Body:

 

March 7, 2007

Weekly Reflections #7:  Sweet Breathing of Plants

The Sweet Breathing of Plants was a good companion book for this course.  It was also complimentary to the other class I took this quarter – Strong Women – in which we were looking at information that challenged the known.  I felt that Healing Gardens also did the same.

“As Christina Larner observes in “Enemies of God”, the moral and ethical crux of the persecutions was that “witch hunting is woman hunting or at least it is the hunting of women who do not fulfill the male view of how women ought to conduct themselves”. (page 107 – Sweet Breathing of Plants)

Having a book that was written by women is an important asset to any class but I appreciated that it was included in our course work.  It has been difficult as a woman to always be learning from men (books written and published by men). I believe that women bring a fresh perspective to our learning process in a way that is different from our male counterparts.  There needs to be balance.

The chapter that was most important to me out of this book this quarter was Fate of the Wise Women.  It gave voice to the other terrible acts that plague our history that are generally ignored by mainstream American culture.  These women referred to as “witches” were healers, care takers, midwives, medicine women.  They were important in the health care of many, yet since women were not allowed to learn medicine they were looked at as “witches” who received their information from the devil.  Who is the devil anyway and why should I fear “him”? 

I feel the church has done women such a disservice over the course of history – changing our place in the world to that which is substandard and unvalued.  Although mainstream America has made many strides in the advancement of women, it still has not reconciled these great atrocities that have taken place throughout history.  The women who were persecuted will not be forgotten in my family – I will make them known, give them voice, and teach my children of their remarkable skill and healing “power”. 

 

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February 28, 2007

Weekly Reflections #6: “Keeping it Living”: Conclusions

The reading from this book has been an eye opener as to why and how mainstream American history has portrayed the First Peoples as wandering hunter-gatherer culture. It is good to read a different perspective that has changed the way I perceive and understand the culture – to know that there was indeed a major disconnect in how they were described.

Mostly what struck me so deeply about this reading is that it so clearly points out the injustices that First People’s faced in the early days of the settlers and beyond. I am saddened by information that confirms what I have long suspected on my own – how can other countries come to a place they don’t know and assume that the people living here were mindless wanderers? Then to devastate and nearly destroy the original inhabitants who cared for the land in such a beautiful and harmonious way.

I am encouraged by reading this book and putting together connections that help understand my questions. Although the answers are hard to hear they are important to hear. It has changed the way I view the country in which I live. I hunger for the knowledge that has been such an important part of the First People’s way of life.

The beautiful complexity in which they interacted and managed the land is something that we can all learn from – sustainable living. To be able to interact with nature and receive what you need to survive and thrive without leaving tracks is a difficult task these days but it has been a way of life for others throughout history.

Knowing these bits of important information regarding the traditional use of plants for food, medicine, and other resources has changed the way I feel about the land. I don’t feel as though it is mine (and I don’t need it to be). I do not wish to lay claim to it but instead I wish to interact with it and care for it.

I look forward to studying more, learning more, and putting what I learn into action – even if the action is learning how to stop, look, listen, and “be”.

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Weekly Reflections #5: “Keeping it Living”: Chapter 2

Low-level Food Production and the Northwest Coast by Bruce Smith

The Northwest coast peoples have been considered by researchers for many years to be hunter-gatherer societies, meaning they rely on wild plants and animals for food. However, they also compare to agricultural groups as well. This is because they stay in one central location for most of the year in Longhouses and other permanent living structures. These societies also accumulated material goods and have complex sociopolitical organizations.

These societies invested labor and time tending and caring for plants by weeding, transplanting, improving the soil, and expanding the habitat areas. This “tending” also gave rise to the establishment of family owned plots of root crops. When the Europeans came to the Pacific Northwest, they didn’t recognize this form of agriculture and therefore assumed that they were strictly hunter-gatherers. The more complex societal organizations were overlooked.

Northwest coast peoples are not only hunter-gatherers but fall somewhere in between that and agriculturalists. This middle-ground is the basis for a debate among researchers about how these peoples lived and the terms that define their way of life. Researchers over the last 100 years have categorized these societies as either hunter-gatherers or agriculturists, although many of these communities fall somewhere in the middle. Many of these researchers also widely believe that once a society has crossed the line into agriculture that there is no turning back and that the transition between the two is rapid. They also agree however, that many of these societies fall somewhere in the broad middle-ground. Some societies use hunter-gatherer techniques as well as agriculturists who rely a bit on domesticates as well.

In trying to define these societies there is a set of terminology to choose from that doesn’t quite fit the people. The definition and terms are broad and sometimes confusing to interpret in relation to these societies. Some of the major terms used are husbandry, cultivation, gardening, and horticulture.

In the 1980’s the term husbandry (the cultivation and production of crops and animals) declined in use after it was disputed for being too narrow and general of a description, cutting cultures off from their natural environment. The researcher, Harris, has expanded his definition of cultivation from “promoting or improving the growth of a plant by labor and attention, preparing and tilling the land in order to raise crops, and working the earth around growing plants to loosen the soil and destroy weeds” (p. 55) to include hunting-gathering, domestication, then agriculture, combining land clearance and soil preparation with “various forms of human encouragement of plants” (p. 56). Gardening and horticulture also have general and varied definitions. The author believes the term “food production” is a better fit. It implies that humans have some control over their own food supply.

Northwest Coast peoples in their management of root crops are an example of a low-level food production society that involves “behavioral/cultural/non-morphilogical domesticates” (page 66). They seem to be in constant transition between hunting-gathering and agriculture, making them a unique population according to some researchers.

Response

I find the Northwest Coast peoples to be masters at manipulating their environments to suit their needs in a sustainable manner. The “middle-ground” is what makes these societies complex. When compared to our current day corporate agricultural process it is hard to understand why this way is considered among many to be advanced. These societies maintain balance in their practices.

The terms defined and discussed in this chapter had so many variations that they almost lose their meaning and value. It seems these terms were created from a European point-of-view and so lacks a needed deeper understanding of these societies. I feel these terms devalue the amount of knowledge that these societies possess regarding their interactions with the natural world.

They are useful terms but seem to become less effective when using them to describe a whole culture or society because something gets left out or overlooked.

Connections to the Longhouse Garden: Mixed Forest C

The reading from this chapter helped me to understand why it is so important to create signage that highlights the complex systems including the seasonal activities around plants such as planting, harvesting, and uses by native peoples of this region using accurate information.

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Weekly Reflections #4

I have attempted to look at winter in a different light this year. Most years I am quite depressed and anxious in the winter, but I thought I would approach this season with a different mindset. I am looking at winter as a time of rest, healing, and planning for the upcoming planting season. These activities keep me from dwelling on the dark, cloudy, rainy, cold days.

Watching the Longhouse garden and my own garden at home has shown me that there is still activity even when it is cold and dark. The evergreen trees stand tall in the landscape, taking center stage among the woody shrubs and deciduous trees that are bare and dormant this time of year. The birds still sing and fly about looking for food along with the gaggle of squirrels that inhabit my yard. They are the busy gatherers.

My time journaling has been frustrating instead of calming like I had hoped. A time to be with nature and observe, maybe enticing my children to draw with me. In reality this has not been able to happen. I find it difficult to stay focused during the short periods of time I have to myself. I’m lucky if the baby takes an hour nap twice a day and then I’m up a couple times a night for feeding – needless to say, I am tired by the end of the day and have little energy for anything other than a shower and some much needed food. In between I need to help my daughter with her tasks (she doesn’t always ask her step-dad).

At this point it isn’t very deep or fulfilling to journal because I feel rushed, hungry, tired, anxious. I haven’t been able to engage in journaling uninterrupted. In order for me to engage with my journaling more something has to be sacrificed. I’m not sure what that would be.

 

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Weekly Reflections #3

During the last couple of weeks I have been getting to know the plants at the Longhouse garden site and comparing that habitat to others I have visited in the area (Priest Point Park, Woodard Bay, and private property owned by my father-in-law). Observing the natural systems at work – it seems so effortless, one activity naturally flowing into the next. Journaling has provided an avenue for quiet time that helps facilitate connection with nature. I’ve also learned that some plants look very much alike until they flower – an example of this was Bleeding Heart and Herb Robert.

Valerian was the herb that I chose (or maybe it chose me) to study. It is a relaxing and sleep herb. I’ve used it several times, usually at night before bed, to help me relax and fall asleep. It is a very powerful yet gentle herb. I feel all of my muscles relax, sometimes all at once. This feels heavenly after carrying baby for extended periods of time. I find that the anxiety that is usually present before bed is non-existent when I use the tincture.

The basket I am weaving, in regards to all that I have learned so far (in and outside of class), is one that encompasses all that is part of the natural system of nature. Over time and with each new discovery a layer or stand is added that will help me understand how they function as a whole. If I can follow the natural cues of nature, I can interact more efficiently and effectively with any site I choose to be active in.

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Weekly Reflections #2

Discuss your understanding of relationships between natural systems and cultural systems in the Northwest, but add into the mix your new understanding of the roles you might play as an agent of healing.

It is my understanding that the cultural systems generally follow the natural systems when dealing with harvesting resources such as food, medicine, building materials, tools, etc. While reading the assigned material, I saw repeatedly that in order to follow the natural systems effectively and efficiently one must be a good listener and spend time with the plant community that you will be harvesting in – asking the plants for permission and their blessing when harvesting. This is especially true for food and medicinal harvests. Using the holistic approach, which includes the mind, body, and spirit, to interact with your environment is a good way to connect with the land and all that interacts with it.

Supplying and focusing on community (not supplying large corporations) helps to maintain a sense of balance and intimate connection with the land that sustains you. Paying attention to the seasons to see what is available during each part of the year and utilizing it accordingly facilitates healthy interactions with nature. The cycles of life such as the full moon, new moon, solstices, equinoxes, sunrises, sunsets, and even women’s moon cycles can all be incorporated into co-creating, modifying the landscape, and harvesting.

“Being with plants, taking care of them, rubbing up against them while weeding or mulching – simply experiencing them – can be an incredible, life-changing encounter” (The Herbalist’s Way p. 50).

Plant list (see attached table)

List two or three ideas you’ve gained through this weeks readings that you could apply to your Longhouse Garden project work.

Plan activities in the garden that coincide with the life cycles – full moon, new moon, solstices, equinoxes, sunrises, sunsets, and even during the woman’s moon cycle.

Think about how these can influence the garden space – co-creating and modifying.

Plants mentioned in reading that I can identify:

Common Name	Scientific Name	Life Form	Comments
Chamomile		Herbaceous	I love this plant – it smells so calming and sweet.
Dandelion	Taraxacum officinale	Herbaceous	I discovered the uses of this plant a couple of years ago. I have a new found respect for this plant – it is no longer a nuisance.
Echinacea	Echinacea purpurea	Herbaceous	I have planted this is my flower garden – one from seed and the other a transplant.
Feverfew	Tanacetum parthenium	Herbaceous	This is also growing in my garden – it is abundant and spreads easily.
Garlic			Haven’t had very good luck growing in my garden.
Yarrow	Achillea millefolium	Herbaceous	I have plenty of this growing in my flower garden and other various places in my yard. It spreads easily.
Valerian	Valerian officinalis	Herbaceous	I have one plant growing in my herb bed. It is a beautiful plant – but stinky.

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Weekly Reflections #1

Compare the descriptions of ecosystems or zones in each text.

Both texts discussed zones of the Pacific Northwest and were similar in their descriptions. However, in Keeping it Living there were a total of four recognized zones within the Northwest Coast region, whereas in the text The Natural History of Puget Sound the fourth zone is recognized as a possibility.

The four ecological zones were described in Keeping it Living as “biogeoclimatic zones” which are defined by climate, vegetation, and topography. The first of the zones mentioned was the “Coastal Douglas-fir zone” described as warm, dry with the dominant tree being the Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga Menziesii). This zone is located mostly along the southeast coast of Vancouver Island, Puget Sound, Willamette Valley with some areas in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains. The second zone is the “Coastal Western Hemlock zone” with a dominant tree species of Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) and is located in moist coastline areas at low to mid elevations. The third is the “Mountain Hemlock zone” located at mid to high elevations along the coastline. This zone’s dominant tree is the cold tolerant Mountain Hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana). The fourth zone is the “Alpine Tundra biogeoclimatic zone” with long extended winters too cold to support trees, however there are low perennial plants present.

There were three zones recognized in The Natural History of Puget Sound that were similar to the ones described in Keeping it Living. Dominant tree species help define these three zones. The first described was the “Western Hemlock zone” dominated by Tsuga heterophylla. The area ranges from sea level to lower mountain slopes. The second was the “Pacific Silver Fir zone” dominated by Abies amabilis located in the mid-mountain area. The third zone was the “Mountain Hemlock zone” dominated by Tsuga mertensiana which is located in the upper mountains.

There was a possible fourth zone mentioned in The Natural History of Puget Sound which was the “Timberline-to-Alpine zone” located on the high treeless areas of the mountain range. No other plants were mentioned.

Some of the zone names differed slightly from one another. In Keeping it Living the zones include “Coastal” as a part of the description for the first two zones mentioned. This description I find more accurate because they are distinguishing between the Douglas-fir and the Western Hemlock, whereas The Natural History of Puget Sound lumps the fir and the Hemlock together into one category. This doesn’t accurately account for the difference in tree dominance along the coastal areas. Hemlock may have been the dominant species at one point but because of human interaction and development, the Douglas-fir has become the dominant species in many areas of the Puget Sound.

 

Discuss your understanding of relationships between natural systems and cultural systems in the Northwest.

It is my understanding that the cultural system follows the lead of the natural system. Natives followed the lead of the seasons and peak harvesting times to interact with the natural systems. This activity leads to the development of communities with structure and purpose. During peak harvesting season’s natives would travel for many miles to gather resources for their community. Tasks were shared among different communities from different locations and these resources were then utilized by the whole community not just a select few. The redistribution of wealth (harvest surplus) was a major part of the social, political, and economic structures of the peoples who lived in the Northwest. The resources harvested were used for food, medicine, tools, building materials, transportation (canoes).

In order to make efficient use of the resources available the natives must have been masters at understanding the natural systems of the land. They would have to be knowledgeable of the season’s cycles and the plants and other resources that were available at their peak harvesting time.

 

List two or three ideas you’ve gained through the reading and Saturday activities that you could apply to work on a habitat area in the Longhouse Garden.

I had three thoughts/ideas regarding the Longhouse Garden – Mixed Forest C. First, I would like to conduct a survey of the area using methods described in Saturday’s class (1-13-07). They include surveying the site using methods described in class and in Chapter 5, The Natural History of Puget Sound; adding plants that were described in both texts as growing naturally in the type of area that I am working with; I would also like to create a bridge over the wet portion of the landscape which was mentioned by Marja in our Saturday class.

The survey and past documented information on the site will give me a more accurate picture of what plants are growing there and what feature will persist and what features will change throughout the seasons. In my reading from The Natural History of Puget Sound the floristic approach and vegetation analysis were both data collection methods that I would like to incorporate into my Longhouse Garden notes.

 

Floristic Approach

<!--[if !supportLists]-->Taxonomy/Local Flora. Look at the trees and vegetation, what species (plant, animal, etc.) that are present in a representation sample of the forest?

<!--[if !supportLists]-->Community Composition (quantitative). List attributes such as frequency, abundance, dominance.

Vegetation Analysis

<!--[if !supportLists]-->Quantitative/Qualitative. Inventory the organisms present. Record form, pattern, and biomass (quantity of living matter that is produced by the organism).

<!--[if !supportLists]--> <!--[endif]-->Record species paying particular attention to life form (i.e. tree, shrub, herbaceous plants).

<!--[if !supportLists]--> <!--[endif]-->Determine the vertical stratification from the tree tops to the forest floor.

 

I will be seeking out the tools and knowledge to at least try all of the components of the floristic approach and vegetation analysis methods described above in my project area at the Longhouse Garden – Mixed Forest C.

The following list contains the plants I would like to add to the landscape if they are not already there. This is based on limited past knowledge of the site at this point and will change through the acquaintance process (getting to know my site intimately). There may be limited space for growing more trees; however, I’ve included a list of compatible trees for the site.

 

Possible plant/tree list for Mixed Forest C:

 

Plants/Herbs Trees/Shrubs

Evergreen Violets Western Hemlock

Skunk Cabbage Western Red Cedar

Trillium Western Dogwood

Trailing native Blackberry Salmonberry

Wild Ginger

 

In addition to adding a few new plants, it would be amazing to build a bridge, like the one Marja mentioned during our first tour of the Longhouse Garden. The wet area of the landscape would present a practical placement of a small foot bridge for viewing the Garden from another viewpoint. Conducting accurate surveys will allow for proper placement of the bridge. I have never built a bridge but it would be great fun to learn. Under and near the bridge would be an inviting place to see Skunk cabbage.

Northwest plants mentioned in reading that I can identify:

 

Common Name	Scientific Name	Life Form	Comments
Big Leaf Maple	Acer macrophyllum	Tree - deciduous	I grew up w/this tree…
Douglas-fir	Pseudotsuga Menziesii	Tree – evergreen	and this tree
Hawthorn	Crataegus douglasii	Tree	Ouch – I first met this tree in my backyard. It was pretty when it was blooming but I got to close and was stuck by one of its thorns.
Oak	Quercus garryana	Tree – deciduous	I have an oak growing in my backyard – I love this tree dearly and will be sad to leave it. I see it every morning out my bedroom window.
Pacific Madrone	Arbutus Menziesii	Tree	I became familiar with this tree on my many trips and long stays at Friday Harbor, San Juan Island
Vine Maple	Acer circinatum	Tree – small deciduous	I just planted a vine maple in my backyard this last year. It is delicate to me.
Western Flowering Dogwood	Cornus nuttallii	Tree – evergreen	There are several of these in my neighborhood and I have always wanted one growing my yard. It is a beautiful tree with amazing foliage.
Western Red Cedar	Thuja plicata	Tree – evergreen
Devil’s Club	Oplopanax horridum	Shrub?	Ouch – this plant also has poked me. However, I’m attracted to its grandness – it looks old.
Kinnikinnik	Arctostaphylos uva-usi	Shrub	You can smoke it.
Oregon Grape	Berberis aquifolium	Shrub
Poison Oak	Rhus diversiloba	Shrub	Beware – leaves a nasty rash
Red Huckleberry	Vaccinium alaskense	Shrub	Yummy. I have photos of this plant with an ant hanging from its leaves. I love showing this plant to my children because of the way it grows so well on nurse stumps and logs. I’m trying to grow this in my backyard – it is taking a while to get going and needs lots of attention is the summer months – our soil is dry and rocky.
Salmonberry	Rubus spectabilis	Shrub	I have taken lots of photos of this plant on walks around Olympia parks/trails.
Stinging Nettle	Urtica dioica	Shrub?	I’ve met this plant several times and so has my daughter. I’ve only consumed it as a tea.
Cattail	Typha latifolia
Evergreen Violet	Viola sempervirens	Flower/herbaceous plant	This is a lovely plant that caught my eye on a walk through the botanical garden on the Capitol campus. I am growing in my backyard.
Salal	Gaultheria shallon	Evergreen plant	I want to grow this in my backyard under some Douglas-firs but am having a hard time getting it started.
Skunk Cabbage	Lysichitum americanum	?	This plant reminds me of spring.
Sword Fern	Polystichum munitum		I am growing one in my backyard under a stand of Douglas-fir