Herbal Remedies and Natural Medicine Guide: Navigating the Riches of Natural Wellness in the Herbal Apothecary [IV EDITION]

By Lomasi Ahusaka

EXCLUSIVE EXTRA CONTENTS WITH QR CODE IN THE PAPERBACK VERSION:

• Herbal Mastery Videos: Immerse yourself with in-depth video walkthroughs on herbal preparations.
• Herbal Encyclopedia in Motion: Delight in vivid herb profiles and their healing properties with rich media guides.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Top Notch International
• Release date: Dec 6, 2023
• ISBN: 9781917038096

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

This book provides an introduction to the herbalism practices employed by the Native Americans and how they were able to find the remedies to their illnesses as they lived off the land. As you read through the pages, you will notice that they have been structured in such a manner that you would be able to master the basics of herbal medicine, such as the harvest and preparation of herbs and the legalities involved. The second book is a compendium of common herbal remedies employed by the Native Americans and how you can identify the medicinal parts as well as the preparation needed to make the most of their curative properties.

Lastly, the third book narrates the various recipes you can prepare to remedy the various illnesses you could contract in daily life. Throughout the book, you would notice that the medicines, though used for millennia as part of the practices of Native Americans, it remains important that you take the necessary medical precautions before you take the medications prescribed. Additionally, there are federal regulations that you may have to comply with before you can harvest certain herbs from specific areas.

The herblore provided by the Native Americans would be a helpful addition to your household and help you economize on medicines. Be sure to care for the herbs to ensure that nature continues to provide the cures that you need from her own natural pharmacy.

PART 1

THE HERBALIST’S HANDBOOK TO HANDLING HERBS

1 

THE BASICS OF THE HERBALIST

The pages of this book are designed to give an insight into alternative sources of medicine, from the perspective of the Native Americans. It must be important to note that in reference to the Native American practices that are enumerated in this dossier of herbal plants and practices employed by the Native Americans in their preparation, we aim to respect the traditions that are carried over from each tribe of Native Americans whose practices have contributed to the overall lore that we now know of, in the use of herbal medications to augment our body’s ability to heal and counter the symptoms experienced from a myriad of various health conditions. For the first part of this book, we talk about the proper practices that are to be observed when one seeks to engage in the art of herbalism. It must be remembered that this book relates to the use of healing herbs in a Native American approach, and in deference to the various tribal customs that pertain to how these herbs are to be gathered and stored for use, their practices are to be maintained as one goes throughout the various steps outlined in this book. Chapter 2 is a compendium of the common herbs and plants that the Native Americans have deemed essential to the healing process, and which plants tribal lore has deemed as efficacious in the treatment of various afflictions in the body, and thus are commonly used by various Native American tribes in the treatment of diseases. An important tradition that must be mentioned is the importance of prayer before one begins to harvest the plant. In a metaphysical sense, you must be attuned to the plant before you pick it, in keeping with the cherished traditions of the people who have walked the land before us. A traditional rule observed is that one must not harvest from the plant that you have chosen to pray to. Native Americans believe that the plant that is the subject to your supplications as an herbalist is the means by which you maintain attunement with the rest of the native flora. Offerings must be made to nature: First to the earth, then to the sky, then to each of the four cardinal directions – whose importance we will tackle later on in this book, but general consensus provides that offerings should start from the east, then south, west, and north. The central part of the cardinal directions must also share the same honor, and have offerings given to it. Cornmeal is an important part of the ritual, as this creates a transcendent connection between you and the spirits. Cornmeal is placed on the heads of the gatherers. It is important that tradition be observed, and thus, you never take more than what you need from the plant. It is taboo if you gather from the herbal grounds of another person, or another tribe, as these grounds have been passed on from generations before. Native American beliefs state that there are specific items of clothing that are to be worn as a symbol of respect towards the spirits of the plants.

1.1  Herb Gathering in the Wild

One of the more prevalent practices used by herbalists is to gather herbs that are in the wild. Due consideration however, must be given in how you select the site where the herbs that you need are to be gathered. Because we utilize the approach of the Native Americans, it is important also, that their traditions in how they gather specific herbs are observed. One of the established practices in herbalism is the use of Wildcrafting. Wildcrafting is defined as a tradition engaged in by herbalists throughout the world that centers on the harvest and promotion of the use of natural healing through the use of various plants. The practice of Wildcrafting is symbolic of the renaissance of the use of herbal remedies for the treatment of illnesses, and its vogue is reliant on the ability of these herbal remedies to heal the illnesses that tradition and lore have stated these plants to be effective for. The practice of wildcrafting however, is easier said than done. For the uninitiated, there are numerous herbs that can be obtained through this practice. Herbs gathered in this manner however, remain subject to overharvesting, where one takes too much of an herb in the wild, that the plant may not be able to sufficiently recover from the amount harvested, and subsequently withers and dies. If it is possible for you to cultivate the herbs that you need, then that would be a more economical and ecologically-friendly alternative that ensures that we do not affect any particular ecosystems where these herbs are found, and ensures that there are a sufficient quantity of herbs for others to gather as well. As animals are considered endangered, as well as other flowers and trees, it is reasonable enough for us to understand that there are some herbs which cannot be gathered at all as these herbs have been overharvested by zealous herbalists, or the biome in which these herbs naturally flourish have been severely affected by human intervention which has resulted in the destruction of their usual growing conditions. Contrary to the earlier promotion of herb cultivation, there are some plants that cannot be cultivated at all, even in the most controlled environments, as these plants are able to flourish in the wild. Goldenseal and several varieties of Cohosh are among these herbs that remain popularly used by many, and are best grown in the verdant woodlands where they best grow. Similar to how a chef would substitute ingredients for another, it is possible to use alternative herbs that have the same curative properties in place of these wild herbs. The United Plant Savers website, at www.unitedplantsavers.org contains resources that would help you and other herbalists to help conserve these endangered herbs. Another danger that some of these herbs face results not from the excessive harvests made from the plant, or the destruction of their native ecosystem, but because the continued use of these herbs creates a strain on a particular population, in that these herbs, which are usually utilized by a specific tribe, are exploited to such a degree that they are gathered in large quantities and sold to the highest bidder. This drives up the prices of the herbs, and therefore, because the said tribe is unable to use the herb due to its exorbitant prices, cease to use the herb or plant in their tribal practices. Some of these herbs and plants subjected to these treatments are of such high nutritive and curative value that modern marketing has labelled these foods as superfoods, and thus, a word of caution must be taken when you choose to purchase these types of food, as the people who have subsisted on them before, may no longer be able to use them, as they have become a prized, and overexploited commodity. Reasonable substitutions can be found for these foods, and though they are not as unusual as their foreign counterparts, they are of an equal nutritive and curative value. If you are in for the discovery of wild herbs, there are certain practices that must be observed as you engage in wildcrafting, as it must be recalled, one wrong move can cause a cascade of effects that can affect the environment where these herbs grow. There are certain ethical practices outlined by the Rocky Mountain Herbalists’ Coalition.

An endangered or threatened species should never be gathered. Consult your local botanical garden or herbarium for a list of these plants. The American Herbalist Guild may be contacted by mail for a more comprehensive list at: AHG, Box 1683, Soquel, CA, 95073.

Positively identify the plant before you harvest. Identification keys and voucher specimens are to be used.

Ask permission and give thanks, give acknowledgement to the connection with life and show your gratitude.

Grandparent plants- those  that produce seeds and those that are sufficiently matured, should be left where they are, or at the top of an elevated area, where they would be able to seed the slopes of the elevated area. Work upwards.

If doubtful, you should not harvest more than 10 percent of the plant and its root if it is a native species, or 30 percent of a plant if it is a naturalized species, or has native leaves and flowers. Gather the quantity you need from ample plants. Be conservative when you harvest to ensure that the plants are maintained, and the well-being of the plant ecosystem are assured.

1.2  Site Selection

There are certain steps that must be undertaken before you harvest the herbs from a specific site. These steps are taken from the Rocky Mountain Herbalist’s Coalition.

Get permission: On land that belongs to the US Bureau of Land Management, a permit for free use can be obtained with a minimal fee. Regulatory practices from the United States Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management provide that you cannot pick herbs in and around campsites and picnic areas, you cannot gather from areas that are within 200 feet of the trails; and you cannot gather from the sides of the road.

2  Avoid areas that are situated downwind from pollution sites, stay 50 feet away from roadsides, areas with high tension electric wires (as these areas cause mutations in the plants around them), lawns and public parks that are fertilized, areas that are located downstream from mining and agricultural businesses, locations near parking lots, and areas you believed that may have been recently sprayed. There are areas maintained by the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Services, through routinary spraying. The same criteria are applicable to private land, where you will have to inquire about the use of herbicides and pesticides.

3  Use discretion when you are in a fragile environment, as you can alter the ecosystem with one irresponsibly performed action.

3.1  Gardening and Propagation Techniques

The techniques outlined by the Rocky Mountain Herbalists’ Coalition are designed to ensure that the wildcrafter exerts minimal impact upon the ecosystem where these herbs are gathered.

The use of proper wildcraft techniques ensures that the environmental impact of the wildcrafter is kept to a minimum; that the plants are able to optimize their yield, and continue to serve as fodder for the local fauna. It is advisable that you do not harvest from the same plant all the time, but to care for it when possible. Thinning, the practice of root division, and top pinching ensures that there is an adequate supply of grandparent plants that would propagate the landscape and guard more immature plants.

Awareness of erosion factors, is essential as you dig up the roots of the plant; if you replant, and if you propagate the seeds. Care for the plants that grow on the hillsides, and cover up the leaves and the replace the dirt from the plants already harvested. It may be necessary to gather nearby foliage and spread it around nearby plants. Avoid the use of shoes with hard soles, as these can inflict damage upon fragile ecosystems.

If your main goal in harvesting is just the leaf, do not pull on the roots. Utilize flower pruning as a means to improve the quality of the root yield as well as increase the amount of leaves.

Wildcrafted areas are subject to seasonal observations, and you should mind the plants from which you regularly harvest, and consult with their expected growth cycles. This is the best means to know how much your actions have impacted the biome in which these plants grow. Observations from an experienced wildcrafter have shown that a healthy plant would see a 30 percent increase in its yield initially, until such time that it remains in a static state. A lower yield rate would indicate that the plant is in a decline.

3.2   The Best Times to Gather Certain Herbs

For the purposes of this discussion, it is important to note that in reference to the gathering of herbs, it is noted that this would include the other parts of a plant commonly used by the Native Americans, and is not limited to the leaves, but also to the roots as well as the bark.

For the parts that are exposed to the air, and are above ground: The best time to gather