The women go gathering. This afternoon’s walk was based on the belief that if you know what to look for and how to use it, you can make your own medicines.
Today, I joined about 20 women (all of us wearing our customary long skirts), to hike down a path not often travelled. The purpose of this walk was to gather medicines in preparation of the ceremony that will be held on this traditional territory during the next full moon.
As we were guided through the woods, the Elder women led the way. Us younger city girls, stumbled along behind, swatting at mosquitoes while pushing tree branches out of our way and trying to not accidently let them swing back into our companions faces.
We stopped often to hear descriptions of the plants we were seeking and explanations of their healing potentials. I watched the Elder women kneeling down as their expert hands searched through the mud for the root of the items they were seeking. It was a timeless moment. A moment that has occurred countless times over the generations and yet it was new and foreign to many of those present.
For more info on Traditional Medicine in Contemporary Contexts click here
For info on the Handbook and Resource Guide to the Convention on Biological Diversity click here
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