The Inland Southern California Native American canyon homelands that burned in 2020 are now sprouting with flowers in spring 2021, including these wild hyacinth, or brodiaea. Their corms (often called bulbs) were highly sought after in older times as a delicious food.
(Pat Murkland Photo)
We continue celebrating Earth Day (April 22, 2021) with more stories from our Native Plant Challenge. Share your story and photo about a favorite native plant or tree with us HERE: #nativeplantchallenge.
Kat High: My Mugwort Story
Editor’s note: Kat High, honored by the Learning Center with the 2019 Dragonfly Award, is a teacher, storyteller, and native-plant specialist of Hupa descent who has worked extensively with Southern California Elders. She talked about gardening for balance in this September 2020 issue of News from Dorothy Ramon Learning Center.
Mugwort! (Artemisia douglasiana) — Pa’aku (Luiseño). Molush (Barbareño).
“Mugwort grows along my gray water pond, and the breeze blows through the leaves and into my bedroom window at night. Mugwort is called the “dream plant” — and a dream sachet can be made of the leaves to enhance “lucid dreaming.” A tea made from chamomile and mugwort encourages restful good dreaming sleep. Mugwort has been known as an “antidote” to poison oak when applied topically to an irritated skin. Mugwort is used by many tribes in ceremony, and in girls’ coming of age ceremonies. I offer it in my “gathering garden” for friends and neighbors who can benefit from its many healing properties.”
June Siva: Toyon
Editor’s Note: Retired biologist June Siva, Ernest Siva’s wife, is vice-president and a co-founder of Dorothy Ramon Learning Center.
Toyon (Photo by Alan Schmierer, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons)
“My absolute favorite native plant is Toyon (Christmas Berry). We have a large one right outside our window. It produces beautiful red berries at Christmas time, we’ve used them to decorate, and it attracts bluebirds!”
… And Mugwort
Card handwritten by the late Barbara Drake (Tongva) about medicinal mugwort, part of her exhibit of native plants and their uses: “Mugwort. Found near streams, identified by its tooth-shaped leaves that are silvery underneath. Used as a first aid on poison oak and stinging nettle. Mugwort can be used as a poultice to treat wounds, skin lesions and rheumatism.”
“But I have a special connection to mugwort because of wonderful friend, Barbara Drake. Barbara made several presentations at Dorothy Ramon Learning Center. One was on native plants, and she brought samples in jars for all of us to see. One of the jars contained mugwort. When she left, I couldn’t bear to throw out this sprig, so, I kept it in the jar and added water. I would keep it until it died. The mugwort didn’t die but thrived and soon there were roots on it! Then I started seriously caring for it and eventually made a cutting, put it in another jar, and repeated the process. Soon it had roots, too.
“Then a plan began to take shape. We were preparing for our Dragonfly Gala, coming up in August. The theme was native plants, could I grow enough mugwort to have some as part of the centerpiece on all 40 tables? One of our rooms at the Center became a plant nursery, filled with jars. I did manage to grow enough mugwort, all from Barbara’s sprig, so that all tables were graced with her mugwort! She was there, pleased and amazed.
“But wait, there’s more! After the Gala I took some of the sprigs and planted them in the newly renovated patio behind our Gathering Hall. And, you guessed it, the mugwort took over. It was strong, like Barbara, and I always saw them as a tribute to her. During one of her visits, Barbara got to see her mugwort all over our patio! In Spring, we will take some cuttings from the patio plants and try to grow them to plant at home, as a further tribute to Barbara.”
Ernest Siva: A Milkweed Story
Elder Ernest Siva (Cahuilla-Serrano), president of Dorothy Ramon Learning Center, shares a story about Milkweed and making gum.
Kim Marcus: Acorn
Editor’s Note: Kim Marcus (Serrano-Cahuilla) of Santa Rosa Reservation shares the story of transforming acorns that his family gathered last fall into a nutritious food.
“My (hulled) acorns are now dry and ready to process the old traditional way.”
“Last year’s harvest was very scarce in the San Jacinto Mountains, Ayaqach.”
“My wife Barbara works hard processing acorns. (Barbara is Kalispel and Spokane Indian from state of Washington.)”
“Leaching acorn powder for 8 hours in cheese cloth and juncas basket.”
“Cooking wiiwish until it starts to pile up.”
Not long now until the thickened, cooked acorn is shaped into cake form and ready to eat!
Tell Us More
Thanks to Mojave Desert Land Trust for sharing our chia issue of News from Dorothy Ramon Learning Center this week as part of Native Plant Week.
What’s your story about your favorite native plant or tree? We’ll share your short story and photo or art. Click and tell us: #nativeplantchallenge. We value your contributions.
Chia, an important food, blooms in abundance in a canyon that burned in 2020. (Pat Murkland Photo)
Dorothy Ramon Learning Center, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, supports our community working together to save and share Southern California’s Native American cultures, languages, history, and traditional arts. Subscribe to News from Dorothy Ramon Learning Center. Join us at dorothyramon.org and Dorothy Ramon Learning Center on Facebook. Thank you! Pat Murkland, Editor. April 21, 2021.