. She mentions, too, that the People believed that if they

drank the tea in the earlier stages of pregnancy, the child would

be very dark.

The Recommended Daily Allowance of vitamin C during pregnancy

and breastfeeding is 80-100 mg. This daily dietary requirement is

necessary for the formation of strong cell walls and blood vessels,

and it is therefore essential to the growth of the fetus and the

placenta.

Mohawk people would prepare a tea high in vitamin C for

pregnant mothers which included white pine, cranberry and sumac

branch bark.

During pregnancy or oral contraceptive use, a woman faces

increased susceptibility to urinary tract infection because of

rising blood levels of a reproductive hormone called progesterone.

Progesterone causes smooth muscle tissues, such as the bladder, to

relax. It also causes the ureters, the ducts leading from the

kidneys to the bladder to dilate. This action, in addition to the

pressure of the growing uterus during pregnancy on the ureters

and urinary bladder, may cause the bladder to become distended. The

resulting increased volume of urine makes the urinary tract more

hospitable to bacteria. It is important to drink lots of liquid to

dilute the urine to keep the urinary system flushed out. Cranberry

juice, best taken without sugar, contains hipuric acid which

inhibits the growth of bacteria.

Cranberry leaves can be made into a tea and taken postpartum to

help prevent uterine infection in situations where the woman may

seem at greater risk, such as cases of premature rupture of

membranes.

Etcetera: an extract of the bark of Blackberry roots and wild

strawberry leaves make a fine treatment for umbilical cord cure.

 

 

" Well, when I grew up, things were different. In my time there was

a lot of berries, a lot of game, fish, everything. But now

everything is gone - the roots, the berries. That is what I see:

they don't grow no more. The reason why is when they are ripe,

nobody prays when they grab the berries to put 'em in their mouth;

they just go in there and eat off the bushes. It's the same with

the roots. The old timers believed they had to pray for everything

before they tasted it. But now, they don't believe in anything

anymore...now you believe in the other way, you don't believe in

our Indian ways. " - Agnes Vanderberg, 81 year old Flathead Elder

 

 

 

Indigenous Women is an official publication of the Indigenous

Women's Network, a continental and pacific network of women who

are actively involved in work in their communities. IWN emerged

from a gathering of around 200 Indigenous women Yelm, Washington

in 1985. Women came from the Americas and the Pacific to tell

their stories, present testimony as to conditions, and to look for

strategies and alternatives to make a better future for our

families and communities. We discussed the issues of political

prisoners, land rights, environmental degradation, domestic

violence, health problems and other concerns which are pressing in

our community. We learned from each other and we found courage in

the experience. We wanted to continue tis work.

Four years later, the Indigenous Women's Network was formally

organized by a group of women who were committed keeping up the

links between women working in their communities, and finding a

way to strengthen that work. Our philosophy is to " work within the

framework of the vision of our elders, " and through this process,

to rebuild our families, communities, and nations. This publication

is one part of that process.

The Indigenous Women's Network is a membership organization

comprised of Indigenous women (voting members) and others who are

interested (supporting members). Membership dues are $15 annually

for voting members and $25 for supporting members which can be an

organization or individual. Both receive periodic updates and our

publication which is intended to appear at least two times a year.

Membership information can be obtained at:

Indigenous Women's Network

P.O. Box 174

Lake Elmo, MN 55042

612-777-3629

 

Indigenous women are invited and encouraged to submit articles,

poetry and artwork/graphics within the visions of this magazine.

Please do not send originals and include stamped, self-addressed

return packaging for your items if you wish them returned.

 

Contributers to Volume I, Number IV include:

 

Katsi Cook, O. Seumptewa, Victoria Manyarrows, Cate Gilles, R.

Bancroft, Mark Dowie, Debra Lynn White Plume, Sarah Lyons, Kay

Miller, Dr. Melanie McCoy, Mililani Trask, Nora Naranjo-Morse,

Buffy St. Marie, Allison Weiss, Ruth White, and Erika Zavaleta

 

~+*~+*~+*~+*~+~+*~+*~+*~+*~+~+*~+*~+*~+*~+~+*~+*~+*~+*~+~+*~+*~+*~+*+

" When we walk upon Mother Earth, we always plant our feet carefully

because we know the faces of our future generations are looking

up at us from beneath the ground. We never forget them. "

-Oren Lyons, Onondaga Nation

*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+*~+~*

+ Alpha Institute + Tel: 303-343-4114

alp- + P.O. Box 110998

+ Aurora CO 80042 + Fax: 303-360-9118

_________________

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

DietaryTi-

www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Genes

 

 

 

 

AIM Barleygreen

" Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

 

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