Reflect on The Sweet Breathing of Plants.
This is an intensely powerful book. The women writing these stories gave me inspiration, hope, pain, and fabulous insight. These women bare their souls. For that I am truly grateful.
I have a great affinity for Naomi Shihab Nye ("Mint Snowball") and Laura Bowers Foreman ("For the Maples") because of their associations between the past and nature, and how that conducts their present and future. Foreman made me think of a childhood friend that I had not thought about in a long time . . .
When I was about 6 years old I was walking through the woods on my parent's farm with my best friend (Lily, my snow-white Labrador) when I saw Her. Her being the largest bigleaf maple I had even seen (I still have not seen one larger). I had an instant kinship with Her. I called her Big Mama. When I walked under Her massive arms, I would say hello, and my cheeks would tighten and tingle. As I grew up I tried to tell myself that it was a silly, childish thing to have such adoration for a tree. I tried to disconnect myself for the spirit that called me – I did not want to believe. I look back at that period in time, and I see how lost I was. From the moment I saw her I could say I loved Her. I dare not visit now – I do not think that I could bear the sorrow I would feel if Big Mama were gone. It makes my heart ache just to think about it.
I have to mention Jean Achterberg ("Fate of the Wise Women"). What a powerful and telling story about people. I was appalled, yet, at the same time, not surprised at what she told. I am saddened about all of the powerful knowledge and wisdom that was lost during those hundreds of years of false persecution.
The Sweet Breathing of Plants has been a fantastic addition to this quarter's reading. It has shown me the brilliance and compassion of women and our willingness to adapt and survive.
1. Respond to Keeping It Living, Part III.
This was the best part of the book; it really summed up all the important principles, as any good conclusion should do.
As a note to myself (and others') I want to acknowledge:
"Plants have served as fundamental sources of foods, medicines, ceremonial substances, and objects, and have provided materials for constructing any number of goods" (331).
The First Peoples' of the Northwest Coast "named and utilized over 300 plant species," "over 100 of these as foods" (331). All of sources give reasons "to maintain and enhance the productivity of their plant resources" (333).
"For too long these practices have been belittled and overlooked. It is time for a consideration and critical reevaluation" (342).
It is important to recognize the practices and principles of the past, by not making them history, but to incorporate some aspects into daily life. We must take lessons from the people that have lived here for thousands of years, and place those lessons in the highest regard – particularly the lesson of "keeping it living" (335).
2. Describe you Personal Presentation.
Identity:
I am a student, teacher, mother, healer, seed saver, listener, role model, historian, advisor, patient, caregiver, gardener, naturalist, preservationist, woman, daughter, sister, friend, and member within my community. My identity with the world around me is open and flexible.
Meanings Made:
Sharing, helping, participating and caring for community.
How My Personal Garden Vision Reflects These:
Theme: Welcome
The driving principle behind my garden is community (I think it is getting redundant, but, hey, it is what it is). I want a space friends, family, and neighbors come together and share – share food, drink, medicine, ideas, kindness, understanding, stories, and memories. I want people on the sidewalk to stop, say hello, and share. I want my garden to invite and stimulate my community.
I want to thank the entire class for being so kind and supportive while I have been ill and recovering this quarter. I appreciate people grabbing extra copies of handouts, letting me copy notes, filling me in on lectures, and making me feel connected. Thank you.
With the work done at Roosevelt, the theme of my personal garden being “Welcome,” and my supportive classmates I've been thinking so much about community. With not having any family close, I see many members of my community as family. My neighbor's children our my kids, my daughter's aunts and uncles are my closest friends, and my elder neighbor's are my folks and my daughter's grandparents. It is difficult being without kin, but my community does a beautiful job of supporting and nurturing those who are without relatives. For their kindness and my gratefulness I hope for my garden to flourish.
I wanted to put down my thoughts about a discussion that happened a couple weeks back, the subject was loggers. I did not participate in the discussion at the time because I was so weak from being ill and I was at a loss for words after hearing some of the generalizations. I am not a logger, nor do I know any of my family being professional loggers, but I do know what it is like to cut a tree down. I can only think of a few years growing up where my father and I did not need to sacrifice a tree for firewood (for heating and cooking). It was hard, dangerous, dirty, and necessary work. I was appalled by the accusations that people were making about how loggers have no compassion or morals. There were such blanket statements made that night. It is those kinds of statements that make classifications of people, which lead to ostracizing and prejudice. I did not like the terms set up with the "we versus them" attitude, I was thankful for Marja's intervention and cautionous words, and other balancing words from people in class. Passing such judgment can never lead to better things – it never can lead to healing.
Weekly Reflections #5
There are several key points that Ames is trying to make within this chapter about the "evolutionary process known as intensification, or, in other words, producing more food" (67). He would like us to understand the equation "intensification = more food" needs to be looked at from both sides (99). He also puts great emphasis throughout the chapter on the various strategies used or could have been used by First Peoples' that cannot be determined through current archeology. Finally, Ames uses models that show the "general process" and "possible Northwest Coast strategies" to really delve into his "intensification = more food" equation, but he also uses these models to show other facets of First Peoples' culture (86,87). Towards the end of the chapter Ames compares the models to current archaeological information, and also compares and contrasts the First Peoples' of the Northwest Coast to other Indigenous People. "Intensification of the Food Production of the Northwest Coast and Elsewhere" raises some pertinent questions and ideas about the First Peoples' of the Northwest Coast.
Ames has broadened my understanding and meaning of intensification. I had often looked at it just form the archaeologist standpoint, rather than that of evolutionary ecologists. I was seeing intensification "in terms of units of land, " instead of measuring it by "time, space, or labor" (75). Which makes so much sense, especially looking at First Peoples' of the Northwest Coast. (It is very important to recognized when I have fallen into a Westernized mode of thinking and standards. I need to open my thinking to larger cultural ideas, and not allow myself to be trapped in Western fallacy). There is so much to learn for the past and present Indigenous People of the Northwest. Through this reading I could better understand the knowledge I already possessed about the natural and cultural systems of the First Peoples' of the Northwest Coast.
This chapter does not directly apply to the Decorative Areas, except that it gives me a greater understanding of First Peoples'. This applies to the whole of the Longhouse Gardens – this was an interesting read, however I do not see how to employ this knowledge into the garden, except maybe in print. It is difficult to articulate and condense such a complex topic; I am not sure that it would be appropriate to do so.
Weekly Reflections #4
How is winter manifesting in the world around you?
Winter is always such a surprise. Every year, without fail, I believe I will spend the season resting and rejuvenating, like many of the plants in my yard, but instead I find myself completely drained. By midwinter, I feel tired and restless – I need a change of pace. Sometimes I think that Mother Nature must hear my plight, because by this time I see the buds ripening and the bulbs poking through. It’s that new life emerging that seems to give me the vitality to continue through the damp chill that blankets this area in the winter.
What is your relationship with your journal?
My relationship with my journal is very intimate, but not in such a way that I would be unwilling to share it with other people. I look at my journal, and see reflections, I see stories, I see knowledge, I see unanswered questions, and I see memories. I enjoy the time I spend journaling – its calming. It is one of those activities that when I initially start I say, “Well I’ll spend half an hour working,” but when I look at the time three hours have passed.
What is medicine?
Medicine is anything that improves wellbeing. It can range from meditation to amoxicillin.
What is a garden?
A garden is a space that marries humans and nature; where each party has a say, but to what degree each participates depends on the garden.
Weekly Reflections #3
I was really moved by Naomi Shihab Nye’s story, "Mint Snowball" from The Sweet Breathing of Plants. I feel her loss and disconnect – that’s a huge reason I’m in this class; to reclaim the love and emotional territory that I’ve lost over the years. I have so many unanswerable questions, just like Nye, about regaining that connection. Most importantly – will it ever come back? Growing up I had such a deep connection with the land around me, but since leaving my parents farm I have steadily lost that bond (my folks sold their land years ago, and today it’s a dirt bike track – yeah progress). I am trying to regain my sense of belonging in nature and in family. I am trying to learn to live my life through intent, purpose, and passion. All of the work in this class has been fulfilling those needs and promoting reconnection.
However, I need to vent some frustration . . .
This has not started out as an easy quarter. I’m constantly trying to play catch up (mainly due to illness), but I need to rest – let my mind, body, and sprit heal – I’m just not allowing the time. Its very detrimental. I hope this weekend allows me at least one day of healing. I also hope that my medicinal plant, Humulus lupulus, will aid in my recovery by helping me rest and release some anxieties.
Ahhhhh . . . I must remember to breath.
1. 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, that is, of you "identity" in relationship to your understandings.
Wow! That is a huge question. My identity in regards to natural and cultural systems is that of student, teacher, mother, healer, seed saver, listener, historian, advisor, patient, caregiver, gardener, naturalist, preservationist, woman, daughter, sister, friend, and member. My identity with the world around me is open and flexible. I have to be willing to listen and hold knowledge, and not pass judgment – just pass information and ideas. I have to maintain lines of connection – it is my duty to preserve, protect, and to share.
2. List the new plants discussed in all texts that you can identify.
The Herbalist Way:
St. John's wort
Yarrow
Red Clover
Alfalfa
Echinacea
Calendula
Dandelion
Elderberry
Valerian
Ginkgo
Self-heal
Garlic
Catnip
Peppermint
Chamomile
Queen Anne's lace
Kelp
Violets
Keeping It Living:
Potato
Indian corn
Beans
Squash
Wapato
Huckleberry
The Natural History of Puget Sound Country:
Pearly Everlasting
Goldenrod
Lupine
Tiger lily
Bracken fern
Fireweed
Bleeding heart
Checker lily
Bead lily
Star flower
Strawberry
Shooting star
Buttercup
Wood sorrel
Indian paintbrush
Cat's ear
Miner's lettuce
Sweet Breathing of Plants:
Nightshade
Celery
Maidenhair
Heliotrope
Cannabis
Japanese snowbell tree
Rose
Phlox
Clematis
Honeysuckle
Marionberry
Gooseberry
Horsetail
Blackberry
Lavender
Hyacinth
Tulip
Dahlia
Peony
Oriental lily
3. List two or three new ideas that you've gained through this week's readings that you could apply to your Longhouse Garden project work.
1. Finding more ways/opportunities to share the knowledge of the Decorative Areas and the rest of the garden. Whether that is through signage, pamphlets, webpages, or word of mouth.
2. If Alisa and I put in medicinal and ceremonial plants into the Decorative Areas I would like signage about how they are used by First Peoples'.
1. Compare the description of ecosystems or zones in each text.
Keeping It Living describes four general "bioclimatic zones," defined by vegetation, topography, and climate, within the Northwest Coast region (9).
1. Coastal Douglas-fir zone
Forests dominated by Pseudotsuga menziesii and other tree species such as, Abies grandis, Arbutus manziesii, (Acer macrophyllum, and Thuja plicata. Within this zone there are interspersed prairies and meadows (9).
2. Coastal Western Hemlock zone
Dense forests of Tsuga heterophylla, Thuja plicata, Abies amabilis, and Picea sitchensis. These forests are found at low to mid elevations all along the coast (9).
3. Mountian Hemlock zone
This zone is dominated by cold resistant trees like Tsuga mertensiana, Chamaecyparis nootkatensis, and Abies lasiocarpa. The Mountian Hemlock zone is at mid to high elevations along he coast, with colder winters and precipitation occurring mostly as snow rather than rain (9, 10).
4. Alpine Tundra biogeoclimatic zone
This zone is found above the tree line; extended winters are too cold to support tree cover (10).
The Natural History of Puget Sound Country uses a similar classification in describing the zone, but goes into greater detail about sub-zones and methods of analysis.
2. Discuss your understanding of relationships between natural systems and cultural systems in the Northwest.
In the culture of First Peoples' the natural systems and the cultural are so intertwined there in no way to pull them apart. For First Peoples' there is ritual in living and appreciation for the gifts that are provided. In the westernized Northwest culture there is an incredible void between the two systems (generalizing). Tracy Wilson and I were talking in class one day about the disconnect that many people have. We talked about how some people go days, or longer, with out touching a plant or even putting their feet down on a natural surface. I am deeply saddened by that reality.
3. List the plants discussed in both texts that you can identify.
Identifiable Plants from Keeping It Living:
Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
Grand fir (Abies grandis)
Pacific madrone (Arbutus manziesii)
Broad-leaf maple (Acer macrophyllum)
Western red-cedar (Thuja plicata)
Common camas (Camassia quamash)
Western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)
Pacific silver fir (Abies amabilis)
Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis)
Mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana)
Yellow-cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis)
Subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa)
Bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum)
Salal (Gaultheria shallon)
Cattail (Typha latifolia)
Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica)
Pacific silverweed (Potentilla anserine ssp. pacifica)
Tobacco (Nicotiana sp.)
Identifiable Plants from The Natural History of Puget Sound Country:
Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
Pacific silver fir (Abies amabilis)
Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis)
Salal (Gaultheria shallon)
Grand fir (Abies grandis)
Pacific madrone (Arbutus manziesii)
Common camas (Camassia quamash)
Chocolate lily (Fritillaria lanceolata)
Mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana)
Western red-cedar (Thuja plicata)
Red alder (Alnus rubra)
Sword fern (Polystichum munitum)
Oregon grape (Mahonia nervosa)
Broad-leaf maple (Acer macrophyllum)
Devil’s club (Oplopanax horridus)
Wild ginger (Asarum caudatum)
False lily-of-the-valley (Maianthemum dilatatum)
Western trillium (Trillium ovatum)
Vine maple (Acer circinatum)
Red huckleberry (Vaccinium parvifolium)
Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum)
Western yew (Taxus brevifolia)
Western flowering dogwood (Cornus nuttallii)
Birch (Betula papyrifera)
Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides)
Pacific willow (Salix lasiandra)
Subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa)
Yellow-cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis)
Western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)
Black cottonwood (Populua balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa)
Licorice fern (Polypodium glycyrrhiza)
Deer fern (Blechnum spicant)
Cascara (Rhamnus purshiana)
4. 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.
1. I would like to see the Decorative Areas, especially by the Longhouse entrance, become filled with more ceremonial and medicinal plants used by the First Peoples'. We have, of course, many plants represented throughout the garden, but because of the nature of the Decorative Areas I think it would be appropriate to devote space to such plants as sweet grass, bear grass, and yellow violets.
2. Through reading, listening to others, and by listening to the gardens I have heard them whisper, "community." I want to make the area more inviting to the community, so they know its there for them to learn from, appreciate, and care for. For the campus sign area I would like to see some type of welcome signage and some plants that would draw people down through the gardens to the Longhouse.